Best new musicals and theatre shows coming to Melbourne in 2024 and 2025

The best Melbourne musicals, theatre shows and stage productions in 2024 and 2025

Beauty and the Beast Musical

27 June 2024 - no end date announced, Her Majesty’s Theatre

In Beauty and the Beast, an arrogant young prince is cursed by an enchantress along with his servants. The prince turns into a hideous Beast and told he must learn to love and be loved before the last petal of his magical rose falls. After her father is imprisoned by the Beast, spirited and bookish village girl Belle enters the Beast's castle and agrees to take her father's place. With the help of the Beast's enchanted servants, Belle begins to draw the cold-hearted Beast out of his isolation.

This much-loved Disney classic will fill the hearts of a new generation, with its spectacular new sets, costume designs and state-of-the-art technology.

More: Guide to seeing Beauty and the Beast in Melbourne

TINA - The Tina Turner Musical

21 September - 29 December 2024, Princess Theatre

A jukebox musical based on the life, times, and songs of the iconic singer, follow Tina’s journey from the church choir of Tennessee to global superstar as the Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll.

Featuring some of her best-loved hits, including River Deep – Mountain High, Proud Mary, and Nutbush City Limits, Tina's life story is one of determination, passion, music, and overcoming life’s obstacles on the path to becoming a worldwide star.

More: Guide to seeing TINA - The Tina Turner Musical in Melbourne

Peter and the Starcatcher

8 November - 30 November 2024, Comedy Theatre

Peter and the Starcatcher enchants audiences with its imaginative tale of Peter Pan's origins. This prequel introduces a young orphan boy and his magical adventures, including encounters with pirates, mermaids, and the mysterious substance known as 'starstuff'.

With a whimsical blend of comedy and fantasy, Peter and the Starcatcher invites theatregoers to embark on a journey to a world where dreams soar to the second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning.

Hook an exclusive offer for RACV Members to receive 20 per cent off all performances for the season (excluding Preview performances). Simply enter your member number in the password box when prompted.

A Christmas Carol

22 November - 29 December 2024, Comedy Theatre

The blockbuster production A Christmas Carol returns to the Comedy Theatre, for a third triumphant season this November.

Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser, learns to be a kinder man as the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future visit him with important lessons. Winner of five Tony Awards, this heartwarming interpretation of Charles Dickens’ immortal classic is brimming with music and merriment.

Sister Act

3 November 2024 - 19 January 2025, Regent Theatre

Sister Act is a global smash hit musical based on the beloved film of the same name.

Deloris Van Cartier, a talented but undiscovered night club singer, is forced into a witness protection program after she witnesses a shooting. To her horror, she's placed in a convent led by a severe Mother Superior, where she can't live the exciting lifestyle she's accustomed to. Deloris, now disguised as 'Sister Mary Clarence', decides to revolutionise the convent choir.

The award-winning musical features original music by Alan Menken (Disney’s Aladdin, Enchanted, The Little Mermaid), inspired by Motown and fuelled with soul and disco.

Dear Evan Hansen

14 December 2024 - 2 February 2025, Playhouse Theatre

The multi-award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen is making its Australian premiere this December in Melbourne.

Intimate and deeply personal, this coming of age tale spotlights socially anxious Evan Hansen, who is suddenly thrust into the spotlight when he inadvertently invents an important role for himself at the centre of a tragedy. Should Evan play along with the charade, receiving the attention he’s always craved, or speak out and risk losing it all?

And Then There Were None

16 February - 23 March 2025, Comedy Theatre

From the producers of the hugely successful Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap comes a brand-new production of the best-selling crime novel of all time: And Then There Were None.

In this masterpiece of theatre, 10 strangers are lured to a solitary mansion on an island off the English coast. When a storm cuts them off from the mainland, the true reason for their presence on the island becomes horribly clear. This gorgeously grim thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

From 16 March 2025, Princess Theatre

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is an iconic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical set to open at Melbourne's Princess Theatre from March 2025 with a mesmerising new production. This show dramatises the final weeks of Jesus Christ's life through the perspective of Judas, his betrayer.

This must-see musical will feature one of Australia’s most well-respected musicians, Michael Paynter, as Jesus. It will also see the dynamic musical theatre star Javon King as Judas, and soul and blues powerhouse Mahalia Barnes as Mary.

