The Beat Goes On: 32 of The Best Venues for Live Music in Melbourne

Such is the depth and quality of Melbourne’s live music scene that every day of the week, month, and year there are dozens of gigs happening all over the city. From intimate performances to full scale concerts, it’s never hard to find a vibey bar playing host to a local musician or an arena filled with fans adoringly watching their pop icon perform. 

No matter what kind of music you’re vibing, Melbourne’s music scene is unmatched. These are the best places to catch live music in Melbourne — whether you want to dance to an old favourite or the next big thing.

Live Music Melbourne: Local Gig Venues

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Wax Music Lounge

Beneath Flinders Street’s neon lights lies Wax Music Lounge — an underground playground where sound reigns supreme. Born from the cult Wax Museum Records crew, it’s a crimson-lit space built for listening, with a custom Pitt & Giblin sound system and an obsession with audio detail. Nights move through live sets, vinyl DJs, and lo-fi Australian wines poured at the bar. Intimate, immersive and effortlessly cool, it’s Melbourne’s after-dark pulse — a place made by music lovers, for music lovers.

250 Flinders Street, Melbourne

The Night Cat

Since the ’90s, The Night Cat has been Fitzroy’s temple of rhythm and soul — a circular stage, flashing lights, and a floor that never stands still. Across funk, jazz, Latin and hip-hop nights, it’s a celebration of sound and connection, where musicians and dancers move as one. With cocktails in hand and energy in the air, this Johnston Street icon remains one of Melbourne’s most magnetic live-music destinations.

137-141 Johnston Street, Fitzroy 

Brunswick Ballroom

Brunswick Ballroom brings live music to life beneath stained-glass domes and twinkling chandeliers with a touch of old-world glamour, with a Melbourne edge. Once a dance hall and now a cultural hub, its balcony looks out over Sydney Road as indie bands, cabaret acts, and crooners take the stage. Downstairs, the Artists’ Bar keeps spirits high and conversations going late into the night. One of our personal favourites for atmosphere, charm and that unmistakable Brunswick energy.

314 Sydney Road, Brunswick

The Toff in Town

Located inside Curtin House above Swanston Street, The Toff in Town is where a night out in the CBD finds its rhythm. A velvet stage glows on one side, vintage train booths on the other — the perfect mix of theatre and after-dark charm. One night it’s brass and soul, the next all synths and swaying. Order a drink, claim a booth, and let the city move around you.

Curtin House, 2f/252 Swanston Street, Melbourne

Max Watt’s

Max Watt’s is Melbourne’s underground cathedral of sound — a century-old cinema turned late-night pulse point beneath Swanston Street. Step down the stairs and into the dark: 850 bodies swaying, lights flaring, bass rolling through the room like thunder. It’s where international heavyweights and hometown heroes share the same stage, and every night feels like it might split the floor open. Loud, legendary, proudly unpolished. We love her, sir.

125 Swanston Street, Melbourne

The Quad Club

Brunswick’s Quad Club (that’s quadrophonic, to the uninitiated) is a retro dream turned modern sound temple — all disco lights, parquet floors and a four-dimensional audio system that could wake the gods. Housed in a vintage dancehall, it’s where local legends, vinyl DJs and up-and-coming acts turn gigs into full-body experiences. The drinks are cold, the crowd’s warm, and the vibe walks that sweet line between nostalgia and next-gen. Your next big night out, done right.

345 Victoria Street, Brunswick

Cactus Room

Down a stretch of High Street where creativity never clocks off, Cactus Room slow burns with a low-lit energy. It’s a rehearsal space turned neighbourhood gig spot, a space where the crowd stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the band and the walls double as a gallery. Guitars snarl, friends shout drink orders over feedback, and everything feels delightfully close.

614 High Street, Thornbury

High Note

High Note hits different. Set beneath the heritage arches of Northcote Theatre, this sound-obsessed bar runs on Altec Lansing horns once bound for the Sydney Opera House — and trust us, you can hear it. One room serves vinyl nights and live sets, the other slings natural wine and craft everything. It’s a live music venue in Melbourne that turns listening into a full-body experience.

220 High Street, Northcote 

Labour in Vain

The Labour in Vain wears its years like a badge of honour — weathered brick, faded signage, and the kind of Brunswick Street barroom that doesn’t need reinvention to feel alive. Upstairs, the rooftop leans into the city skyline; downstairs, guitars snarl, and pints clink to the beat. Locals claim their corners, and newcomers melt into the noise. It’s rough-edged, warm-hearted, and absolutely Fitzroy; a reminder that the soul of live music still beats loud and true.

197A Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Bar Open

A Fitzroy institution since the late ’90s, Bar Open keeps live music loud, loose and gloriously unfiltered. Six nights a week, the upstairs bandroom shakes with everything from punk and funk to world beats and wild improv. Downstairs, the fireplace crackles; out back, the beer garden buzzes. No velvet ropes, no pretense — just good tunes, cheap drinks and Fitzroy doing what it does best: staying up too late.

