Best new musicals and theatre shows coming to Melbourne in 2026

The best Melbourne musicals, theatre shows and stage productions in 2026

The Great Gatsby: A Jazz Ballet Odyssey

18 March - 5 April 2026, Her Majesty's Theatre

Almost everyone has heard of The Great Gatsby: an iconic novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, set in the Jazz Age on Long Island near New York City, USA. Now you can see the tragic tale brought to life with ballet, tap and jazz music and dance, headed by director-choreographer Joel Burke.

Enjoy the tale of Jay Gatsby, an enigmatic millionaire obsessed with his former lover Daisy Buchanan, and his new neighbour Nick Carraway. You'll hear beloved songs like Rhapsody in Blue, When the Saints, The Charleston, and more alongside new compositions by award-winning composers Jason Fernandez and Dominic Cabusi.

West Gate

Until 18 April 2026, Southbank Theatre

On 15 October 1970, the West Gate Bridge collapsed mid-construction, killing 35 construction workers and injuring 18 more. It remains Australia's worst industrial disaster. The Melbourne Theatre Company's production of West Gate is an emotionally-charged new work by playwright Dennis McIntosh, with a powerhouse cast that tells the story of this awful moment's human cost.

Follow young Scrapper, a mouthy labourer and unionist teamed up with veteran welder Vittorio on the West Gate Bridge project. There's mounting pressure to get the bridge finished, questionable safety measures, disquieting working conditions - and none of them have ever built a steel bridge before, let alone one of this size. When the structure comes crashing down, who will take the fall?

The Book of Mormon

Until 31 May 2026, Princess Theatre

The Book of Mormon is an outrageous musical comedy about a pair of missionaries sent to a remote village in Uganda. It's jam-packed with catchy songs, explicit content and naughty jokes - parents be warned!

Nevertheless, this nine-time Tony Award-winning has been called 'the best musical of this century' by The New York Times, and will make for a fabulous night out.

Heathers the Musical

8 April - 9 May 2026, Playhouse

Both funny and dark, Heathers the Musical is a cult-classic musical for good reason. Coming direct from London and New York to Melbourne, Heathers the Musical is based on the film starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater and full of killer soundtracks.

In 1989 Westerberg High, popularity is a matter of life and death. Veronica Sawyer is just another nobody dreaming of a better day after high school - until she's taken under the wings of the Heathers: beautiful, popular and cruel. Will she fight to stay at the top - or fall under the spell of mysterious teen rebel J.D.? At Westerberg, any choice could quickly turn deadly.

Julius Caesar

23 April - 10 May 2026, Fairfax Studio

Shakespeare's political masterpiece Julius Caesar comes to life with Peter Evans' thrilling new production. Senators Brutus and Cassius are growing nervous at Caesar's growing power in the Roman Republic, which hasn't had a king for four centuries. Discover the conspiracy that led to Caesar's famous assassination, and the storm of civil war that followed.

Pride and Prejudice

14 - 23 May 2026, Malthouse Theatre

Enjoy the classic romance Pride and Prejudice - originally a novel by Jane Austen, adapted numerous times for film and TV - on stage at the Malthouse Theatre. This is a searing satire on polite society, with plenty of laughs and heartwarming moments.

As in the original, Mrs Bennet wants to see her five daughters strategically married. But this is no ordinary adaptation. Here, Pride and Prejudice is pushed into the 21st century, riffing off the rising cost of living and plummeting dreams of home ownership. Elizabeth Bennet's sister Mary is in a goth phase; Mr Bennet is played by a potted monstera. Will there still be a happy ending?

WAITRESS

1 May - 21 June 2026, Her Majesty's Theatre

Tune in to WAITRESS: a smash-hit musical with music and lyrics by Grammy winner Sara Bareilles, baking its way to Australia for the very first time.

It's inspired by the 2007 film by Adrienne Shelly, which follows small-town waitress Jenna, who wants to escape her rocky marriage and start again. A new romance, a baking contest and the support of her fellow waitress may just offer Jenna the taste of change she needs...

Enjoy a story of friendship, hope and resilience, full of the iconic Bareilles songs you know and love.

