Melbourne’s 2023 Mad March set to be ‘bigger and better than ever’
World-class festivals, major sporting contests and theatre shows are all on the agenda during the busiest month on Melbourne’s calendar. See what’s on.
Victoria
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With world-class food, fashion, festivals and fierce sporting rivalries on the agenda, Melbourne’s mad March is back.
The Melbourne Fashion Festival, Avalon Airshow and Flemington’s Australian Guineas Day will help kickstart the jam-packed month this week – but these events are only the tip of the iceberg.
The city’s theatres will showcase Mary Poppins, & Juliet and the Australian Ballet’s Don Quixote, while the Melbourne International Comedy Festival will dial up the laughter.
Poppins herself, aka Stefanie Jones, labelled Melbourne the “spiritual home” of her show, which offered the “perfect family outing (as) equal parts spectacle and heart”.
Foodies will salivate over the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival’s program of 200-plus events – including the free Convenient Store and Festival Bar in Fed Square, to which chef Tom Sarafian will contribute Middle Eastern-inspired delights.
“It’s a world-class event for people (to) enjoy the best of what Melbourne has to offer, and also a lot of amazing international food experiences,” chef Tom Sarafian said.
The free Melbourne Now exhibition will showcase the works of more than 200 Victorian artists and designers at the NGV’s Ian Potter Centre, while more than 100,000 people are expected to flock to the Royal Exhibition Centre and Carlton Gardens for the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.
“It is the southern hemisphere’s largest horticultural event, and one of the only garden festivals in the world set among a beautiful city backdrop,” horticulturist Chloe Thomson said.
Australia’s first all-accessible music festival, Ability Fest, will also be staged at Birrarung Marr, with DJ Cooper Smith on the decks.
“Money raised (from the event) will help young Australians living with disabilities chase their dreams,” he said.
Sports fans will be spoiled for choice in March, with back-to-back blockbusters at the MCG, Carlton vs. Richmond and Geelong vs. Collingwood, launching the AFL season.
“Round one is the biggest (occasion) of the year, apart from the Grand Final and the finals,” Carlton’s Marc Pittonet said.
“Everyone’s excited, just because it is the first (game) to have a real crack and see where the teams are actually at.”
John Cain Arena will host another sporting rivalry as the Melbourne Vixens meet Collingwood in round two of Suncorp Super Netball’s 2023 season.
Vixens goaler Kiera Austin urged Melburnians not to miss “one of the most fiercely competed games” in the fixture – and to back her team.
“Netball is really fast and really physical live … so you definitely need to come down and watch the game,” she said.
“I hear that everyone hates Collingwood, (so) go for the great Vixens, who have been the longstanding Melbourne team.”
Melbourne Storm’s 2022 Rookie of the Year, Tyran Wishart, is hoping to see plenty of purple at AAMI Park for the NRL club’s first home game against the Bulldogs.
“It will be massive having our captain, Christian Welch, back (after he was) injured from round one (last year),” he said.
And horsepower will be on show at Albert Park for the Australian Grand Prix, and at Melbourne’s racetracks every Saturday of March.
The Victoria Racing Club will host three race days as part of its Flemington Racing Spectacular, with $11m in prizemoney and a golden ticket into the Melbourne Cup on offer.
Australia’s only fan-voted race, the All-Star Mile, will also be run at Moonee Valley Racecourse.
“It’s a really exciting part of our calendar,” champion jockey Craig Williams said.
Victoria’s Tourism, Sport and Major Events Minister, Steve Dimopoulos, expected the events to “attract visitors from far and wide, deliver a boost to local businesses and support jobs (across) our city”.
“Victoria has the best line-up of major events in Australia, and this autumn is going to be bigger and better than ever,” he said.
Mad March, and awesome April
Mary Poppins, Her Majesty’s Theatre, now until June
& Juliet, Regent Theatre, on now
Australian International Airshow, Avalon Airport, now until March 5
PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival, March 3-11
Super Round Melbourne, AAMI Park, March 3-5
Flemington Racing Spectacular, March 4, 11, 25
Melbourne Storm’s first NRL home game vs. Bulldogs, AAMI Park, March 11
The Australian Ballet performs Don Quixote, Arts Centre, March 15-25
Carlton vs. Richmond AFL season opener, MGC, March 16
All-Star Mile, Moonee Valley Racecourse, March 18
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, March 24-April 2
Melbourne Now, The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, March 24-August 20
Ability Fest, Birrarung Marr, March 25
KaBloom Festival of Flowers, Dandenong Ranges, March 25-April 25
Melbourne Vixens vs. Collingwood Suncorp Super Netball derby, John Cain Arena, March 26
SportNXT conference, Centrepiece, March 28-30
Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, March 29-April 2
Melbourne International Comedy Festival, March 29-April 23
Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park, March 30-April 2
ACMI Melbourne Winter Masterpieces Goddess, April 5-October 1
Rip Curl Pro, Bells Beach, April 4-14
DreamHack Melbourne, April 28-30
Our Mad March ambassadors
(From left to right):
NGV Melbourne Now artist Troy Emery
Melbourne Fashion Festival model Saffire Leparporit, wearing Jason Grech
Melbourne Vixens player Kiera Austin
Carlton player Marc Pittonet
Jockey Craig Williams in a Formula 1 car for the Australian Grand Prix
Melbourne Food and Wine Festival chef Tom Sarafian
Melbourne Storm player Tyran Wishart
Mary Poppins star Stefanie Jones
Ability Fest DJ Cooper Smith
Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show horticulturalist Chloe Thomson
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