▁dance , ▁theatre , ▁music , ▁visual ▁arts , ▁multimedia ▁and ▁out door ▁events ▁from ▁ren owned ▁and ▁up coming ▁Australian ▁and ▁international ▁companies ▁and ▁artists ▁to ▁Melbourne . ▁It ▁offers ▁a ▁wide ▁variety ▁of ▁free ▁family - friend ly ▁events . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁first ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁by ▁the ▁C ain ▁government ▁as ▁a ▁sister ▁festival ▁of ▁the ▁Festival ▁dei ▁Due ▁Mond i ▁in ▁S pole to ▁and ▁the ▁S pole to ▁Festival ▁USA ▁held ▁in ▁Char l eston , ▁South ▁Carolina . ▁The ▁festival ▁changed ▁its ▁name ▁from ▁the ▁S pole to ▁Festival ▁Melbourne ▁to ▁the ▁Melbourne ▁International ▁Festival ▁of ▁the ▁Arts ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁Melbourne ▁International ▁Arts ▁Festival ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁then ▁was ▁simply ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁Melbourne ▁Festival ▁before ▁returning ▁to ▁Melbourne ▁International ▁Arts ▁Festival ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁had ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁high - profile ▁Art istic ▁Direct ors ▁including ▁Cl iff ord ▁H ock ing , ▁Leo ▁Sch of ield , ▁Rob yn ▁Arch er [ 1 ], ▁Richard ▁Wh er rett , ▁Jonathan ▁M ills ▁and ▁Krist y ▁Edmund s . ▁ ▁The ▁art istic ▁director ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 – 2 0 1 2 ▁festiv als ▁was ▁Bre tt ▁She e hy . ▁Pre viously , ▁She e hy ▁has ▁been ▁art istic ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Ad ela ide ▁Festival ▁of ▁Arts ▁( 2 0 0 6 – 2 0