What's on around town

For those eager to keep the celebrations going, Sunset Safari is a brand-new disco day party that takes place on the first day of the new year. Find a sunny spot on the grass and listen to headliners Late Nite Tuff Guy, Joey Negro and Dr Packer. Arrive before 3pm for canapés and a complimentary cocktail.

Tomorrow, 1pm-10pm, Greenfields, Albert Park, 35-37 Lakeside Drive, Albert Park, $120, sunsetsafari.com.au

INDIE

Fed Square hosts a series of free Thursday-evening gigs, all summer long. Stepping up to the plate this week is Alex Elbery and his eight-piece band The Strangers. Drawing from an eclectic blend of inspirations, the jazz-meets-folk-meets-rock outfit specialises in theatrical performances. They're joined by Geelong-based, dreamy guitar-laden group, The Evening Cast.

January 5, 5.30pm-7.30pm, The Square, Federation Square, Flinders Street, city, free, fedsquare.com

LIVE

THEATRE

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Get a sneak preview of Essential Theatre's 2017 season of Shakespeare in the Vines next week, when the company stages Much Ado About Nothing in the Williamstown Botanic Gardens. The play is considered one of the Bard's best comedies, for its ruminations on the subjects of honour and shame that take place alongside some classic rom-com twists and turns.

January 4, 6pm, Williamstown Botanic Gardens, corner Giffard and Osborne Streets, Williamstown, free-$20, hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au

ROOM ON THE BROOM

A production for children aged 3 and up – as well as their families – Room on the Broom has been adapted from an award-winning picture book. When a witch and her cat are joined on their broom by a dog, a bird and a frog, it snaps under their weight, and the group finds itself in need of assistance.

January 4-15, Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, city, $26-$39, 1300 182 183, artscentremelbourne.com.au

CIRCUS

Roll up, roll up, for an old-time circus show that's entirely animal-friendly. Circus 1903 aims to replicate turn-of-the-century big-top shows, but use the state-of-the-art puppetry we previously saw in the award-winning War Horse, to introduce elephants into the ring. Other performers include strongmen, contortionists, acrobats and knife throwers.

January 3-12, Regent Theatre, 191 Collins Street, city, $81-$132, 136 100, ticketmaster.com.au

DANCE

Take a silent disco tour of the city and become part of an impromptu flash mob. In conjunction with the Kylie on Stage exhibition, Guru Duru brings his Silent Disco walking tour to the Arts Centre. Participants are given a set of headphones and follow the music through the Arts Precinct and its surrounding streets.

January 7-15, Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, city, $10, 1300 182 183, artscentremelbourne.com.au

FOOD

NYE PARTY

Southgate bar and restaurant BearBrass is celebrating New Year's Eve with an English-inspired summer party, as a nod to the Pimm's garden installed at the venue until January 9. The evening commences with a pre-dinner glass of Pimm's and a 20-minute cruise down the Yarra (Melbourne's version of the Thames). A three-course dinner is later served back at BearBrass, along with a gin cocktail. From 10pm a DJ supplies some dance tunes.

Today, from 5.45pm, BearBrass, Southgate, 3 Southgate Avenue, Southbank, from $110, 9682 3799, bearbrass.com.au

HIGH TEA

Sing is a new star-studded, animated film about a cast of animals who enter a singing competition to save a beloved theatre. To mark the release of the movie, the Langham has introduced a themed high tea for kids. Tables are served spreads inspired by the story, including Caramello koala-studded cupcakes, piglet-shape macarons, muffins designed to resemble sheep, mini-cheeseburgers and rabbit-shape watermelon slices. Signature favourites such as cucumber sandwiches and scones also feature on the menu.

Every weekday until January 31, 10am-11.30am and 12.30pm-2pm, The Langham, 1 Southgate Avenue, Southbank, $35-$55, 1800 641 107, ariabar.com.au

MARKET

The ninth annual South Melbourne night market kicks off on Thursday, and runs for eight consecutive weeks. Restaurants, bars, food trucks and carts will be dishing up affordable and tasty street eats, including burgers and fries from Beatbox Kitchen, gelato from local sweets-masters Bibelot, seafood by iconic southside venue Claypots, and raclette fondue cheese with sauteed potatoes, charcuterie and pickles courtesy of Frencheese. Season ends February 23.

January 5, from 5.30pm, South Melbourne Market, corner of Cecil and Coventry Streets, South Melbourne, free entry, southmelbournenightmarket.com.au

ELSEWHERE

FARMERS' MARKET

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy fresh fruit, and today visitors to the Echuca farmers' market can stock up cherries and home-made ice-cream from Martins of Taminick. O'Neills Stonefruit will also have a stall, selling apricots, nectarines and peaches. Organic extra virgin olive oil is available from Perricoota Olives, and eggs fresh from the farm can be bought at 12 Good Eggs.

Today, 8am-noon, 400 Hare Street, Alton Reserve, Echuca, free entry, vfma.org.au

OUT OF TOWN

The Mornington Peninsula's wineries, churches and venues open their doors to Australian and international musicians over 14 days for the annual Peninsula Summer Music Festival. With rich baroque compositions, folk melodies, piano recitals and South African rhythms being performed at 20 different events, there's a concert to suit every taste. The program launches tomorrow with a performance by Klezmania, an ensemble who play traditional Yiddish folk sounds. Festival concludes January 14.

Tomorrow, 3pm, Lindenderry, 142 Arthurs Seat Road, Red Hill, $60, peninsulafestival.com.au

FAMILY

CRAFT

Know a young budding architect or aspiring town planner? Imaginary Architecture is a chance for them to put their skills to the test by building a micro-city and adding it to a display at the Arts Centre Melbourne. The brainchild of local artist Lara Tumak, Imaginary Architecture is part of a larger body of work called Before I Fell Asleep. All participants need to bring an empty box (cereal and biscuit boxes are perfect), and their imaginations.

January 4-15, various times, Smorgon Family Plaza, Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, city, free, artscentremelbourne.com.au

NEW YEAR'S EVE

Fireworks and live performances light up Footscray Park this evening, as residents bid farewell to 2016. Head to the banks of the Maribyrnong River to join the festivities, which include children's musicians The Mudcakes, seven-piece brass band Horns of Leroy, rock legends Mental as Anything, and African dance act King Bell and the Soukous Ba Congo. Food trucks will be parked nearby, serving up a wide range of refreshments.

Today, 6.30pm-10.30pm, Footscray Park, 40 Maribyrnong Boulevard, Footscray, free, maribyrnong.vic.gov.au

FESTIVAL

Students are off campus for the summer, so the University of Melbourne has been transformed into a wonderland of live music, art and cinema screenings. The program, titled Shimmerlands, has been organised by the team behind Shadow Electric and launches on January 2. The first week's events include screenings of American Honey, War on Everyone and more, and a gig from Brooklyn band Parquet Courts.

January 2-February 25, The University of Melbourne, Swanston Street, Parkville, various prices, shimmerlands.com

EXHIBITION

Thenabouts is the first solo exhibition of Philippe Parreno's work in Australia. The French artist has approached the exhibition itself as a medium, and through his work considers the borderlines between reality and fiction, and science fiction versus nature. This retrospective of his filmic works takes visitors on a journey through time and memory, playing with our understanding of temporal and spatial boundaries. Closes on March 13.

Today and tomorrow, 10am-5pm, Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Flinders Street, city, free, 8663 2200, acmi.net.au