What’s Good in Melbourne this June

words by niall roeder

June, the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, the second month to have the length of 30 days, and the month that contains the winter solstice in our hemisphere, but who’s cares? What does June mean to Melbourne and those looking for a good time? Where can one sow their wild oats, expand their consciousness and metaphorically paint the town red, during the first month of winter?

We look at what’s on in Melbourne in June.

Freedom Time Festival
After a sell-out NYD shindig, the emerging open air rave set in the Coburg Velodrome is returning with a winter instalment. And with headliners like melodic tech warrior, Kim Ann Foxman; the psychedelic, DJ Harvey; and Sleep D and Albrecht Labrooy getting down live, Freedom Time Festival is set to be another cracker.

2 Art Exhibitions
From the numerous art shows popping up in Melbourne in June, we’ve picked two that we think will tickle your creative fancy.
Angelica Mesiti is a Sydney-born, Paris-based video artist. Her latest project, Tossed by Waves, is a silent video exploring hope and resilience in the wake of 2015’s terror attacks and will be projected onto the back wall at Anna Schwartz Gallery until July 1.
You might have heard of Gertrude Contemporary – an art space that has housed artists and hosted exhibitions on Gertrude Street for more than 30 years. The End of Time. The Beginning of Time is a farewell for this iconic gallery, one last hurrah before shuffling to a new space in Preston. The show will bring together 20 past artists; like Rose Nolan, Reko Rennie, Mark Hilton and Noriko Nakamura; in a tip of the paint-splattered hat to the place that gave them a go.

A Conversation with Alan Cumming
The award-winning actor, writer, cabaret star and general funnyman will be at the Comedy Theatre June 16, performing his latest show – in which he tells stories from his chaotic past, in between singing songs and chinwagging about current events.

Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend
You don’t have to be a monarchist to love Queen Lizzie’s birthday (June 12), because it means we “celebrate” the ol’ girl with a public holiday. There’s always plenty to do on a stock standard weekend in Melbourne, let alone a three-day weekend, people seem to go absolutely nuts. Keep an ear to the ground as things are announced over the next few weeks and you’ll soon find yourself geeing up the pals with a text message reading something like, “Yo, let’s get boozed and hold snakes at the Wine and Wildlife festival at Healesville Sanctuary. Keen?”

DENFAIR
Are you into really, really nice design? Like those interiors that create a space all on their own? Well from June 8-11, the third instalment of DENFAIR will take over the South Wharf at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre with the best of established and emerging designers. Check out the highlight reel to get you stoked!

Go to an AFL match
If you haven’t been to the Melbourne Cricket Ground, aka Australia’s premier stadium – you should go. It’s something that should be ticked off the list whether you’re a sports fan or not, and it might as well to a game of AFL, which is the most popular sport in Australia. The sheer size of the arena is striking enough, but when it’s full to the brim with well-oiled footy fanatics screaming at tall gazelle-like blokes in tiny shorts, it truly is a sight to see.

There are six games played at the MCG throughout June, including two Sydney Vs Melbourne clashes. Pick a side and bask in the hectic ambience.