Victoria (Melbourne Region)
Entertainment in Melbourne

Melbourne prides itself on being a cultural city with intellectual leanings, so there’s a rich arts and music scene and always plenty to do in the evening. To find out what’s on, check out The Age on Friday, when the newspaper publishes a comprehensive entertainment guide, EG – much better than the Sun-Herald’s Thursday supplement. Melbourne Events is a handy, and surprisingly hip, free monthly guide to all sorts of happenings, published by Melbourne Council and available at tourist information outlets.

Annual festivals further enliven the scene: the Melbourne International Festival in October concentrates on mainstream visual and performing arts, with a sprinkling of good concerts and opera. The much more experimental and innovative Melbourne Fringe Festival happens more or less at the same time, as does the Melbourne Writers’ Festival. The heavily promoted Moomba Festival, held during the first half of March, has events including firework displays and dragon boat races on the banks of the Yarra River in Alexandra Gardens, but is actually rather drab and commercial. 

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Three music festivals take place in the first half of the year: the Melbourne Jazz Festival in the last week of January, at venues in the city centre; the Melbourne Music Festival in February, one of the largest Australian festivals of contemporary music; and the Brunswick Music Festival in the third week of March, concentrating on folk and world music. The Next Wave Festival, held over two weeks in the second half of May, celebrates Victoria’s young artists, writers and musicians.

Tickets for most venues can be booked through Ticketmaster (tel 13 2612) or Ticketek (tel 13 2849); both take credit-card bookings only. You can buy tickets half-price on the day of performance from the Half Tix booth, on the Bourke Street Mall (Mon & Sat 10am–2pm, Tues–Thurs 11am–6pm, Fri 11am–6.30pm; cash only; tel 03/9654 9420).

Bars and pubs

The distinction between restaurant, bar, café and nightclub is often blurred, but not at the handful of pub breweries, where a range of beers is made on the premises. Most hotel bars in the city centre are closed on Sunday, though in the suburbs they stay open. City Pub Walks lead walking tours (2hr 30min–3hr) through the city centre, giving the lowdown on the best watering holes, latest trendy bars in hidden laneways and most raucous music venues. Meet “under the clocks” at Flinders Street Station, but to be sure of a place, book in advance (tel 03/9384 0655 or mobile tel 0412/085 661; $20, discount for backpackers; Tues & Thurs 6.30pm).
  • City Center
    • Charles Dickens Tavern, downstairs, Block Court, 290 Collins St. A place for homesick Brits, with bitter and Guinness on tap, pint glasses and live soccer. Licensed to 3am.
    • Giardini Cafe Bar, 14 Bourke St. Small wine bar painted with frescoes in bold, Mediterranean colours. Serves breakfast and light meals.
    • Le Monde, 18 Bourke St. Slick café-bar, dishing up tasty food, at the lively end of Bourke St. Open 24hr.
    • The Lounge, 243 Swanston Walk. Genuine all-rounder, attracting an arty-grungy crowd. Bar and nightclub with live music, and good food in the upstairs restaurant – eat alfresco on the terrace.
    • Mitre Tavern, 5 Bank Place. Long-established watering hole, popular with office workers.
    • Stork Hotel, 504 Elizabeth St. Simple watering hole in a historic hotel from the goldrush era.
  • St Kilda
    • Bar Corvina, 157 Fitzroy St. Cool, modern decor. Good, inexpensive Modern Australian cuisine, plus a good selection of wines, mainly from South Australia.
    • Big Mouth, 201 Barkly St. A friendly café-bar downstairs, and a spacious restaurant upstairs. Especially good are the breakfasts.
    • Cafe Menis, 16 Fitzroy St. Café-bar, crowded on weekends, serving everything from drinks to snacks and complete meals.
    • Dog’s Bar, 54 Acland St. Once the coolest spot on the block, and now well-established with a loyal clientele.
    • Veludo Bar, 175 Acland St. A hip newcomer in this area of old-fashioned continental bakeries and delis. Good and inexpensive food (except for the oysters) and an extensive wine list.

