Book ahead, Australia: Tim Minchin, Blak Cabaret, All About Women tickets

Tim Minchin will play the Sydney Opera House steps in February Photograph: Kevin Patrick Robbins/supplied

Minchin without Matilda

Tim Minchin makes a homecoming to Australia in February for his first live shows since 2012. The comedian / actor / composer / all round entertainer will take to the Sydney Opera House steps with an unspecified number of musicians to perform his classic crowd favourites and pull out some new tracks. Could we be in for a taster of his forthcoming Groundhog Day musical?

Tim Minchin: On the Steps is at Sydney Opera House on 23 and 24 February 2015

Velvet disco

Perle Noir will star in new show Velvet Photograph: supplied

Fans of the seriously sexy Smoke and Mirrors are in for a treat with Velvet, the new show from director Craig Ilott. Marcia Hines leads a talented cast including Brendan Maclean, Perle Noir, and Mirko as they sing, dance and contort their way through the disco classics.

Velvet is at the Vagabond, The Garden of Unearthly Delights, from 13 February to 15 March 2015 as part of the Adelaide fringe

Back to Blak

Malthouse Theatre’s Blak Cabaret returns - with an extra showing at Sydney festival Photograph: supplied

Melbourne’s Malthouse theatre shook up all cabaret preconceptions with last year’s Blak Cabaret. Now it returns with the outrageous Constantina Bush, along with Kutcha Edwards, Deline Briscoe, Nikki Ashby, Bart Willoughby and Emma Donovan, for a night of comedy, music and dance. Lucky Sydney audiences get the first look though with a Sydney festival performance.

Blak Cabaret is at Sydney festival from 20 to 22 January 2015, then Malthouse Melbourne 10 to 22 February

Light show

James Turrell, Raemar pink white 1969, Shallow space construction: fluorescent light Photograph: National Gallery of Australia

The National Gallery has landed an Australian exclusive with the extensive James Turrell retrospective, on now until June. The survey covers 50 years of the American artist’s stunning light-based installations including some created specifically for this exhibition. Small groups can enter the walk-in installations in timed sessions every 15 minutes.

James Turrell: A Retrospective is at National Gallery of Australia in Canberra until 8 June 2015

Feminists Inc

If 2015’s All About Women line up doesn’t jumpstart the feminist conversation, nothing will. Elizabeth Gilbert, “Bad Feminist” Roxane Gay, Helen Garner, Judith Lucy, Neneh Cherry and others will gather for this third festival of feminist ideas. The one and only Germaine Greer will also be in attendance to discuss Shakespeare’s female characters with John Bell, and how the playwright championed women during the 16th century.

All About Women is at Sydney Opera House on 8 March 2015