The best places to see live music in Melbourne

Melbourne has long been known for its thriving music scene. Built upon a diverse melting pot of sonic influences, a fusion of traditional cultures and contemporary innovation, Melbourne’s music scene has borne some incredible names. This is the city that gave renowned artists like Hiatus Kaiyote, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Nick Cave, and Courtney Barnett their start.

From the plethora of dive bars and long-running music venues in the city’s inner north to the clubs in the south and the CBD rooftop bars that have remained popular mainstays with locals and visitors alike, Melbourne offers something different for anyone looking for an unforgettable experience. Its venues and bars have hosted the likes of Prince and Lady Gaga; such parties have gone down in history for those who live and breathe the music of the city. Melbourne is also home to a growing alternative jazz scene, one that UK-based tastemaker Gilles Peterson tapped into for the curation of Sunny Side Up – a compilation release of the best of Melbourne and Australia’s jazz scene.

From the multiculturalism of Footscray to the hip nooks of Brunswick and Fitzroy, elements of Melbourne’s music story exist throughout. Step inside any of these venues and you can feel its history in the air. Or at the very least, you’ll likely meet someone who knows a story to tell. Read on for our guide to Melbourne’s music scene, and the best venues to check out in the city.

Melbourne City

Forum

Best for: World class entertainment set beneath an indoor night sky
Location: 154 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Price: Entry dependent on ticket price

Located in the heart of the CBD, this live music institution is as recognisable for its design and architecture as it is for the sheer number of heavy hitters who have played its famous stage. Forum has an extensive history when it comes to hosting cabaret, music, film and comedy events, though it is in the famous band room where things truly light up. The Florentine decor leads into the expansive main band room, a blue ceiling designed to appear like a twinkling night sky. The Forum offers one of the most unique live music venue environments in Melbourne, and has played host to everyone from Biffy Clyro and They Might Be Giants to Teyana Taylor, Mahalia and Confidence Man.

Wax Music Lounge

Best for: Intimate musical experiences, paired with unbeatable cocktails
Location: 250 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Price: Free entry, or ticketed shows

A newer entry to Melbourne’s live music scene, the Wax Music Lounge has solidified its cache as a favourite thanks to an excellent sound system and a main room designed with acoustics in mind for the best listening experience. Appealing to musicians and punters alike, Wax Music Lounge is located across from Flinders Street Station, Melbourne’s central and most historic train station – and has the vibe of someone’s living room plucked from the 1970s, with the energy of a vintage record store. Come for the cocktails, stay for the expertly programmed funk, soul and hip hop courtesy of a rotating roster of local DJs, and performers including Owelu Dreamhouse, JessB and Grooveman Spot (Japan).

Cherry Bar

Best for: Late night dive bar chaos and leather-jacket clad vinyl DJ sets
Location: 68 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Price: Free entry, or ticketed shows

Easily one of the city’s most famous venues, Cherry Bar has had two lives: the first and perhaps most historic was when it was situated on AC/DC Lane, the commemorative road off Flinders St that honours the Australian rock icons’ contribution to music. At that time, the bar unwittingly hosted Lady Gaga for an afterparty during a local music night. This type of chaos was on brand for Cherry, whose notoriety for aftershow kick ons has continued into its current iteration on Little Collins Street. The dive bar is open seven days a week, until 3am Sunday to Thursday, and 5am on Fridays and Saturdays. With its downstairs bar almost always packed thanks to its friendly staff and dance floor, the upstairs bandroom plays host to acoustic shows, punk and rock nights, as well as soul residencies.

Northside

Howler

Best for: Cocktails in mason jars, and summer night kick onsText Area
Location: 7 – 11 Dawson St, Brunswick VIC 3056
Price: Free entry, or ticketed shows

Located in Brunswick, Howler is a classically Melbourne venue: an old warehouse conversion that has become a lucrative hotspot for music lovers in the city’s inner north. The summer seasons see its outdoor garden host a great range of DJ series, while the band room has a great feel for full band set ups as it does for other performance formats. One of the larger music venues in this pocket of Melbourne’s inner-north, Howler is a popular choice for many different types of artists: Mark Ronson, Anderson.Paak, Marlon Williams are some of the names to have played here.

Stay Gold

Best for: Delicious pizza-fuelled punk nights right off Sydney Road
Location: 68 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Price: Free entry, or ticketed shows

If indie, punk and alternative music is more your flavour, stick around Brunswick and swing by Stay Gold. Attached to the band room is Ollie’s, an excellent pizza restaurant that makes for a good pre-game spot before you head next door for the main event. Bringing a dive bar aesthetic together with a great attitude and local hospitality, Stay Gold is tucked off Brunswick’s famous Sydney Road, and has hosted the likes of Cancer Bats, Holding Absence, The Ghost Inside and many more, while providing a home for a litany of local artists to perform night after night.

