The Village Festival in Edinburgh Gardens

The Village Festival is part carnival, part village fair and part arts festival. Enter through the impressive façade and discover an alternative utopian world chock-full of of music, theatre, visual art, installations, puppetry, story-telling, cooking, workshops and a whole lot more.

This year The Village has a special focus on works by young, emerging and experimental artists. Village Artistic Director Suzanne Kalk is leading Stories of Diversity, a theatrical collaboration between students from Fitzroy High School and the Alice Miller School in Macedon. The festival will also feature a premiere preview performance of The Garden of Sorrows: Snuff Puppets’ giant puppet adaptation of the illustrated book of fables by John Hughes and Marco Luccio in which iconic Australian animals take on human qualities.

The Main Stage music program will feature the best of Melbourne’s emerging and established musos including Masco Sound System,
The Number Nineteens, Copperhead Brass Band, Hello Tut Tut,
Low Down Big Band, All Day Fritz and Chaos Magnet.

The World Kitchen is the imaginary love-child of Nigella and the Swedish chef. This fun, performative food stage invites chefs and home cooks from around the world (and around the corner) to share their stories about food, all whilst cooking scrumptious dishes to taste.

As always, The Village encourages active participation. There will be myriad opportunities to get creative, including crafty workshops and stalwarts like So You Think You Can Interpretive Dance and 10 Minute Dance Parties.

Friday 27 October: 6pm-12midnight
Saturday 28 October: 12midday-12midnight
Sunday 29 October: 12midday-8pm

No advance bookings. Entry by donation.