Shimmerlands

words by niall roeder

The University of Melbourne says more is better with Shimmerlands – two months of al fresco cinema, music and flavour.

Not that there is a lack of things to do in the heart of Melbourne at this time of year, but Shimmerlands is adding some sweet fire to the entertainment equation. Throughout the days and nights of January and February, the University of Melbourne will be home to an outdoor cinema, indoor concert hall and outdoor music amphitheatre that will be cranking out high-quality programming for the Melbourne masses to take advantage of.

Our beautiful site is now in full swing. Come down and see what we're all about. #Shimmerlands

A post shared by Shimmerlands (@shimmerlands) on Jan 9, 2017 at 6:19pm PST

To keep the herd well lubricated and extremely well fed they’ve set up The Pavilion and Food Quarter – an indulgent sanctuary of DJ-tuned lounge areas serving up food and drink from some of Melbourne’s culinary wizards, like St Ali, Pierogi Pierogi, The Real Jerk, SPQR Woodfired Pizza, Chandong Mumma, Burn City Smokers, Belleville, Epocha, Elyros.

As for the viewing, the program is a smorgasbord of contemporary cinema. There’s a solid mix being shown, from Arrival to Nocturnal Animals and documentaries on Oasis and Sharon Jones, as well as a modern cult classics, The Big Lebowski and The Bodyguard.

Maybe you’ve heard of First Baboon Civilisation Orchestra, Slippy Mane x Lalic and Wax’o Paradiso, maybe you haven’t. Eclectic and with just the right amount of you-probably-don’t-know-these-guys, the music line-up is definitely something to take a look at too.

TIPS

Eat at Burn City Smokers – Southern style smoked beef short ribs. Say no more.

Watch Miss Sharon Jones! – This doco celebrates the never-say-die attitude and incredible talent of the late, great soul singer, Miss Sharon Jones. Get ready to sing, groove and cry, not necessarily in that order.

Listen to “You’re a Melody” with Floating Points & Red Greg – A concept gig based around the love these two respected selectors share for, ‘You’re a Melody’ by Aged in Harmony.

Parquet Courts were the best way to kick off our music program. There's more where that came from. Check out what we've got coming up. We think you'll be pleasantly surprised to see that most of our events are free! #Shimmerlands

A post shared by Shimmerlands (@shimmerlands) on Jan 10, 2017 at 1:23pm PST