Melbourne’s Best Live Music
Melbourne, the cultural cornerstone upon which Australia’s coolest city is built is live music. For decades, Melbourne venues have kept punters amused in many pubs, clubs, bars, and stadiums.
Melbourne caters to a wide range of musical interests; in a couple of hours, you may go from a disco night to a sultry jazz performance to a techno-infused warehouse party. A Melbourne venue will almost always have a gig seven nights a week. Live music fans will agree that the performers and their talent aren’t always enough, but you might have the time of your life if you happen across a chance gig in the appropriate location.
From Nick Cave and Crowded House to Gotye and Kylie Minogue, Melbourne has produced some of Australia’s biggest musical exports. Courtney Barnett, a singer-songwriter who rose to international recognition more recently, gained a fan in former US President Barack Obama. Melbourne also gave rise to the St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, which has now expanded to include events in Singapore and New Zealand.
We prepared a list of 10 Melbourne’s best live music venues for you to come and satisfy your ears.
Come see for yourself how amazing the city’s live music culture is.
River’s Edge Events
River’s Edge is located on the outskirts of Melbourne, amid the WTC Wharf Waterfront development. This one-of-a-kind event space is a welcome addition to Melbourne’s event scene.
River’s Edge offers stunning sweeping views of the Yarra River and surrounding cityscapes, as well as an abundance of natural light thanks to floor-to-ceiling glass walls. River’s Edge features a modern and minimalist event venue for your event, with polished concrete floors, neutral tones, and industrial-style lighting.
A majestic staircase with feature lighting and a plasma screen marks the ceremonial entry to River’s Edge. Two lovely Juliet balconies extend farther towards the river, ideal for a cocktail and canapés upon arrival.
Address: Level 1, 18/38 Siddeley St, Melbourne VIC 3005, Australia
Contact Number: +61 3 8563 0072
Website: https://www.riversedgeevents.com.au/
Prince Bandroom
St. Kilda is home to everything appealing and special about Melbourne, Australia. For almost a century, people have traveled to this seaside suburb in search of enjoyment. It has long been a shelter for the city’s artists, immigrants, and other unique personalities. The Prince Bandroom, near the crossroads of Fitzroy and Acland Streets, is today the heart of St. Kilda’s musical pleasures.
For more than six decades, the Prince Bandroom has hosted live music. To mention a few, Lenny Kravitz, Jack Johnson, Scissor Sisters, Ben Harper, Pink, Coldplay, Bright Eyes, and Goldfrapp have all performed there.
Address: 29 Fitzroy St, St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
Contact Number: +61 3 9536 1168
Website: https://theprince.com.au/prince-bandroom/
The Tote
The Tote Hotel is a tavern and music venue in Collingwood, Australia, located at 71 Johnston Street, on the intersection of Wellington Streets.
The first hotel, built on the site of a grain store in 1870, opened temporarily as Healy’s Hotel, then as the Ivanhoe Hotel in 1873, and stayed in operation until 1981, when the venue began hosting local musicians. It immediately earned the moniker “Melbourne’s Home of Rock” for hosting original punk, post-punk, heavy metal, and hardcore acts.
Address: 67-71 Johnston St, Collingwood VIC 3066, Australia
Contact Number: +61 3 9419 5320
Website: https://thetotehotel.com/
Bar Open
Since 1998, Bar Open, located in the middle of Brunswick St, has presented roots, rock n roll, and general mayhem. Bar Open is known for its open and honest attitude, as well as its support for experimental, live, and local music. Six evenings a week, the band room is alive with performances spanning all genres, including funk, soul, rock, punk, indie, garage, gypsy, folk, and world music. Air conditioning and a beer garden are available in the summer, and a pleasant fireplace is available in the winter. Bar Open is a Fitzroy institution.
Address: 317 Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC 3065, Australia
Contact Number: +61 3 9415 9601
Website: https://baropen.com.au/
Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Since 1959, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl has been a feature of Melbourne’s entertainment scene.