The Glass Menagerie

27 April - 5 June 2026, Southbank Theatre

Experience Tennessee Williams's haunting play The Glass Menagerie, brought back to Melbourne for the first time in two decades by the Melbourne Theatre Company. This is one of the most beloved and enduring works of the 20th century.

Amanda Wingfield, a faded Southern Belle abandoned by her husband to raise two children under harsh financial conditions, just wants her daughter Laura and her son Tom to have a secure future. She's obsessed with finding a suitor for Laura, a fragile young woman with a limp and an inferiority complex.

Frustrated warehouse worker and aspiring poet Tom introduces Jim O'Connor, an old high school acquaintance, to the family. Will Jim be what the family is looking for - or a blow to their carefully constructed illusion?

Told from Tom's perspective, this bittersweet portrait of a fragile family will haunt you for days after you see it.

Losing Face

22 June - 25 July 2026, Southbank Theatre

Are you ready for a perimenopausal Weekend at Bernie's? Losing Face is a clever new comedy from screenwriter and playwright Marieke Hardy (Heartbreak High).

In Losing Face, travel writer Jo invites two best friends to an all-expenses-paid visit to the flashy new wellness resort, The Royal You, for her 50th birthday. But instead of relaxing spas and saunas, they find themselves at a medispa that upsells supercharged cosmetic procedures to unsuspecting guests. When a medical mishap turns disastrous, the women are left with some wildly unexpected side effects.

Mackenzie

23 July - 9 August 2026, Fairfax Studio

Mackenzie is the Bell Shakespeare theatre company's latest reimagining: this time, a twisted and deeply camp version of Shakespeare's Macbeth.

It charts 13-year-old Mackenzie's rise to pop artist fame, fuelled by a cutthroat stage mum who'll stop at nothing to make her daughter a star. Set in the early 2000s, expect a wild ride that'll leave you both laughing and disturbed.

STEEL MAGNOLIAS

23 July - 9 August 2026, Athenaeum Theatre

You've probably seen the hit 1989 comedy-drama film Steel Magnolias - but did you know that it was based on a play? Watch the touching story back live on stage in this new Australian production, STEEL MAGNOLIAS, directed by Lee Lewis and performed by six powerhouse actors.

STEEL MAGNOLIAS is set in a small Southern U.S.A. town, where the local women gather to share their joys, struggles, and of course a little gossip in the town beauty salon. When tragedy strikes, its this unshakeable friendship that will carry them through.

Uncle Vanya

21 July - 22 August 2026, Playhouse

Anton Chekhov's classic tragicomedy play Uncle Vanya has been brought to new life by one of Australia's most prolific playwrights, Joanna Murray-Smith. This is a masterful examination of the human condition, full of wit, longing and frustration.

Uncle Vanya is set on a once-grand estate in rural Russia, the abode of Sonya and her Uncle Vanya. When elderly Professor Serebryakov, owner of the estate, visits with his young second wife Yelena, it turns their quiet life on its head. Vanya, brother to the professor's late first wife, is besotted with Yelena; Sonya, the professor's daugher by his first wife, is in love with local doctor Astrov; Astrov also only has eyes for Yelena.

SIX the Musical

24 July - 23 August 2026, Comedy Theatre

SIX the Musical returns to Melbourne this year after touring more than 15 countries and scoring 38 major international awards, including two Tony Awards and a Grammy nomination.

Get ready to see Henry VIII's six wives - Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr - remix 500 years of history into an electrifying 80-minute pop concert fit for royalty.

Pretty Woman: The Musical

14 July - 23 August 2026, Regent Theatre

See Pretty Woman - one of the most beloved rom-coms of all time - brought to fresh life in Pretty Woman: The Musical. This dazzling stage adaptation is full of glamour, charm and love, with an original story by Grammy winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance plus direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell.

Pretty Woman focuses on Hollywood escort Vivian, hired by wealthy businessman Edward for a week-long stay to attend several business events with him. Will they fall in love, or go their separate ways?

Animal Farm

12 - 24 August 2026, Fairfax Studio

George Orwell's biting allegory Animal Farm is given a sharp Australian political twist thanks to independent theatre company Bloomshed's new production.

On Manor Farm, the animals revolt against their farmer to seize the means of production and free themselves from the yoke of humans. But their lofty dream doesn't take long to start rotting...

