Arts Centre Melbourne Takes Centrestage at WHITE NIGHT MELBOURNE Tonight

Arts Centre Melbourne will be centrestage at White Night Melbourne from 7pm-7am tonight, 23 February with shows on all five mainstages, a sub-sub-culture sound experience five floors down, ghostly backstage tours, puppets on show, burlesque and revelry in The Famous Spiegeltent, sights and sounds in the popular Sound Lounge, and sustenance throughout at Arts Centre Melbourne's bars and cafés.

"White Night celebrations are huge in great cities like ours around the world and we are excited to be centrestage at Melbourne's newest major event," said Arts Centre Melbourne Chief Executive Judith Isherwood. "All of our stages, including the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, and practically every nook and cranny at Arts Centre Melbourne will be filled with action throughout the night and White Nighters will also find plenty of space to chill out."

On stage early evening is the smash hit production of War Horse in the State Theatre, the Australian premieres of The Other Place and Constellations in The Playhouse and Fairfax Studio, the Victorian Opera Gala Concert at Hamer Hall and theMSO Sidney Myer Free Concert, Mozart and Mahler at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl.

The Famous Spiegeltent will sparkle with chamber rock musician Ross McLennan, Berlin's daring and sexy cabaret stars in The Trip, and the 27 frocks and 14 wigs of Trevor Ashley's I'm Every Woman. From 11pm, Club Spiegel locks into all-night mode with the rowdy flamboyant Toot Toot Toots, swing sensations The Shuffle Club, Spaghetti Western-meets-surf twangers Mikelangelo and the Tin Star, and dance 'til daylight with sweet tunes spun by Miss Goldie.

Meanwhile, puppets get spookier as the wee hours approach in the War Horse and The Breath of Life exhibition in Gallery 1, five floors below in the basement of Victoria's cultural icon, the immersive sound installation Low Headroom will transfix the adventurous, as will the free Phantom of the Theatre backstage ghost tours.

From midnight, Hamer Hall throws off its opera cloak and once again transforms into its highly popular alter-ego Sound Lounge, a late-night party of sight and sound in the stalls foyer featuring DJs Ali B (UK), France-born and London-based DJ/Producer Son Of Kick as well as Melbourne's own AV/DJ Flagrant and Affiks & A13.

TICKETS ON SALE SOON

For more information visit artscentremelbourne.com.au or phone 1300 182 183.