317 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy 

Kindred Bandroom

Footscray’s Kindred Bandroom is the west’s worst-kept secret — industrial bones, flawless sound, and a crowd that moves as one. Every show feels personal, powered by a sound system that hits deep and a stage that’s seen everything from house to hardcore. With graffiti-lined walls and an open-air deck out back, it’s the place where music feels alive, unfiltered and completely its own.

3 Harris Street, Footscray

Misfits Bar

Footscray’s Misfits is where music, art and attitude collide in glorious fashion. Inside the old Baby Snakes site, you’ll find neon warmth, raw brick, and a crowd that’s here for sound, not scene. DJs spin vinyl, bands test new material, artists hang work straight on the walls. It’s part bar, part creative commune — all westside character. Come for the music, stay for the energy, and leave knowing you’ve found something genuinely cool.

30 Chambers Street, Footscray

Open Studio

On Northcote’s High Street, Open Studio is an intimate bar that reminds you why Melbourne does live music so well. Since 2006, it’s been a haven for musicians, locals and late-night wanderers looking for something genuine. The space is warm and a little eccentric — crepes on the grill, cocktails on rotation and jazz drifting through the air. The stage is tiny, the energy enormous, and every night feels personal — the way live music should.

204 High Street, Northcote

Mamma Chen’s 

This inclusive live music venue in Melbourne’s west is all about good vibes, great music, and genuine connection. Known for embracing artistic risk-taking, Mamma Chen’s champions equity by creating accessible, physically safe spaces for everyone to enjoy, engage, and perform. With a focus on community and artist support, the team listens closely to performers’ needs, helping them grow and thrive. Diversity sits at its heart, welcoming every sound and story. It’s a gathering place built on warmth, creativity, and shared experience.

42A Albert Street, Footscray 

Corner Hotel

The Corner Hotel is a tried and true icon of Melbourne’s live music scene. With a history stretching back to the ’40s, they’ve hosted everyone from indie acts to global rock superstars, including Mick Jagger, The White Stripes and Queens of the Stone Age. These days, it’s got a slick rooftop, but the real drawcard is still their high-voltage bandroom. Hosting everything from indie rock bands to punk and metal, their gig line up always delivers.

57 Swan Street, Richmond

Prince Bandroom

One of St Kilda’s most dependable party spots, The Prince Bandroom is a nightclub-slash-concert venue equally at home hosting indie bands, international rock legends, EDM heavyweights, and rising hip-hop stars. Start the night with a Mediterranean feast downstairs (locals score 20% off on Wednesdays), then head upstairs, drop the jacket, and get ready to dance.

29 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda

Cherry Bar

After the heartbreak of losing its iconic AC/DC Lane home, Cherry Bar has roared back to life in a new spot — and it hasn’t missed a beat. The new upstairs venue might be smaller, but it’s got serious soul: the lights low, the sound loud, and the energy pure rock ‘n’ roll. Expect everything from punk and funk to late-night techno and sweaty singalongs, often with cheap or free entry. Open Wednesday through Sunday, it’s Melbourne nightlife reborn — louder, tighter, and better than ever.

68 Little Collins Street, Melbourne

The Paris Cat Jazz Club

Find your way down a quiet city laneway and you’ll discover Paris Cat Jazz Club, Melbourne’s answer to the golden age of jazz. The basement setting feels effortless — warm light, brick walls, and the soft clink of glasses between sets. Here, local and international musicians play swing, soul, blues, bebop and funk four nights a week.

6 Goldie Place, Melbourne

Northcote Social Club

Eighteen years in and Northcote Social Club remains one of Melbourne’s most loved live music institutions. Its bandroom has seen everything from international tours to debut local albums that go on to fill bigger stages. The atmosphere is easy and unpretentious — part pub, part cultural heartbeat — with weeknight food specials, cold pints, and Bandroom Trivia every Tuesday. Loud, loyal, and built on live music done right.

301 High Street, Northcote

The Jazzlab

Despite having space for over 200, The Jazzlab maintains a focused, intimate atmosphere. Possibly Melbourne’s most prestigious jazz venue, it’s open every night of the week. Here, you’ll see local and international musicians at the top of their game, with as many classics as avante-garde, boundary-pushing performances.

27 Leslie Street, Brunswick

Howler

Behind a carpark by the train tracks isn’t where you’d expect to find a place like Howler, an old woolshed turned into a warehouse bar with trees and plants hanging from every corner. Out the back they play host to a lively lineup of indie, electronic and artsy acts, as well as open mic nights and storytelling sessions.

7-11 Dawson Street, Brunswick

Palais Theatre

For a night wrapped in old-world glamour, The Palais Theatre delivers pure magic. This 1920s Art Deco landmark, fresh from a $26 million restoration, gleams once more — from its crimson carpets to the sweeping dome ceiling that glows above every performance. Inside, velvet seats, golden light and ocean breezes remind you why it’s the pride of St Kilda. Whether it’s a symphony, a rock icon or a comedy great, the Palais turns every show into an experience worthy of its grand, glittering stage.