East of the city

Corner Hotel

Best for: Sports in the front bar, and stellar live music in the bandroom
Location: 57 Swan St, Richmond VIC 3121
Price: Free entry front bar, ticketed shows in band room

The venue where Jack White coined the ‘Seven Nation Army’ riff during an early White Stripes tour, The Corner Hotel is an inner-east venue that shows its love for music on the walls, both inside and out. Lining up outside the Richmond venue, you’ll see past tour posters meticulously painted on the brick walls opposite – a loving tribute to the names who have performed inside. Inside, the carpeted band room provides the warmth and closeness of a local neighbourhood pub venue, but once it is packed with people, it is impossible not to feel the bass through the floor.

Sooki Lounge

Best for: Live music nestled in the hills within the Dandenongs
Location: 1648 Burwood Hwy, Belgrave VIC 3160
Price: Free entry, or ticketed shows

Drive out into the hills district and check out Sooki Lounge, an excellent multi-purpose venue that prides itself on a diverse music programming. A staple of the community in this part of Melbourne, head there for dinner and enjoy live music, whether it’s local singer songwriters, or nationally touring artists, such as British India and Bootleg Rascal, in its 300-capacity room. Situated in Belgrave, Sooki Lounge is a spot you can head to when you’re looking to get out of the inner city, but still feel like you’re wrapped up in an environment that is still charming, and has a unique personality.

South of the river

Revolver

Best for: Escaping into a rave cave, only to emerge in the daylight hours
Location: Level 2/229 Chapel St, Prahran VIC 3181
Price: Free entry Tuesdays – Thursday; Fridays – Sundays from 30 USD

One of Australia’s best known nightclubs, Revolver is a staple for live music lovers and club kids alike. Simply known as ‘Revs’, the Prahran club is one of Chapel Street’s most notorious haunts; its 24-hour licence means you can party all night long, getting lost in the kitsch decor and dance floor that could tell so many stories, if it could speak. Its famous cage has seen the likes of Fatboy Slim and Fred Again host wild nights, while the stage has seen a wide array of bands stomp through such as Alpha Wolf, Architecture in Helsinki, The Presets and Peaches. Revs is all-inclusive, from the lineup to the clientele.

Palais Theatre

Best for: Lve music set on one of Australia’s most famous beaches
Location: Lower Esplanade, St. Kilda VIC 3182
Price: Ticketed entry

When we think of venues in St Kilda, it’s hard not to go past The Palais Theatre. Located on the beach beside Luna Park, The Palais is actually a historic picture palace – the largest seated theatre in Australia. The Palais has been operating as an entertainment venue since the 1950s, once playing host to groups including The Rolling Stones and Kenny Rogers, and remains a beloved and popular venue for a diverse range of artists today, such as TLC, St. Vincent, Devo and more. Renovations have brought new life into The Palais, providing a beautiful look back at its history, while maintaining a contemporary feel. Stunning and ornate, The Palais is a classic postcard venue for Melbourne visitors to stop by.

Hotel Esplanade

Best for: A piece of Melbourne music history
Location: 11 The Esplanade, St. Kilda VIC 3182
Price: Free entry, or ticketed shows

Perhaps St Kilda’s second most recognisable venue after the Palais Theatre, the Hotel Esplanade (fondly known as The Espy) is a beachside institution. Consisting of restaurants and the main bar, the Espy’s band room has been a beloved setting for Australian icons such as Paul Kelly to perform, as well as newer favourites including Winston Surfshirt and G Flip. From punk to hip hop, DJs to songwriters, The Espy is said to be the longest running live music venue in the country. For many years, it was home to beloved music quiz show RocKwiz, which still remains one of Australia’s best known and beloved shows of its kind.

West side

Kindred Bandroom

Best for: Music in the heart of West Melbourne
Location: 3 Harris St, Yarraville VIC 3013
Price: Ticketed shows

Situated in Yarraville, in Melbourne’s west, the Kindred Bandroom has carved out an important place for itself within the community’s live music scene. The programming at the Kindred Bandroom has always been open-minded and forward-thinking, reflective of the music scenes and artistry that has thrived in the western suburbs over the years; its stage has hosted the likes of Parliament Funkadelic and Sampa The Great, to name just a few. As one of the only 250-plus capacity rooms on this side of the city, the venue has been a haven for live music fans and artists for nearly 20 years.

The Substation

Best for: Thought provoking and genre pushing art shows and live music productions
Location: 1 Market St, Newport VIC 3015
Price: Free gallery exhibitions, ticketed shows

Located in the suburb of Newport, The Substation is a music venue housed in an old industrial building – not uncommon for music venues, but this one has certainly been transformed into a state of the art music space. Celebrating inclusive and provoking artistic programming, The Substation offers unique shows and productions that offer audiences food for thought as much as they offer sheer entertainment. A mainstay of events including the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, the Substation has also hosted shows and art works by artists including Eiko Ishibashi (Japan), Kim Gordon, Nuel (Italy) and more. Known and respected for its experimental contemporary music and arts programming, The Substation is a venue you must attend if you find yourself in Melbourne’s inner west – certainly worth the brief trip outside of the city itself.