Violet Grohl: ‘Music Is For The Greater Good. There’s A Bigger Purpose’

Australian Music & Stage Legends To Be Spotlighted In New 'ENCORE' Exhibition

Mary Varvaris

Kylie Minogue's iconic golden hot pants, Rob Hirst's drum kit, a custom-made vest worn by Archie Roach, and costumes worn by Olivia Newton-John are just some of the items on display.

Olivia Newton-John, Kylie Minogue's 'Spinnin Around' costume, Hugh Jackman in 'The Boy From Oz,' Ossie Ostrich puppet from 'Hey Hey It's Saturday'
Olivia Newton-John, Kylie Minogue's 'Spinnin Around' costume, Hugh Jackman in 'The Boy From Oz,' Ossie Ostrich puppet from 'Hey Hey It's Saturday'(Credit: 'Olivia' on ABC TV, Arts Centre Melbourne (2,4), Jeff Busby)
More Kylie Minogue Kylie Minogue

There are Australian legends of music and stage for reasons beyond their artistry. They’re also beloved because of the outfits they wear while performing, and the experience they offer punters watching their show.

That’s the exact kind of experience Arts Centre Melbourne’s newest venue, the Australian Museum of Performing Arts (AMPA), will spotlight with its forthcoming exhibition, ENCORE! 50 Objects. 50 Years. One Collection.

Fans can walk down memory lane and see featured pieces such as Kylie Minogue’s iconic golden hot pants from the Spinnin’ Around music video, Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst’s drum kit, costumes worn by the likes of Olivia Newton-John and Hugh Jackman, plus the original neon-red L’Amour sign Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin created for Opera Australia’s La Bohème.

Along with the featured pieces mentioned above, ENCORE will be home to a custom-made vest worn by Archie Roach, a personal visual journal compiled by Nick Cave in 1987, Helen Reddy’s Grammy Award for I Am Woman, a dress worn by Judith Durham of The Seekers from the group’s massive Sidney Myer Music Bowl show, a silk jewel encrusted cloak worn by Dame Nellie Melba, and more.

Fifty beloved objects and costumes have been meticulously selected for display in the exhibition as the Australian Performing Arts Collection celebrates its 50th anniversary. To see the complete list of 50 costumes and other items featured in the ENCORE exhibition, head here.

In a statement, Arts Centre Melbourne’s CEO Karen Quinlan AM, explained that ENCORE provides visitors with the opportunity to re-live history-making moments from Australian stages, plus discover people and objects they’re unfamiliar with.

“Exploring the breadth of performing arts genres and spanning 170 years, ENCORE! is an exclusive backstage pass to 50 incredible moments from Australia’s history,” Quinlan said. “It feels only fitting that our nation’s vibrant stage contributions will be on display at the centre of Australia’s cultural capital, at AMPA in Melbourne.”

Arts Centre Melbourne’s Dance and Opera Curator Ian Jackson concurred with those thoughts and added, “Countless performers have contributed to making Australia’s cultural landscape what it is today; this exhibition aims to celebrate them.

“Some featured objects have never been on display to the public before, so this is the first chance people will have to witness those extraordinary pieces of our history.”

ENCORE will be exclusively shown at the Australian Museum of Performing Arts (AMPA) from 16 September 2026 until 9 May 2027.

The space is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm, and is also open on Mondays and Tuesdays during school holidays and public holidays. More information about Arts Centre Melbourne and ENCORE, including tickets, can be found here.