Melbourne Pops the Cork as Blanc de Blanc Encore Comes Home

We’ve partnered with Strut & Fret to toast the return of Blanc de Blanc Encore, one of Melbourne’s most celebrated and immersive live shows, finally back on home soil for an extended season.

Melbourne is about to toast something special. This summer, the smash-hit cabaret circus Blanc de Blanc Encore finally returns to its birthplace, opening at the city’s glittering new two-level entertainment precinct, Spiegel Haus Melbourne, for an extended season now running until March 2026.

Part party, part spectacle, Blanc de Blanc Encore is no ordinary night at the theatre. It arrives fizzing with vintage French glamour, pouring out a decadent blend of world-class circus, live music, sultry comedy and high-voltage acrobatics. The action unfolds everywhere at once, soaring overhead, weaving between tables and unfolding just inches away inside the intimate spiegeltent. Champagne energy is not just encouraged, it is woven into the show’s DNA.

Created and produced by Melbourne’s own Strut & Fret, the season carries the charge of a long-awaited homecoming. For the first time ever, the sequel to the smash-hit sensation BLANC DE BLANC is popping its Melbourne cork. Blanc de Blanc Encore is created and produced by Melbourne’s own, world renowned production house Strut & Fret. This season will mark the first time the Brunswick-based company has presented an event in its home city for over eight years. For a city that thrives on live performance, it feels like a long-awaited, highly-celebrated return.

Strut & Fret’s cultural footprint is formidable. The company runs South Australia’s largest seasonal arts venue, The Garden of Unearthly Delights, alongside Brisbane’s West End Electric and Sydney’s Grand Electric. Internationally, they are also behind Sabrage, currently enjoying an extended, sell-out season in London’s West End. Blanc de Blanc Encore stands as a sparkling culmination of that creative ambition, shaped by years of refinement and global applause.

Audiences around the world have already raised their glasses. After a record-breaking world premiere at the Sydney Opera House, the show sold out seasons in Darwin, Hobart, Brisbane and Auckland, before returning to Sydney for a four-times-extended run. Its Melbourne arrival feels less like a debut and more like a victory lap.

The international cast is as intoxicating as the concept. Canadian circus artist Felix Pouliot, a graduate of the prestigious Circus School of Quebec, brings formidable Chinese pole skills paired with razor-sharp comic instincts honed with companies including Cirque du Soleil and Cirque Éloize. Australian dancer Melanie Hawkins arrives fresh from starring roles in Jesus Christ Superstar, The Rocky Horror Show, Rock of Ages and Hugh Jackman’s Broadway to Oz tour.

Ukrainian performer and choreographer Mykhailo Makarovoak, a finalist on Ukraine’s Got Talent in 2022, delivers astonishing hip hop, popping and bone-breaking technique, recently showcased on one of the world’s biggest stages in Paris. Completing the line-up is UK aerialist Danielle Summers, celebrated for her blend of elegance and raw strength, with performances spanning contemporary circus companies and London’s most iconic cabaret venues.

Critics have already crowned the show “the top shelf of cabaret-burlesque-circus entertainment”, with audiences perched on the edge of their seats. As Melbourne’s nights heat up, fresh reasons to book keep bubbling and Strut & Fret have confirmed their sell-out sensation Late Night Vice will also land in Melbourne this January.

The Need to Know Details

Blanc de Blanc Encore

A champagne-fuelled cabaret circus bursting with vintage French glamour, elite acrobatics, live music and playful provocation, unfolding in the round with dazzling intimacy, wit and theatrical excess.

Where: Spiegel Haus Melbourne, 217 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
When: Now extended until March 2026
Price: Tickets from $69 + BF. Gift cards available
FAQ: Is Blanc de Blanc Encore adults-only? Yes, this is an over-18s event
Book tickets here

For audiences craving a night that glitters, teases and surprises, Blanc de Blanc Encore is Melbourne at full sparkle. Book now to experience one of Melbourne’s most immersive live shows this summer.

Writer

Kelsey Harrington

8 January 2026

Kelsey Harrington is a Melbourne-based writer with a sharp eye for the city's ever-evolving food, wine, arts, and culture scene. Her journey into the creative industry took the scenic route—what started as a passion for capturing Melbourne’s energy through a camera lens led her to Sitchu, where she worked her way up to Melbourne Editor. With over four years in the industry, she’s all about uncovering the best places to eat, drink, and explore. Off the clock? You’ll find her diving into a platter of fresh oysters and crudo, gallery-hopping, or sipping an extra dirty martini while plotting her next adventure.