Melbourne Festival Dates?

It certainly has people talking. Melburnians are divided over a decision by the organisers of the Melbourne Festival to move the festival from its traditional October timeslot to March citing better weather.

The 25 year old festival (previously known as the Melbourne Arts Festival) has been wedged between the AFL grand final and the Spring Racing Carnival but for the 2013 festival, March was flagged as a possible alternative to October, and now February is being discussed.

But rival arts organisations -- including chamber music presenter Musica Viva Australia, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival -- say that would block out venues and poach their audiences.

Many well known local stars like Dave Hughes, Wil Anderson and Charlie Pickering are angry at the decision to move the festival because it will conflict with other events such as the Melbourne International Comedy Festival which has run since 1987.

We'll throw into the mix our opinion that the move is not because of weather but poor attendances. And further, the reason for the poor attendances is not weather related but simply.. 'confusion'.

Here is the pitch for the 2011 Melbourne Festival.. Melbourne Festival is one of Australia's leading international arts festivals and has an outstanding reputation for presenting unique international and Australian events in the fields of dance, theatre, music, visual arts, multimedia, free and outdoor events over 17 days each October.

And there is your problem... they are trying to be "all things for all people". They had so many events on in 2011, we could not publish them all. The only way we could have told our readers whats on, would have been to update the listing daily.. which their advertising budget would not have afforded.

It was also noted, if there was something on.. it was suddenly part of the festival, in other words they claimed every single Melbourne event in October as their own. Well, as their own until it copped some negative publicity and then there would be some lame excuse for its inclusion.

Its always been Mad March in Melbourne, and if there was any dispute as to Australia's leading city for events, one only has to look at our What's On in Melboune events calendar in March to see how madness hits Melbourne..

Says lord mayor Robert Doyle: ''March is perfect for events in Melbourne. Good weather, Christmas is a memory, we've paid down some of that credit card debt and we know we are about to take a deep breath before winter. Look, other festivals would love to move to March - but there's no room!''

Then (2011) and Now (2019)

Well, that was then, this is now (2019). The Melbourne International Arts Festival is still running in October and has now hooked up with White Night Melbourne

Festival date move a disaster

Matthew Westwood | The Australian - December 7, 2011

ARTS companies preparing for a showdown with the Melbourne Festival over its plan to move from October to February have gained a formidable ally in media buyer and philanthropist Harold Mitchell, a former chairman of the festival.

Groups including Melbourne Theatre Company, the Australian Ballet, Victorian Opera and Opera Australia are meeting Arts Victoria tomorrow (8-12-2011) to discuss the changes. Melbourne Festival executive director Tim Jacobs, who is not attending tomorrow's meeting, declined to comment.

Mitchell, now chairman of the MSO, says he will advise Premier and Arts Minister Ted Baillieu to block the plan.

Update

Melbourne Festival (as we know it) is ending
By Rebecca Russo
Friday July 19 2019

It's the end of the festival as we know it. Starting 2020, Melbourne Festival is joining with White Night to create an as-yet-unnamed mega winter festival, which will run from August 2020. But Melbourne Festival director Jonathan Holloway is ensuring this iteration of Melbourne Festival goes out with a bang, with a spectacular and eclectic program.

For theatre lovers, there's a new international work starring Maxine Peake as the enigmatic Nico and Anthem, and a new collaboration between some of Australia's leading creatives. Music fans will lap up gigs from the Flaming Lips and Joan As Police Woman, while Japan's legendary TeamLab will be showing three new video works in a free exhibition. timeout.com

As far as we knew, it's been called Melbourne International Arts Festival

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