Classical music, opera and dance
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has a season from February to December based at the Melbourne Concert Hall and at the Melbourne Town Hall on Collins Street, while the State Orchestra of Victoria performs less regularly at the Concert Hall, often playing works by Australian composers. If you can’t afford the ticket prices, listen to the Symphony Orchestra concerts broadcast on Tuesday at 7pm on Radio 3MBS (103.5FM).
  • George Fairfax Studio, Victorian Arts Centre, 100 St Kilda Rd (tel 03/9281 8000). Modern dance and plays.
  • Her Majesty’s Theatre, 219 Exhibition St, city centre (tel 03/9663 3211). Occasionally hosts some of the great foreign ballet companies.
  • Melbourne Concert Hall, Victorian Arts Centre, 100 St Kilda Rd (tel 03/9281 8000). Big-name concerts.
  • State Theatre, Victorian Arts Centre, 100 St Kilda Rd (tel 03/9281 8000). Venue for the Victoria State Opera and the Australian Ballet Company.

Clubs
Promoters hand out passes for reduced or free admission to a rapidly changing array of clubs on the corner of Bourke and Russell streets, or you can pick up the passes in record shops such as Gaslight, further up Bourke Street. King Street, in the CBD between Collins Street and Flinders Lane, has a handy concentration of clubs. Most clubs have a cover charge of between $5 and $10.
  • The Bull Ring, 95 Johnston St, Fitzroy. The best place to dance to Latin rhythms. The band starts at 10.30pm, the dance-floor show at 11pm.
  • Carousel, Aughtie Drive, Albert Park. Dance venue playing good acid jazz and funk.
  • Chasers, 386 Chapel St, South Yarra. One of several clubs full of bright young things on this fashion-conscious street. Regular dance nights Wed–Sun.
  • Heat and Odeon, Crown Casino Entertainment Complex, south of the Yarra. Discos on level 3 of the complex, playing mainstream pop of the Eighties and Nineties; occasional live bands.
  • Ibiza, 116 Chapel St, Windsor. Dance club popular with the gay/lesbian scene. DJs play house and techno.
  • Joeys, 210 Toorak Rd, South Yarra. DJs play Eighties and Nineties tunes, complemented now and then by live bands.
  • Lizard Lounge, The Union Hotel, 90 Chapel St, Windsor. Alternative indie club. Thurs–Sat 9pm–3am.
  • The Lounge, 243 Swanston Walk, city centre. Upstairs club with bands, films, pool, dance floor and a cool-off balcony. Most nights 6pm–3am, Fri & Sat until 6am.
  • The Metro, 20 Bourke St, city centre. Huge old theatre on three floors with eight bars and three dance floors, all very lavish. Enormous queue of spivved-up kids on Friday night. Fri & Sat $10.
  • Monsoon, Russell St. Upmarket club at the Grand Hyatt: daFunk Club for R&B, funk and soul.
  • Viper Room, 373 Chapel St, Prahran. Dance club open Thurs & Fri 11pm–7.30am, Sat from 10pm, Sun from 11pm.

Comedy
Melbourne is the comedy capital of Australia, home of the madcap Doug Anthony All Stars, Wogs Out of Work and comedians from TV shows such as The Big Gig and The Comedy Company. The highlight of the comedy year is the Comedy Festival in April, based at the Town Hall and the Capitol Theatre in Swanston Street, with performances at several other venues around town. As well as local and interstate acts, you’re likely to see some of the best stand-up comedians from overseas. For irregular performances and other venues, refer to the EG (supplement to The Age on Fridays).
  • Comedy Club, 380 Lygon St, Carlton (tel 03/9348 1622). Slick, cabaret-style space which features largely mainstream comedians.
  • The Esplanade Hotel, 11 Upper Esplanade, St Kilda. Occasional stand-up comedy shows.

