Melbourne Cabaret Festival calls Stonnington home

We're proud to announce that the City of Stonnington, through its Arts and Cultural Grants Program, will be our partner for the upcoming festival. 

The partnership will see the creation of a dedicated festival precinct in Prahran, encompassing Stonnington’s premier arts hub, Chapel Off Chapel.

Held from 14 – 26 June, the annual festival will bring colour, vibrancy and energy to the Chapel Street Precinct with an exciting cabaret entertainment program that is still being finalised.

City of Stonnington Mayor Cr Claude Ullin said, “One of the most interesting events that the City of Stonnington supports is the Melbourne Cabaret Festival.”

“The festival showcases the wonderful talents of so many innovative and exciting performers, and has become vehicle for a number of performers to become known nationally,” Cr Ullin added.

The festival’s new Artistic Director, Mike McLeish, says he has received a record number of shows submitting to be part of this year’s festival.

“Submissions to the festival closed at the end of January, and I’m thrilled with the quality and diversity of what we have received through our submission process.”

“The calibre and depth of talent on offer in Melbourne is outstanding and to be in a position that allows me to unleash that talent onto audiences, along with hand-picked acts from interstate and overseas, is extremely rewarding.”

“This year’s festival really is shaping up to be a great success and I look forward to unveiling this outstanding program very soon”, added Mike.

The Melbourne Cabaret Festival is an iconic event on the festival calendar and warms up Melbourne’s winter nights with some fantastic cabaret performances held within venues concentrated in and around Chapel Off Chapel.

For the first time this year, a children’s program will be incorporated into the festival line-up as well as the Melbourne Cabaret Fringe that will run in parallel to the Cabaret Festival and adopt The Butterfly Club in the CBD as its hub.

Your new Artistic Director

Star of ‘Keating the Musical’ and seasoned cabaret performer, Mike McLeish is the new Artistic Director of the Melbourne Cabaret Festival.

Mike says: “I couldn't be more excited to be stepping in to the role of Artistic Director for the Melbourne Cabaret Festival. I am genuinely thrilled and immensely proud to have the opportunity to contribute to the continued growth of what has quickly become a welcome fixture on our fair city's overflowing festival calendar.”

“The amount that David Read and Neville Sice have contributed to cabaret in this city (and this country!) is inestimable. The chance to work with them to take this festival to new and greater heights gives me the best kind of goosebumps.”

“Plus, as has always been the case, the calibre and sheer depth of talent on offer in Melbourne is astounding, and to be in a position that allows me to help unleash that talent onto audiences fills me with a feverish delight.”

Outgoing AD David Read, who founded the festival with Neville Sice six years ago, has overseen a quadrupling of the festival’s size. He will stay on as a director of the not-for-profit Melbourne Cabaret Limited.

David says: “It’s been an absolute privilege working with performers, producers and the festival team to deliver a festival which consistently punches above its weight. While I'll continue to help the festival develop, I'm also looking forward to the growing opportunities in my publicity business Hot Ticket PR.”