The Go-Betweens To Team With Paul Kelly, Jen Cloher & More At Melbourne Festival

The Melbourne International Arts Festival has just revealed its full 2018 program of dance, theatre, visual arts, architecture, contemporary and classical music that will take place throughout Melbourne from 3–21 October.

Opening the program will be Tanderrum, "part opening ceremony, part welcome to country", before the festival kicks off with a massive line-up including the only Australian performance of Lexicon, music from Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alva Noto and Nils Frahm and the Silkroad Ensemble performing in Australia for the first time.

In massive local news, original members of The Go-Betweens will join forces with special guests Paul and Dan Kelly, Romy Vager, Laura Jean, Jen Cloher for a 30th anniversary celebration of 16 Lovers Lane in an exclusive, one-off show.

Speaking about this year’s event, the festival’s artistic director, Jonathan Holloway, said that it “is a unique opportunity to open a series of doors into parallel worlds, to step through and discover a universe of real and imagined journeys; to become immersed in stories, adventures and experiences far beyond our everyday”.

“During this year's Festival, we will enter the Royal Botanic Gardens and see it awash with flame.  We will walk into a circus tent and discover a world of music and performance.  We follow explorers as they travel the Silk Road, or journey back to where they came from, or push on to safety, or fall into star crossed love.

“The Melbourne Festival is about encouraging your curiosity. Cross the threshold with us.”

Check out the mammoth program here and head over to theGuide for all the details; tickets go on sale next Monday.