Film
The International Film Festival in July (tel 03/9417 2011) has been going for over forty years and is the centrepiece of Melbourne movie life, based at the Capitol Theatre and other cinemas around Melbourne. Everyday mainstream cinemas are concentrated on Bourke Street, where discount day is usually Tuesday. The Casino has a number of cinemas showing blockbuster movies; at the Gold Class Cinema you can eat a three-course dinner while you watch. In summer, watching a film under the stars at the Moonlight Cinema in the Botanic Gardens or at the Cinema at the Bowl (Sidney Myer Music Bowl) nearby can be a real treat (details from local press; bookings through Ticketmaster tel 13 6100). And there are always the independent cinemas, listed below, which tend to discount on Monday.
  • Astor Theatre, cnr of Chapel St and Dandenong Rd, St Kilda (tel 03/9510 1414). Classic double bills and prestige new releases. On Saturday night there’s a pianist and singer between films.
  • Brighton Bay Twin Cinemas, 294 Bay St, Brighton (tel 03/9596 3590). Very comfortable setting for European and art-house films. Cheap day Monday.
  • Capitol Theatre, 113 Swanston St, city centre (tel 03/9654 4422). This old-fashioned, lavishly decorated cinema – now under new management – presents very cheap double features of recent classics.
  • Carlton Moviehouse, 235 Faraday St, Carlton (tel 03/9347 8909). Over seventy years old, the inner city’s oldest cinema has a lot of charm. Art-house and foreign films. Cheap day Monday.
  • Cinema Nova, Lygon Court Plaza, 380 Lygon St, Carlton (tel 03/9347 5331). Art-house and European films. Come just before the show starts to avoid prolonged exposure to the awful crimson and purple bordello decor. Cheap day Monday.
  • Classic, 9 Gordon St, off Glenhuntly Rd, Elsternwick (tel 03/9523 9739). Art-house and European films; near the station.
  • Como, Gaslight Gardens, cnr of Toorak Rd and Chapel St, South Yarra (tel 03/9827 7533). Belongs to the same chain as the George Cinema in St Kilda and the Brighton Bay Twin Cinemas – and shows similar films.
  • George Cinema, 133–137 Fitzroy St, St Kilda (tel 03/9534 6922). Has the latest releases, bordering between art-house and mainstream. Café Diva on the same floor overlooks Fitzroy St and is ideal for supper or an after-movie coffee.
  • Glasshouse Cinema, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, 360 Swanston St, city centre (tel 03/9417 5320). On-campus cinema for art-house and experimental film.
  • Kino, 45 Collins St, city centre (tel 03/9650 2100). In the opulent Collins Place atrium, with several cafés and bars in the complex. Stylish, arty new-release films. Cheap tickets on Monday.
  • Longford Cinema, 59 Toorak Rd, South Yarra (tel 03/9867 2700). Exclusive release for quality films, somewhere between art-house and mainstream. Late films on Friday and Saturday. Cheap day Monday.
  • Lumiere, 108 Lonsdale St, city centre (tel 03/9639 1055). Art-house movies. Cheap day Monday.
  • Rivoli, Camberwell Rd, Camberwell Junction (tel 03/9882 1221). Shows first releases of quality films. Two theatres in an Art Deco building.
  • State Theatre, 1 MacArthur St, city centre (tel 03/9651 1301). The AFI (Australian Film Institute) cinema-buff’s cinema. Often shows Australian films.
  • Trak Cinema, 445 Toorak Rd, Toorak (tel 03/9827 9333). Art-house and quality mainstream films, often with a focus on European work.
  • Westgarth Theatre, 89 High St, Northcote (tel 03/9482 2001). Art Deco period piece, decorated by the planner of Canberra, Walter Burley Griffin. Presents quality mainstream and art-house films, cult classics and late shows.