Animal Farm is just as relevant today as it was back in 1945 when first published. Tune in to a tale full of corporate greed, climate crisis, media spin and a revolving door of leadership. And don't worry - there's plenty of physical comedy, dance breaks, and other theatrical chaos to keep you laughing throughout.

The Jungle and the Sea

14 August - 12 September 2026, Southbank Studio

The Jungle and the Sea follows a family's epic journey to retain their dignity and safety, as they live through Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war. Central to the story is Gowrie, who blindfolds herself after an unexpected act of destruction splits her family apart, refusing to see the world again until her loved ones are reunited.

This touching tale is built out of real-life testimonies from the war, woven through with elements of the seminal Indian text Mahābhāratha and the Greek myth of Antigone. It's a stirring meditation on survival, honouring those who have endured unimaginable loss and still upheld their capacity for love, connection and pride.

A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical

5 August - 27 September 2026, Princess Theatre

Are you a Neil Diamond fan? Created in collaboration with Neil Diamond himself, A BEAUTIFUL NOISE tells the uplifting story of how a kid from Brooklyn became an American rock icon selling 140 million albums.

This exhilarating musical shines a spotlight on Neil Diamond's career, with a catalogue of classics like Forever in Blue Jeans and Sweet Caroline. You'll soon see why Neil Diamond sold out concerts around the world, was inducted into the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame and won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

KOREABOO

24 September - 10 October 2026, Beckett Theatre

Hannah is a young Korean woman raised in Australia, and she has a dream: travel to Korea to visit her birth mother and have an amazing summer creating precious memories. But reality in Seoul hits her hard.

In her Umma's mind, Hannah is a 'Koreaboo': a foreigner obsessed with K-pop, kimchi and hanbok. And her Umma seems more interested in her tiring work at the convenience store than reconnecting with her long-lost daughter. Can Hannah find a place in Umma's world before the end of summer?

Written and acted by Michelle Lim Davidson, this heartfelt play takes inspiration from Davidson's real life experiences.

Before I Forget

24 October - 28 November 2026, Fairfax Studio

Before I Forget is a poignant tribute to motherhood, family and culture. Blending wicked humour and deep emotional truth, this is a celebration of the strength of an ancestral line shaped by an accomplished matriarch.

In Before I Forget, the fiercely independent First Nations linguist, activist and academic Faith Wells is affected by escalating dementia. Her daughter Karma must sell her own home to fund Faith's relocation into aged care. Meanwhile, Karma's daughter Hope is dealing with her own personal struggles...

A Room with A View

14 November - 19 December 2026, Southbank Theatre

Set between the sun-drenched streets of Florence and the reserved drawing rooms of Edwardian England, A Room with a View was originally a novel written by E.M. Forster. This sweeping and mischievous romance has been adapted for the stage by playwright Grace Chapple and director Hannah Goodwin.

A Room with a View follows Lucy Honeychurch, a young woman who travels to Italy with her prim cousin Charlotte Bartlett and encounters the unconventional and candid George Emerson. Torn between torn between social expectation and her own awakening desires, will Lucy choose a life of propriety or one of authenticity?

My Fair Lady

From 14 November 2026, Ian Potter State Theatre

Lerner and Loewe's iconic My Fair Lady will be the first major musical to perform at Arts Centre Melbourne's newly refurbished Ian Potter State Theatre. It's been 70 years since My Fair Lady's dazzling Broadway debut, which led to the iconic, Oscar Award-winning film in 1938.

2026's lavish production will be based on the 2016 Australian production directed by Julie Andrews, who originated the role of Eliza Doolittle: an irrepressible Cockney flower girl who transforms into a lady of society.

MRS. DOUBTFIRE

From November 2026, PrincessTheatre

The feel-good comedy musical MRS. DOUBTFIRE is coming to Melbourne, with fabulous new songs and fun dance numbers paired with the iconic film moments you know and love!

This hilarious yet heartfelt musical is based on the 1993 comedy-drama film Mrs. Doubtfire, in which recently divorced voice actor Daniel Hillard creates the alter-ego Euphegenia Doubtfire: an elderly Scottish nanny who gets hired into his ex-wife's household to spend more time with his kids.