The Lord of the Rings - A Musical Tale

From 26 April 2025, Comedy Theatre

LOTR fans rejoice: this timeless tale by J.R.R Tolkien has been reworked into a theatrical production. The Lord of the Rings - A Musical Tale will play a strictly limited season in Melbourne from April 2025 at the Comedy Theatre. Experience the masterpiece trilogy in a brand-new way, enhanced by stunning theatrics and captivating music that will enchant lifelong fans and new generations alike.

The Lord of the Rings - A Musical Tale tells the story of the One Ring, a powerful object forged by the dark lord Sauron, with the power to shatter the world. A young hobbit named Frodo Baggins must destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom where it was forged, accompanied by an eclectic fellowship of humans, hobbits, elves and dwarves.

HADESTOWN

From May 2025, Her Majesty's Theatre

The acclaimed musical HADESTOWN by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and director Rachel Chavkin will be coming to Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre in May 2025. HADESTOWN  is the winner of 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. 

HADESTOWN is a defiantly hopeful theatrical experience that takes you on a journey to the underworld and back, intertwining two mythic love stories: young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and King Hades and his wife Persephone.

BEETLEJUICE

From May 2025, Regent Theatre

BEETLEJUICE comes screaming into Melbourne's Regent Theatre from May 2025. This spooktacular musical is funnier, more irreverent, more reckless and more repellent than ever in this original musical based on Tim Burton’s dearly beloved film. Eddie Perfect, who wrote the musical's music and lyrics, will star as the title role Beetlejuice.

BEETLEJUICE tells the story of a deceased couple, the Maitlands, who try to haunt the new inhabitants of their former home. One of the new inhabitants is a young girl, Lydia, who is dealing with her mother's death and her neglectful father. (Un)luckily for Lydia and the Maitlands, the ghost-with-the-most, mischievous Beetlejuice is here to 'help'.

Annie

From July 2025, Princess Theatre

Annie is a beloved musical that celebrates hope, family and friendship. It’s one of the most awarded and loved musicals of all time. Its iconic score features classics like It’s the Hard-Knock Life, Easy Street and Tomorrow. This small but mighty young girl has returned to stick out her chin and grin once more at the Princess Theatre from July 2025.

Annie focuses on young orphan Annie, a charming and sunny girl despite her rough start at the New York City Orphanage in the 1930s run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. She's determined to find her parents, come what may!

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Various dates in 2024/2025 and locations

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) has another spectacular year of performances to add to your music roster.

Whether it's taking the family to a Classic Kids session, watching your favourite film set to live music, or following the string instrument events throughout the season, there's an event for all music lovers, classical or otherwise, throughout the season. 

The Music of Joe Hisashi (6 - 8 November 2025) will be a sell-out event, so get your tickets booked soon. Hisashi has composed over 100 works for the screen and concert hall, including the Studio Ghibli classics My Neighbour Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service and Spirited Away.

RACV Members can save 10 per cent on a range of MSO tickets.

Australian Ballet Company

Various dates, State Theatre

The Australian Ballet Company is back with a new season of emotional and captivating performances. There’s something for everyone as The Australian Ballet company brings famed stories of passion, love, and loss to life through dance.

In 2025, the don't-miss ballet shows are Nijinsky, Carmen, Manon and Prism.

Nijinsky  (21 February – 1 March 2025) is a tribute to the visionary dancer and choreographer who changed the ballet world forever, Vaslav Nijinsky, who tragically succumbed to the effects of schizophrenia. Set within the glamour of early 20th-century Paris, rich sets and costumes create a world brimming with opulence.

Carmen (7 – 18 March 2025) is a seductive tale of betrayal and obsession. Johan Inger's modern retelling of Georges Bizet’s 19th-century opera, based on Prosper Mérimée’s 1845 novella, features breathtaking displays of athleticism and passion. This is a darkly compelling story of the dangerously seductive Carmen, whose love affair ends in brutal tragedy.

Prism (25 September – 4 October 2025) is a contemporary triple bill full of raw intensity and revolutionary design from three of the world’s most inspired choreographers: William Forsythe, Jerome Robbins and Stephanie Lake.

Manon (10 – 22 October 2025) is a devastating love story of desire and greed based on Abbé Prévost’s 1731 novel. From high society 18th-century Paris to the gritty streets of New Orleans, Manon tells a story of a young girl desperate to rise above her lowly origins and forced to choose between her true love or a life of lavish splendour.