Gay and lesbian nightspots

  • Club 80, 10 Peel St, North Melbourne. Melbourne’s largest, sleaziest male cruising bar. Cover charge. Open Mon–Thurs 5pm–8am, Fri 5pm–Mon 8am.
  • Diva Bar, 153 Commercial Rd. Cocktail and dance bar with a mixed crowd. Wed–Sun from 6pm.
  • DT’s Hotel, 164 Church St, Richmond. Mixed crowd and popular pool competitions. Dinner Wed–Sun.
  • Duke of Edinburgh, 374 St Kilda Rd, cnr of Market St, St Kilda. Beer garden and pool competitions attract a mixed crowd. Thurs–Sun from 3pm.
  • Glasshouse Hotel, 51 Gipps St, Collingwood. Sociable pub which attracts a mixed bunch; Wed–Sun from 11am until late.
  • Hardware, 285 Latrobe St (tel 03/9642 5422). Bar and bistro open for breakfast on Saturday at 7am, for lunch Mon–Sat, and daily for dinner. Comedy and dance shows from 10pm Wed–Sun.
  • Jock’s, 9 Peel St, Collingwood (tel 03/9417 6700). International gay bar and restaurant. Gay and mixed crowd. A wide selection of Australian beers and wines. Bar Mon–Sat 4pm–1am, Sun 4pm–11.30pm; restaurant daily 6–10pm.
  • Laird Hotel, 149 Gipps St, Collingwood (tel 03/9417 2832). Well-equipped boys’ venue, with two bars, DJs, a beer garden and games room. Popular with the leather crowd. Daily from 5pm, with cheap drinks until 10pm.
  • Peel Dance Bar, 113 Wellington St, cnr of Peel St, Collingwood. Dance floor, music videos and shows, drawing a large and appreciative crowd of gays and lesbians. Wed–Sun 10pm–dawn.
  • Star Hotel, 176 Hoddle St, Collingwood. Sociable pub; mixed crowd. Wed–Sun.
  • 3 Faces, 143 Commercial Rd, South Yarra (tel 03/9826 0933). Excellent dance club with weekly menu of top-notch drag shows, karaoke nights and talent quests. No cover charge. Tues–Sun 8pm–3am.
  • Toolbox at the Laundry, 50 Johnston St. Every second Friday for women.
  • Xchange Hotel, 119 Commercial Rd, South Yarra. Mainly men. Mon–Fri from 2pm, weekends from noon until late. Front bar becomes a disco Fri–Sun.

