Valentine’s Day might be a Hallmark holiday, but it’s easy to get swept up in the romance of the occasion. My wonderful husband is earning serious brownie points by spending the day with me at Taronga Zoo, then catching Anthony Callea playing the songs of George Michael as part of the Twilight at Taronga series. You might think all that is a super-romantic gesture, but I think he’s just happy I made the suggestion so he didn’t have to plan something.
That got me thinking, maybe I could plan a great Valentine’s Day for Victorian music lovers as part of the #HipmunkCityLove project. If you’re running low on inspiration, there’s still time to put these romantic musical ideas into practice!
Book a Hotel
Hotels in Melbourne might get a little expensive over Valentine’s Day, but it’s totally worth it for the romance it adds to an evening. Rooms are filling fast though, so I wouldn’t delay if you’re planning to book. There are still vacancies at many of the city’s top hotels including Bayview on the Park, The Hotel Charsfield, and the ultra-ritzy Grand Hyatt Melbourne.
See Boys in the Band at the Zoo
Photo by Wyld Family Travel via Trover.com
Melbourne Zoo has its own twilight concert on Valentine’s Day: Boys in the Band. This nostalgia fest features the songs of classic boy bands like Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, The Bee Gees, the Beatles, and Jackson 5. You can enjoy a picnic while you watch and feel good knowing that you’re helping the zoo save the eastern barred bandicoot from extinction.
Enjoy Modern Boy Bands
If your partner likes their boy bands a bit younger then it’s not too late to snap up some tickets to One Direction at Etihad Stadium. Ticketmaster only has nosebleed seats left, so point your browser to TiqIQ instead. This site has some decent tickets for sale, including a few in the front row and some that are 26 percent cheaper than their retail value.
See Symphony for Free
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra are one of the best in the country, and you can see them for free this Valentine’s Day. The MSO will play a romantic show dubbed A Musical Valentine in the Sidney Myer Music Bowl featuring music from Romeo and Juliet, Porgy and Bess, to name a few. Gates open at 4pm for the 7pm show. This free gig will get packed, so make sure you arrive early to secure your possie.
Get Jazzy at the Paris Cat Jazz Club
The Paris Cat Jazz Club is also getting into the Valentine’s Day spirit with its romantic evening of entertainment. You can catch Love Songs in the Key of Dean in the Basement from 7:30 or the John Montesante Quintet and Yvette Johansson teaming up for love songs from jazz greats like Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Anita Baker, and Doris Day from 8:30pm in the Parisian Loft. The club no longer takes phone or email bookings, so visit the Paris Cat website to secure your tickets.
Do you go all out for Valentine’s Day or prefer to ignore the event? Let me know in the comments below.