Kids’ stuff: your guide to the hottest summer shows

2 months ago 27

The little kids need to get out of the house and their older siblings are looking for something to occupy their recently liberated attentions. It’s summer 2026 in Melbourne, and thankfully the city is clinging to its reputation as Australia’s cultural capital. It shouldn’t be a chore to treat the children in your life to some live performances while the days are still long – there’s certainly no shortage to choose from.

Grace Carroll and Marcus Morelli star in the Australian Ballet production of The Nutcracker.

THE NUTCRACKER
The Australian Ballet’s annual Storytime Ballet summer season aims to be the ideal introduction to the art form for littlies, but the procession of wands and tutus in the foyer each year suggests plenty of repeat customers. Each year sees a classic ballet performed in an abbreviated form, with a narrator keeping the kids clued-up storywise. This time around it’s perennial favourite The Nutcracker.
Comedy Theatre, January 22 to 25

CIRCA
In just over 20 years, Brisbane’s Circa has grown to become one of the world’s leading contemporary circus companies, having toured upwards of 45 countries. The latest production to hit Melbourne is Duck Pond, an irreverent spin on Swan Lake and The Ugly Duckling that will feature the company’s signature physical virtuosity and outside-the-square visual theatre. With lashings of laughs and breathtaking feats, it should provide a thrilling kick for both younger and older kids.
Princess Theatre, January 14 to 25

Ten Thousand Hours by Gravity and Other Myths.

TEN THOUSAND HOURS
Adelaide’s Gravity and Other Myths is another company to have made a serious impression in the world of circus. Rather than hiding the difficulty of pulling off near-impossible physical exploits, they emphasise just how close to the wire each moment can get. Ten Thousand Hours is a work that compresses the titular years of training into a tight, propulsive 60 minutes, and older kids wanting some wow factor should enjoy the adrenaline spike the show provides.
Arts Centre Melbourne, January 13 to 25

SHREK THE MUSICAL
A big-budget adaptation of one of DreamWorks’ most enduring franchises comes in the form of Shrek the Musical, which features lavish costumes, sets and gigantic puppets. It’s a fine introduction to music theatre for those perhaps not quite ready for a full-blown Andrew Lloyd Webber-level experience, but who already have that theatre-kid glimmer in the eye.
Arts Centre Melbourne, January 6 to 10, then touring regionally

BLUEY
There’s zero doubt that Bluey will feature heavily in the holiday diets of the younger kids, but parents hoping to give them their fix while also including some vitamin D in the mix might want to head along to Melbourne Zoo while one of the free outdoor Bluey shows are playing. It’s interactive stuff with plenty of nods to their favourite episodes, and while the events are included in the zoo ticket price it’s first in, best seated.
Melbourne Zoo until January 25

ZOOOM
It might sound a little ominous that kids are invited to bring “a piece of the dark” to performances of ZOOOM, but it can be as simple as a black ribbon or dark rock you find on the way. Once at the Fairfax Theatre, they’ll be invited to exchange it for their own personal light which will illuminate the crowd during a show inspired by Harold and the Purple Crayon. The piece follows a star which has lost its way in the night sky and is guided to safety by a young girl with an imaginative streak. It’s recommended for four to eight-year-olds.
Arts Centre Melbourne, January 6 to 10

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
With more than 35 years under its belt, the Australian Shakespeare Company’s yearly production of Kenneth Grahame’s oh-so-British classic The Wind in the Willows is a cultural institution almost as old as any in Melbourne. The reason is simple: it’s a winning formula set in some of the city’s most charming surrounds. Kids are given the role of rabbits in this wandering, interactive experience, which has a pantomime energy without playing down to the crowd. Bring a picnic.
Royal Botanic Gardens until January 25

ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Another Australian Shakespeare Company production aimed at little people moves things indoors to the Capitol Theatre. Alice in Wonderland brings the age-old story to the stage with a colourful aesthetic that verges on the psychedelic. With songs to keep the action lively and plenty of panto appeal to the crowd, it’s a good choice for those who might want to introduce their grandkids to the kinds of stories they grew up with.
Capitol Theatre until January 18

The Whale at the Arts Centre, Melbourne.

THE WHALE
A 10-metre-long puppet will dominate Arts Centre Melbourne’s forecourt over two weekends these holidays, with kids invited to get hands-on and help bring The Whale to life by pulling its strings. With a soundscape and narration giving shape to the whale’s journey, Fremantle’s Spare Parts Puppet Theatre aims to create an immersive experience that gently reminds audiences young and old why whales occupy such a vital and endlessly fascinating position in our marine ecosystems.
Arts Centre Melbourne, January 17 to 24

ANASTASIA
Teens wanting the full-scale music theatre experience should jump at the chance to catch the Australian premiere of Anastasia, the Broadway adaptation of the animated film inspired by the young Russian royal rumoured to have escaped execution in 1918 to go on to live a secret double life in Paris. Up-and-comer Georgina Hopson plays the title role, while trusty names including Robert Tripolino, Rhonda Burchmore and Nancye Hayes will bring a wealth of experience to the show.
Regent Theatre until February 15

Kala Gare as Sybylla Melvyn in the MTC’s My Brilliant Career.

MY BRILLIANT CAREER
Another musical that will set the pulses of older teens racing comes in the form of Melbourne Theatre Company’s My Brilliant Career. The production was one of the highlights of 2025 and returns for an encore season to kick off the new year. It’s adapted from one of the great novels of the Australian canon but Sheridan Harbridge, Dean Bryant and Mathew Frank have injected an electric sense of contemporary relevance to the tale of Sybylla Melvyn, the iconic young woman who kicks down every door that tries to keep her confined. Featuring a star turn by lead Kala Gare, it’s a great chance to show kids how live performance can offer something their screens never will.
Southbank Theatre, January 23 to February 28

kids who love their kittens will be smitten.

CATS
Cats has a very particular place in music theatre history. The plot is bewildering, the songs very much of their era, and watching a huge ensemble of adults prancing around as felines just isn’t everyone’s bushel of catnip. But there’s no denying that it is exactly what it’s intended to be, and by the second half it’s hard not to have a weird respect for that. Little kids who love their kittens will be smitten, while older audience members might find a few smirks wondering just what was in the water back in their parents’ day.
Arts Centre Melbourne until January 31

IMPOSSIBLE OCCURRENCES
Older kids going through a magic phase might want to check out someone who never lost that bug. Luke Hocking has been running up-close magic nights at the Marriott Hotel for five years, in which audiences are allowed to get as close as possible to the magician while still remaining unable to figure out how he pulls off the sleight of hand and mind-reading that make up his show Impossible Occurrences. Suitable for 10-year-olds up.
Melbourne Marriott until March 27

THE FLYING CANOE
If a rainy day washes out your other plans, there’s always the stay-at-home audio shows of Threshold. The first, Mountain Goat Mountain, was launched during lockdown to let kids go on imaginative journeys that reinvented their own homes, while follow-up The Flying Canoe is another soundscape that takes children and their parents on a rich voyage without leaving the house. It’s inspired by traditional Kiribati culture and can be downloaded for free from thethreshold.com.au.
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