Live music

Melbourne has a thriving band scene, in which just about every pub puts on some sort of music – often free – at some time during the week. The pubs listed are also good places for a drink, and always have at least two bars so you can escape the din if you want to. Grungy Richmond has a big concentration of music pubs, with several putting on African and reggae music; Fitzroy and St Kilda are the other areas to head to for a range of live music. Free listings magazines such as Beat, Inpress or Zebra are good sources of information about the local band scene; you can pick them up at most record shops, cinemas and cafés. Local FM stations Triple R (102.7) and PBS (106.7) air alternative music and tell you what’s on where.
  • City centre and the northern suburbs
    • Bennetts Lane, 25 Bennetts Lane (a small alley off Little Lonsdale St in the CBD, between Exhibition and Russell sts). One of Melbourne’s most interesting jazz venues, in a cramped, Fifties-style cellar.
    • Brunswick East Club Hotel, 280 Lygon St, Brunswick East. Headquarters of the Melbourne Folk Club.
    • Dan O’Connell’s, 225 Canning St (between Rathdowne and Nicholson sts), Fitzroy. Irish music Wed–Sun; no cover charge.
    • Gowings Grace Darling Hotel, 114 Smith St, Collingwood. Pleasant watering hole, which sometimes features live jazz and R&B.
    • McCoppins Hotel, 166 Johnston St, Fitzroy. Live R&B, blues and jazz in the Music Room.
    • The Punters Club, 376 Brunswick St, Fitzroy. One of the nerve centres of the Melbourne band scene, with well-known independent bands nightly; usually $5.
    • The Rainbow, 27 St David St, Fitzroy. Mellow atmosphere, interesting crowd and decor in an intimate bar with free music – eclectic jazz, funk and fusion – every night.
    • The Stage, 1st floor, 231 Smith St, Collingwood. Live bands play African and Latin American music Thurs–Sun from 8 or 10pm. Dance floor and cover charge. Come earlier and have a two course dinner for an additional $15.
    • The Tote, 71 Johnston St, Fitzroy. Hardcore thrash.
  • Richmond and the southern suburbs
    • Bridge Hotel, 642 Bridge Rd, Richmond. Jazz, reggae and African music.
    • Cherry Tree Hotel, 53 Balmain St, Richmond. Scores of tribute bands trying to make their vicarious mark.
    • Continental Cafe, Greville St, Prahran. Smart venue for established and up-and-coming artists.
    • Corner Hotel, 57 Swan St, Richmond. Alternative independent bands.
    • The Esplanade Hotel, 11 Upper Esplanade, St Kilda. The “Espy” is the soul of St Kilda and of Melbourne’s eclectic band scene (huge bouncers make it look rougher than it actually is). Interesting nightly line-up of free bands in the front bar; small admission charged to see bands in the Gershwin Room.
    • Molly Bloom’s, 39 Bay St, Port Melbourne. Irish music most nights; no cover charge.
    • The Palace, Lower Esplanade, St Kilda (next to the Palais). Entertainment complex with big-name bands in the main room, smaller bands in the pool room, and a club at the rear.
    • Prince of Wales Hotel, Fitzroy St, St Kilda. Another St Kilda icon, but unlike the Espy this one has undergone a facelift to fit in with the smart cafés and restaurants at this end of Fitzroy Street. Late-night venue with good bands.

Theatre
Melbourne offers a rich array of dramatic productions, from fringe to mainstream, with venues everywhere. Watch out for outdoor performances in summer, including alfresco Shakespeare and something for children in the Royal Botanic Gardens from December until the end of February (tel 03/9650 1500 for details; credit-card bookings with Ticketmaster, tel 13 2612).
  • Athenaeum Theatre, 188 Collins St (tel 03/9650 1500). One of numerous small Victorian theatre buildings in the city. The venue for guest performances; mainly plays and concerts.
  • Comedy Theatre, 240 Exhibition St (tel 03/9209 9000). Like the Athenaeum – not a comedy venue, as its name might suggest.
  • CUB Malthouse, 113 Sturt St, South Melbourne (tel 03/9685 5111). A renovated malthouse containing two venues: the Beckett Theatre and the larger Merlyn Theatre. The resident company is Playbox, which produces contemporary Australian plays. Guest performances include opera, dance, concerts and readings.
  • Her Majesty’s Theatre, 219 Exhibition St (tel 03/9663 3211). Lavish musicals in a fabulously ornate old theatre.
  • La Mama, 205 Faraday St, Fitzroy (tel 03/9347 6142). Plays by new writers, as well as poetry and play readings.
  • Playhouse Theatre, Victorian Arts Centre, 100 St Kilda Rd (tel 03/9281 8000). Mainstream productions, mainly from the Melbourne Theatre Company.
  • Princess Theatre, 163 Spring St, city centre (tel 03/9663 3300). Musicals and mainstream plays make up the programme at this small but lavish old-fashioned theatre.
  • Regent Theatre, Collins St, near City Square (tel 03/9299 9500). This lovingly restored old theatre puts on productions of big-name musicals.
  • Theatreworks, 14 Acland St, St Kilda (tel 03/9534 4879). Puts on ground-breaking new Australian plays.
  • Universal Theatre, 19 Victoria St, off Brunswick St, Fitzroy (tel 03/9419 3777). Venue for productions by smaller local theatre companies and alternative/fringe plays by overseas guests.

For more general information on Melbourne, go to:

For more regional information on Melbourne, go to: