All hail the Queen and King

This year’s Moomba monarchs are comedian Peter Helliar and children’s entertainer Emma Memma, the artist formerly known as the yellow Wiggle. Precisely what the king and queen of Moomba do, apart from waxing lyrical about the event when they are announced and sitting on a float on parade day, is not quite clear, but that doesn’t stop kids from getting excited to see them. It’s all part of the daggy appeal, no doubt a hangover from the days when royals really did reign serene. Queen Elizabeth’s inaugural visit to this city in 1954 was said to inspire ‘an annual festival for the people’ known as Moomba, according to The History of Moomba 1955-2005 by Craig Bellamy.

Fun facts: Mickey Mouse – American, and a cartoon to boot – was controversially designated “King” in 1977, and two funsters responded by lobbying for Blinky Bill to take up the mantle instead. (They also threw a shaving cream pie in Mickey’s face, and narrowly avoided jail for doing so.)

For years there was a King (usually a male singer, athlete or actor) and a beauty queen – including an international component, won by a young Michelle Yeow in 1984, more recently of Everything Everywhere All At Once fame.

Get your groove on

A newcomer to the festival is Guru Dudu’s Silent Disco Walking Tour, which operates at various times during the day, and each night from 7pm to 9pm. Open to the public, participants are supplied with headphones and the soundtrack ranges from ’70s to contemporary. Come along and dance like everyone is watching.

Party like it’s 1977

A special concert featuring Bjorn Again pays homage to ABBA, in a reenactment of the 1977 Sidney Myer Music Bowl gig by the Swedish foursome at the height of their fame. ABBA themselves have praised the Aussie tribute band, which has performed all over the world since forming in 1988. Tickets for the all-ages event on Saturday night are on sale now; flares optional.

See flicks for nix

Every night from Thursday to Monday, free kid-friendly films will be screened along the banks of the Yarra. Offerings range from more recent faves – such as Despicable Me 3, starting at 6pm on Thursday – to old-school classics, such as Shrek. BYO picnic blanket and provisions.

Sparkle and scream

Fireworks displays will run every night of the festival for five minutes from 9pm. And no Moomba weekend would be complete without the rides – more than 30 this year – including the latest addition, the Warrior, reportedly Australia’s tallest (55 metres) and fastest (up to 120 km/h) looping ride. For the more fainthearted, and the little kids, there’s an array of family-friendly rides as well.

Make a splash

The Moomba Masters waterskiing event was introduced on the Yarra in 1961, and watersports have been a significant part of the festival ever since. Waterskiing and wakeboarding competitions take place across all five days, as well as speedboat expos and other skiing performances showing off acrobatics, pyramids and other tricks. Jetpack water shows will form part of the river program for the first time, presumably enabling users to stay airborne a lot longer than their Birdman Rally peers.

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But wait, there’s more

There’s also a dance hub and stages for performances, as well as music and dance workshops – including Bollywood, African drumming and dance, Latin, Jamaican dancehall, swing and hip-hop. Try out kids’ yoga or karaoke, or run away to the circus (for a minute) in a circus troupe. Check out the Dreaming Space with bubble and magic shows, face-painting and storytelling, pantomimes and ukulele lessons. For little ones, there’s a Paw Patrol stage show, sing-along dragtime, and performances by ’90s-inspired group the Polite Mammals. ArtSpace has ongoing interactive activities.

Lastly, take some time to wander along and revel in the Yarra – Melbourne’s iconic waterway in all its mud-brown glory – and Birrarung Marr, finally in focus and centre stage.

Moomba runs from March 7-11. See the Moomba website for details.

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