there's shopping, food trucks and live entertainment, and check out the spirit zone to see what lockdown has done to your aura. it's free entry but, as with most places in melbourne, you need to show proof of double vaccination to get in. the 3—week midsumma festival bills itself as an explosion of queer events that runs every january and february. it all kicks off with the carnival in alexandra gardens on january 23. there are 200 different events in 100 venues across the state of victoria and loads happening online too. and it has become a summer staple in melbourne, the annual sidney myer concert series returns to the music bowl. for more than 90 years, people have been enjoying the free performances by the melbourne symphony orchestra in mid february.