Why Melbourne is a dream city for creatives

You could argue - and many probably will - that Melbourne is a mecca for ‘serious’ business types: the suit-wearing, finance-talking, negotiation-having, corporates.

This might be true, but Melbourne is also, and arguably more so, a dream city for creatives.

Artists, designers, performers, and storytellers can all thrive in Melbourne’s melting pot of unique opportunities, events, and attractions for those a little more creatively inclined.

Let’s not forget either that creatives can be (and sometimes need to be) suit-wearing, finance-talking, and negotiation-having.

Most creatives bring with them a unique combination of skills that span creative thinking, artistic inclination, and a lot of determination, and Melbourne is just the place for that - here’s why: 

Unique festivals and special events

Melbourne is home to some of the best festivals and events in Australia. 

Melbourne International Comedy Festival

The funniest weeks in Melbourne run every year for close to a month from late March. The Melbourne International Comedy Festival takes over venues in the CBD and suburbs, and brings a plethora of international and local talent with it, from amateurs to pros. 

Melbourne Writers Festival

For all the literary nerds, the Melbourne Writers Festival comes around every May, offering a full week of discussing books, ideas, and good stories for readers and writers alike. It’s a time for collaboration, learning, and most importantly, storytelling. 

Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show

As the largest horticultural festival in the southern hemisphere, the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show is a five-day celebration held in March/April for hobbyists, newbies and long-standing industry professionals across art, floristry, and landscape design. 

Melbourne International Film Festival

Melbourne International Film Festival offers an expansive program with features and short films to suit everyone’s taste. The curated selection of films spans genres, styles, languages, and purposes.

Films are shown in cinemas and venues across the state, as well as streamed online Australia-wide. 

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival

There is a level of creativity required of good food and wine - and the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is here to showcase it all.

It’s truly the tastiest time of year; usually held towards the end of March, the festival features food crawls, collaborations across different chefs and restaurants, classes and workshops, local tours, as well as plenty of other pop-ups and special events showing off Victoria’s incredible producers and other culinary talents.  

Melbourne Fashion Week

Usually held in October, Melbourne Fashion Week is packed with runways, talks, exhibitions, and workshops by some of the biggest and best names in Australia’s fashion scene - including emerging and established labels.

It’s not just for industry insiders either, plenty of tickets are available to the public and most of the looks showcased are available across different Melbourne retailers. 

Melbourne Fashion Festival

Yes, another fashion event - Melbourne really is the fashion capital of Australia. The PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival is Australia’s largest major fashion event.

Held for two weeks from February to March, this major event, including most runways, is also open to the public.

World-class training institutions

If you’re just getting started and looking to get yourself a degree, Melbourne is home to top-tier institutions offering qualifications in pretty much every creative industry you can think of. 

To start with, Collarts is ranked number one for student engagement quality indicators for creative industry providers in Australia. Offering courses ranging from animation to acting, fashion, interior design, and music performance (to name a few), there’s pretty much a certificate or degree for every creative at Collarts. 

Melbourne also has a range of creative degrees available at its universities, TAFEs, and other training providers; from Cert 1 to PhD level - the city’s got you covered. 

Thriving live music and show scene

Melbourne’s iconic venues including the Palais Theatre, The Forum, Festival Hall, and plenty of others ranging from big theatres to small pubs, often play host to musicians, performers, and artists of all kinds.

Whether you’re keen to sit in an audience or get up on stage, you’re almost guaranteed to find a show of some sort any and every weekend. 

Don’t just take our word for it - research shows that Melbourne hosts 62,000 live music concerts each year and Victoria has three times more live music performances than the national average. 

Incredible career and collaboration opportunities

The creative industries play an important role in the local economy of Melbourne. In fact, according to Creative Victoria, the state’s creative industries contribute almost $23 billion to the economy, and make for 220,000 jobs. 

Whether you’re a musical theatre performer on the hunt for your next show, or a creative entrepreneur looking to collaborate with a branding agency in Melbourne, you’re in good company. 

Endless opportunities for inspiration

Last year, Time Out released its first-ever ranking of the world’s best cities for culture, and Melbourne came in at 10th - pretty impressive for a small city so far away from so much of the world! 

Well-known for its galleries, architecture, museums, theatres, and street art, there is always inspiration to be found in the streets of Melbourne. 

Head to the National Gallery of Victoria to see stunning exhibitions from a range of artists, and the Vivien Anderson Gallery for incredible contemporary Indigenous art. 

When it comes to street art, check out Hosier Lane, Drewery Alley, Mornane Place, Meyers Place, AC/DC Lane and Duckboard Place. Or just walk the CBD until you find something you like - it’s pretty much guaranteed. 

Speaking of walking the streets, if you’re a design buff, you’re also bound to find inspiration in the architecture of Melbourne.

The Nicholas Building, Royal Exhibition Building, and Coop’s Shot Tower are interesting historical structures, but the city is also lined with contemporary buildings, if that’s more your speed.  

So, if you’re a creative of any kind, we sure hope you’re in Melbourne. Or at least spending a lot of time here.

The city has so much to offer, and so much to gain from, creative people doing impressive things across art, performance, literature, and any and all other creative industries.

Change up your career by enrolling in some of the best courses in the country, or just take the long way home to stroll through street art next time you’re in the CBD - whatever you do, don’t neglect the endless opportunities to engage with, and create art, in Melbourne.