Take a seat in one of the 2,000 seats or spread out on the lawn with 11,000 of your closest friends to enjoy the best rock concerts, symphony performances, theatrical extravaganzas, and more.
The Seekers, AC/DC, Paul McCartney, Neil Diamond, Metallica, Florence and the Machine, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, to name a few, have all performed at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, not to mention the occasional ice skating event—the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, and the many hundreds of thousands who have flocked to it, have literally seen it all!
Address: Kings Domain Gardens, Linlithgow Ave, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Contact Number: +61 1300 182 183
Website: https://www.artscentremelbourne.com
Groove Live Bar & Terrace
Crown Melbourne is a major integrated resort including a casino, three hotels, event spaces, award-winning restaurants, and shopping and entertainment facilities that first opened in 1997. It is a major tourist attraction in Australia, notably in Victoria.
Crown Melbourne has a casino license that runs until 2050, allowing it to operate 2,628 electronic gambling machines and 540 table games.
Get your groove on this weekend at your favorite live music venue from the 1980s and 1990s. With a new classic drink menu and all of your favorite melodies and acts, all beneath the brilliant lights of the stage once more.
Address: Level 1 Casino, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006, Australia
Contact Number: +61 3 9292 8888
Website: https://www.crownmelbourne.com.au/
Jazzlab
Michael Tortoni, the founder of Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, hailed “the world’s best jazz club” by Lonely Planet, has returned to Brunswick with The Jazzlab, a new ‘Art Creation’ at 27 Leslie Street.
As its slogan, Jazzlab is committed to fostering and developing live jazz as an art form.
Michael based The Jazzlab’s design and sound on Bennetts Lane’s original room, which had great natural acoustics and had hosted a number of world-famous performers such as Prince, Maceo Parker, Kenny Kirkland, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr., Paul Grabowsky, Barney McAll, and Leroy Jones to name a few. A cutting-edge modern sound system and an excellent backline that musicians adore have added to the experience.
Address: 27 Leslie St, Brunswick VIC 3056, Australia
Contact Number: +61 3 9080 4398
Website: https://thejazzlab.com.au/
Whole Lotta Love Bar
Whole Lotta Love is a popular little dive bar and live music venue in Melbourne. The stage background is one of the most iconic and recognizable in the world, with Led Zeppelin murals on the walls.
Address: 524 Lygon St, Brunswick East VIC 3057, Australia
Contact Number: +61 3 9386 8808
Website: http://www.wholelottalovebar.com/
The Curtin
Located across from the Trades Hall and named after a former communist who later became Labor Prime Minister, this park is located across from the Trades Hall.
Bob Hawke, students, unions, and others have frequented the Curtin.
music fans, and bands, to name a few. The Curtin takes pride in serving artisan beers, wonderful food, and a welcoming atmosphere.
Live music, DJs, a dance floor in the front bar, and a bar tended by the publican themselves.
Address: 29 Lygon St, Carlton VIC 3053, Australia
Contact Number: +61 3 9663 6350
Website: https://www.johncurtinhotel.com/
The Night Cat
The Night Cat, which opened in 1996, has specialized in Funk, Soul, Latin, Disco, Hip Hop, and R&B throughout the majority of its existence.
The venue has launched several notable Australian bands, like The Cat Empire and The Bamboos, by presenting performers in a unique 360-degree manner. In recent years, the venue has aided the growth of artists like as 30/70 and Alysha Joy, Zeitgeist freedom Energy Exchange, Dubfx, and Honey, in keeping with its heritage.
The central performance space, which is timeless in style, provides fans with a clear view of the stage from wherever in the arena, as well as an up up and personal encounter with artists. The Night Cat provides a seamless audience experience from ticketing to minimum bar lineups and the traditional Meyer sound system, with no pillars to hinder views and excellent venue management.
Address: 137-141 Johnston St, Fitzroy VIC 3065, Australia
Contact Number: +61 3 9417 0090
Website: https://www.thenightcat.com.au/