Melbourne for Muggles

Coming to Melbourne for the Cursed Child? If you love Harry Potter, it would be riddikulus not to. We’ve compiled our top tips to keep you busy between the two shows.

Harry’s Finally Here

Following enormous success on the West End and Broadway, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will make its way to Melbourne’s Princess Theatre from 16 January. Picking up where the final Harry Potter book left off, this stage play sees our favourite wizard in the year 2017, happily married to Ginny Weasley and sending Albus, their son, off for his first year at Hogwarts. A time-travelling adventure ensues that will delight wizards and witches, young and old. This story is so expansive it’s experienced in two parts, seen as either a matinee and an evening performance or two evening performances on consecutive nights.

Shop Up a Storm

Slytherin a bit of shopping during your Harry Potter Melbourne experience by hitting up one of the city’s best shopping hubs, Emporium Melbourne. Here you’ll find the likes of cult Japanese label Uniqlo, vibrant bags from Kate Spade and incredible skincare from Aesop. Stroll across the undercover footbridge to Myer Bourke Street, where you can access all of Bourke Street Mall’s shopping wonders. H&M and Zara join Myer and David Jones as some of the highlights of the strip.

Stay for a Culture Fix

Channel your inner Hermione Granger between plays by losing yourself in one of Melbourne’s most significant meeting places, State Library Victoria (SLV). Just like Hogwarts’ library, SLV is riddled with history and spaces waiting to be discovered. Aside from its awe-inspiring architecture and wealth of literature, you can explore its rotating range of exhibitions.

Discover the Foodie Scene

The magical meals of Hogwarts’ Great Hall have nothing on Melbourne’s variety of food and there’s no better place to experience them than at Queen Victoria Market. Delve deep into the culinary scene on an Ultimate Foodie Tour. Hear the stories behind this Melbourne institution while sampling some of its delicacies. Discover new cooking and shopping tips from your guide and traders, as you enjoy the market’s tastes, aromas, history and atmosphere.

Your Family’s Next Adventure

Take the family to uncover the secrets of onscreen magic at ACMI’s Screenworlds. See how special effects are created at the Time Slice exhibit where you can channel your inner Neo and re-create his Matrix moves while being filmed by 36 cameras. Or head over to Shadow Monsters, where the kids will love having their shadows captured to create an onscreen villain to rival Death Eaters of the wizarding world.

Did someone say free?

It’s easy to get about town thanks to the Free Tram Zone. To learn more, visit melbournenow.com.au/free-travel.