January Long Weekend
Sun’s out, fun’s out!
If you’re looking for somewhere to enjoy the long weekend, we’ve got a schedule of goodies lined up to keep the family entertained.
There’s nothing quite like live music – and from the jazzy Jack Earle Big Band, Mighty Duke & The Lords and Fed Live finalists Taylah Caroll and Franke James, there’s something for everyone live and free on the main stage all weekend long.
Bringing the kiddies along too? You’re in luck – family-friendly clowning entertainers Don’t Mess With The Dummies are putting on a free, live show – with free smoothies for the crowd, too!
Our Summer of Classic Films continues with a list of home-grown Aussie classics – kick back on our new comfy seating and enjoy Red Dog, The Castle, Muriel’s Wedding, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Bran Nue Day, Australia Daze and Strictly Ballroom!
If the sun gets too hot, then we have a treat for you – Collision is our latest interactive art exhibit, made from light projections on a wall of atomised water. From midday until 11:00pm each night, you’re cordially invited to run amok and cool down. As night falls, watch the stunning light projections appear through the mists of water, like magic – as the great Sebastian the Crab once said: everything’s better when it’s wetter.
Did you enjoy Fed, Actually? To thank our invaluable frontline workers – and all the people of Victoria – for their hard work and perseverance last year, we’re opening up the Big Screen for your custom messages of goodwill – just pop them in the form below and you might just see it in person at Fed Square!
Finally, join us for our livestream of Share the Spirit, a commemoration of the survival of Australia’s First Nations people and a family-friendly day of live music, performances, art and culture. Not to be missed.
At Fed Square, we acknowledge that we are gathered on the lands of the Kulin nations. We respect their traditions and embrace their traditional and contemporary expression.
What’s On?
Thanks, Victoria | Daily on the North Facade
This Australia Day long weekend, say thanks to those who supported us, kept us safe and kept us going through 2020 with a message displayed on Fed Square’s big screen.
Kinda like a warm fuzzy for our essential and front-line workers. Just add your message via the form below and drop by the square all weekend to see what Melburnians had to say.
Masterclass: Lamington Ice Cream Sandwich by Darren Purchese
Cool off this Long weekend with an exclusive video tutorial and recipe from our resident Dessert darling and Masterchef of all things sweet, Darren Purchese. It’s an Anything but Square twist on an Australian classic, the Lamington. It’s a Lamington Ice Cream Sandwich, we’re drooling already. Check it out here.
Collision Water Projection Art Installation | 23, 24, 25 & 26 January | 12:00pm – 11:00pm
Artist Joel Zika and the Collide Public Art Initiative present a unique interactive digital artwork using water and digital projection.
Collision uses a wall of atomised water to create mysterious structures that float above Federation Square. Audiences are free to walk through the digital apparitions disrupting and scattering their digital pixels into the atmosphere. A perfect installation for families or those trying to chill out after a day in the sun.
Over four nights Zika and Collide will showcase a series of abstract projections that meld the built environment with wild organic forms. As night falls, the tilework and layered brick that covers the surfaces of inner-city Melbourne comes to life as fantastical biological amoeba and sea of swirling bricks.
Projections will commence from 8:40pm each night.
Fed Live Summer Series | 23 January | 6:00pm – 9:00pm
By popular demand, the very best Victorian artists from our smash-hit Fed Live competition are coming to Fed Square. This weekend, see three of the Fed Live finalists live on-stage!
Taylah Carroll 6:00pm
Frank James 7:00pm
Mighty Duke & The Lords 8:00pm.
Jack Earle Big Band | 25 January | 6:30pm – 8:30pm
The Jack Earle Big Band is one of Australia’s most exciting large jazz ensembles. At the age of 12, Jack thought it was normal behaviour to form such an enormous band, and with encouragement from his musical family and local community swing band, they came together for their inaugural performance at an annual local festival.
From these humble beginnings, Jack endeavoured to grow the band’s reputation and start booking performances at local jazz clubs. With savings from these performances, and the popularity of online crowd-funding, the Jack Earle Big Band successfully produced their debut, self-titled album.
The band is composed of 17 of Victoria’s finest musicians, ranging in age from 20-60, bringing in a wide array of professional experience and expertise. They’re often inundated with requests to collaborate with highly respected artists from the Jazz, Commercial, Cabaret and Musical Theatre industries including Rhonda Burchmore, Bonnie Anderson, Fem Belling and Ainsley Melham.
Don’t Mess With The Dummies | 26 January | 11:00am
Round up the kiddies as Fed Square comes alive with this all-female family friendly circus show.
The show is a blend of physical comedy, circus and imaginative play which give the Dummies’ shows a unique wonder and charm.
Like a Pixar film the show appeals on several levels with cultural references that resonate across generations. At the forefront of the show is the timeless and universal sense of fun and imaginative play.
Absolutely hilarious for kids and adults. There’s also free smoothies on offer for all who attend!
(Above: Press play to start the stream)
Share the Spirit Livestream | 26 January | 12:00pm – 8:00pm
Join us for a celebration of the survival of Australia’s First Nations people. Experience a day of live music, art and culture for all ages. This is a family-friendly, drug and alcohol free event, showcasing the wonderful and diverse talent of the Aboriginal arts community.
Weekend of Classic Films
The Big Screen at Fed Square is lighting up the long weekend with a stack of classic Aussie films! And the best part? They’re completely free!
Enjoy a cracking lineup including The Castle, Bran Nue Dae, Muriel’s Wedding, Strictly Ballroom, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Australia Daze and Red Dog.
It’s all happening inside Fed Oasis. So there’s comfy seating, shaded areas, environmentally-friendly recycled astroturf, and in-square food and drink delivery – just order from one of our fabulous restaurants and cafes and you’ve got a gold-class cinema experience at your fingertips.
Free icecream and popcorn are available during all film screenings (Friday – Wednesday), so get there early!
Red Dog | 1:00pm | PG for mild themes, coarse language and sexual references
Based on an incredible true story, Red Dog is a tale of love, laughter and loss. BYO tissues.
The Castle | 9:00pm | M for medium level coarse language
Our favourite family, the Kerrigan’s, reside together in a makeshift home on the outskirts of Melbourne’s busy Tullamarine Airport, where they prepare themselves for the fight of their lives.
Strictly Ballroom | 4:00pm | PG for low level coarse language
Top ballroom dancer pairs with a plain, left-footed lass when his maverick style earns him the disdain of more conventionally-minded folk.
Muriel's Wedding | 8:00pm | M for low level coarse language & sexual references
Join socially awkward Muriel and fellow outcast Rhonda as they move from their small backward town to the big lights of Sydney, where Muriel sets off on redesigning her life to match her dreams.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert | 8:30pm | M for moderate coarse language and sexual references
Join fabulous drag queen Anthony, fellow cross-dresser Adam, and transsexual Bernadette as they embark on an outback adventure like no other.
Bran Nue Dae | 8:00pm | PG for mild violence, sexual references and coarse language
An uplifting musical about an Indigenous boy’s journey back home, Bran Nue Dae encourages the audience to relax, get on board and enjoy the ride.
NOTE: This film may contain names, images or voices of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Australia Daze | 6:30pm | Unclassified
On Australia Day in 1988, film crews were sent across Australia to capture how average Australians were celebrating the bicentenary. Filmed by an army of directors, Australia Daze pieces together the day-to-day lives of average Australians into a charming, humorous and, at times, shocking reflection of a diverse Australia.
All events are dependent on COVID-19 restrictions as per State Government advice. To read our COVID-safe plan, click here
