The Beach at the Arts Centre

Presented by the Arts Centre

Sun, sand... and St Kilda Road?

Grab your thongs and Speedos and head for the newest sunspot in town – a classic Aussie beach oasis smack in the middle of the Arts Centre!

The Beach will be hitting the city especially for the Commonwealth Games. Complete with bathing boxes, heroic lifeguards, giant seagulls and lots and lots of sand, it's definitely the place to make a splash this March.

There'll be beach parties every day as local and international bands belt out the sounds of summer with reggae and latin grooves, African beats, New Orleans jazz, DJs, surf music, indigenous Australian singers and hip-shaking Bollywood vibes all adding to the mix.

And you can get in on the action with classic Aussie beach games including cricket, volley ball, surf lifesaving races and ultimate frisbee challenges.

Crazy beach characters will also be out and about – watch out for the incredibly rude giant seagulls who'll be on a chip stealing mission; the moustachioed lifesavers on stilts who'll be on beach patrol making it safe (and fun!) for all; the synchronised waterskiers with their wading pool stunt spectacular; and eccentric jugglers who will delight with their unbelievable sideshow tricks. And don’t miss Sink or Swimburne, a series of surreal performance vignettes and parades from Swinburne's Department of Arts.

You'll also be able to catch all the live action of the Games on the big screen, as well as classic beach movies including Gidget, Storm Boy and Morning of the Earth.

So grab your towel and your sunscreen, kick back on the sand or dance between the flags for Factor 30+ entertainment.

A variety of food and beverages will be available for purchase at The Beach Kiosk. The Beach is supported by City of Melbourne and Channel 9.

For more information visit www.theartscentre.net.au/thebeach

Date: 15 - 26 March
Time: 12:00 noon - 12:00 midnight
Location: The Arts Centre, Outdoor Lawn Stage (between Hamer Hall and Theatres Building), 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne

Festival Calendar

15-26 March 2006

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31

Festival events pre-Games.

Festival events post-Games.

Over 2,500 performing artists will stage Australia's largest ever free cultural festival during the Games.
Learn more about the festival.

This Website is closed and for reference purposes only. To guarantee the stability of Games data, all external links are being removed.

See you at Delhi 2010

Fireworks at the MCG at the closing of Melbourne 2006.

After eleven fun packed days, Melbourne 2006 is now over and all thoughts turn to the next Games - Delhi 2010. Nameste! See you in Delhi 2010! Swagatam!
Revisit the Incredible India Closing Ceremony gallery.