If it's this Saturday, it has to be Melbourne. Not because of cricket, which will be taking over only on Sunday, but because of the massive cultural extravaganza of this season — the White Night Melbourne — all set to open a blitzkrieg of activity around the city all through the night. The White Night Melbourne 2015 event offers a mix of free and ticketed entertainment of over 12 hours and features local, national and international artists and works from India, Australia, France, Canada, Greece, Portugal and the United Kingdom.
The event will rock the city from 7 PM to 7 AM wherein visitors will be flocking to visual art shows, exhibitions, illuminations, music, theatre, special dining experiences, film, design and performances on display in venues and major cultural institutions across the city centre. Indeed, the activity calendar of this maverick city is bursting at its seams but no one is minding. According to local reports, the Victoria Police has beefed up its force as never before to deal with the 8.5 lakh visitors about to descend on the city for various events, both sporting and cultural, from this weekend.
The numbers are mindboggling: As many as 90,000 will be cheering at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. And just the night before, for the White Night festival another 6 lakh would have gathered to make some real good noise in the heart of the city. Also at play will be around 30,000 revelers for the Soundwave Music Festival which will be running alongside. Just around the corner, the same night the Black Caviar lightning Stakes Day and the Circque du Soliel, a dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment, will open to 15,000 spectators and Guy Sebastian will sing to more than 10,000 at the Rod laver Arena.
All this janta will be milling in a 2 km radius which includes the Central Business District, the MCG, the Rod laver Arena, the AAMI Park, the Showgrounds and the Flemington Racecourse. Then there's football too — city's first love. So, at an estimate, 15,000 football fans will attend the Melbourne City and Perth Glory match and 4,000 will definitely be there to watch the Melbourne United battle it off with the Sydney Kings.
With all this and more about to burst all over Melbourne, the authorities have a simple warning: Stay home, if you are not attending any of the above events. If visiting don't come if none of the above are on your agenda. And, no private cars please, let's go public with the transport for at least a week.