Lower Esplanade and Cavell Street, St Kilda

The Tote Hotel

A Melbourne metal, grunge and punk institution, The Tote Hotel has been entertaining locals with loud music for years. Yes the décor is rugged and the carpet smells a little damp, but if you want to sweat to live music in the band room our sit outside with a beer in a courtyard and mellow out to stoner sounds, this is the place to be.

 67-71 Johnston Street, Collingwood

Live Music Melbourne: Larger Theatre & Arena Concerts

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Marvel Stadium

When it comes to scale and spectacle, Marvel Stadium delivers in full surround sound. With space for 70,000 fans and a roof that guarantees the show goes on, it’s Melbourne’s home of musical mayhem. From Harry Styles and Coldplay to Pearl Jam and Oasis, the energy hits hard, while Lady Gaga is next in line to set Docklands ablaze. Lights flash, voices soar, and the whole city seems to move to the same beat — Melbourne’s live-music pulse, turned all the way up.

740 Bourke Street, Docklands 

Rod Laver Arena

When the final serve is played and the nets come down, Rod Laver Arena swaps volleys for vocals — becoming Melbourne’s go-to stage for the world’s biggest acts. Across the year, it’s hosted everyone from Florence + The Machine and Paramore to Elton John, Billie Eilish and Harry Styles, each transforming the court into a sea of sound and lights. With killer acoustics, perfect sightlines and space for 15,000 fans, it’s where grand slams meet encores — and the energy always hits championship level.

200 Batman Avenue, Melbourne

PICA

Hidden deep in Port Melbourne’s industrial maze, PICA turns warehouses into pulse points. Concrete floors, steel beams and the echo of old shipyards set the mood for nights where basslines hit harder and the crowd moves as one. Hosting heavyweights like Jamie xx, Mall Grab and I Hate Models, this is Melbourne’s new frontier for underground sound — gritty, cinematic, and unapologetically alive. Out here, the music feels bigger, the lights sharper, and the energy electric.

1 Thackray Road, Port Melbourne 

The Timber Yard

Once an industrial timber yard, now one of Melbourne’s coolest event spaces, The Timber Yard in Port Melbourne gives live music a new kind of polish. Its cavernous warehouse and open-air courtyard host everything from Fever’s Candlelight Concerts to massive DJ sets and sold-out gigs — all beneath strings of lights and the lingering scent of sea air. The vibe is gritty and glam: concrete floors, killer acoustics, and a crowd that knows how to move.

351 Plummer Street, Port Melbourne

Margaret Court Arena

Like its neighbour Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena hits all the right notes when the tennis wraps up. With a recent revamp boosting capacity from 6,000 to 7,500, it’s the sweet spot between intimacy and spectacle — big enough for global stars, small enough to still feel the buzz. Its acoustics are stellar, the sightlines sharp, and the atmosphere unmistakably Melbourne. When the stage lights replace the spotlights, this arena transforms into one of the city’s most electric music venues.

Olympic Boulevard, Melbourne

MCG

By day it’s sacred turf for footy and cricket, but when the lights drop, the MCG becomes Melbourne’s biggest stage. With capacity for 100,000 fans, it’s where global icons turn concerts into citywide events — Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour proved that in 2024. The scale is staggering, the sound electric, and the skyline backdrop pure theatre. From the first note to the final firework, a night at the ’G isn’t just a gig — it’s history in real time.

Brunton Avenue, Richmond

The Forum

Step inside Forum Melbourne and you’ll swear you’ve wandered onto an ancient movie set — Greco-Roman statues, star-spangled ceiling, and that blue-hued twilight glow that makes every gig feel cinematic. With room for 2,000 fans, it’s where rising stars make their mark before graduating to the arenas. The sound is spine-tingling, the architecture jaw-dropping, and the crowd always perfectly electric. A night here truly is a rite of passage in Melbourne’s live-music love affair.

154 Flinders Street, Melbourne

Sidney Myer Music Bowl

Bathed in golden light and framed by Kings Domain’s greenery, Sidney Myer Music Bowl is Melbourne’s open-air anthem. Since 1959, this architectural marvel has hosted everyone from Paul McCartney and Metallica to Florence + The Machine and Lorde, drawing tens of thousands beneath its sweeping canopy. Picnics on the grass, city lights in the distance, music floating through the evening air — it’s pure magic. Equal parts landmark and love letter to live performance, the Bowl remains the city’s most joyfully iconic stage.

Kings Domain Gardens, Linlithgow Avenue, Melbourne

Festival Hall

In West Melbourne, Festival Hall is where history and live music collide. Built in 1913 and rebuilt after a fire in the 1950s, this heritage-listed venue has hosted everyone from The Beatles and Johnny Cash to modern icons under Live Nation’s banner. With space for more than 5,000 fans, it remains one of the city’s most atmospheric rooms — scuffed floors, roaring crowds, and an energy that feels impossible to replicate. Come here if you’re looking to brush up with Melbourne’s musical soul.

300 Dudley Street, West Melbourne

Now you know where to catch live music in Melbourne, discover the city’s best cinemas. Looking for more cultural inspiration? Check out this amazing new arts precinct, and find out what to do in Melbourne this month.