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The Top Trivia Nights in Melbourne for Big Brain Energy
Because knowing as many random facts as possible surely counts as a life skill. Right? Right.
Melbourne’s best trivia nights span the full week, with standouts including Revolver Upstairs in Prahran on Tuesdays, Hotel Collingwood on Thursdays, and House of Plants in Abbotsford on the first Thursday of every month. Most are free to enter, many come with food deals attached, and the hosting is genuinely worth showing up for — Janet McLeod at The Local Taphouse, Mikey Cahill and Joey Lightbulb at Revs, and Planet Janet at House of Plants are all worth building a night around.
Because Melbourne takes its trivia far more seriously than it admits. Whole suburbs are built on tiny rivalries over who knows the most about pop culture, wine regions, 90s TV, or the year a specific indie band released a specific B-side. Some come for the food deals, some for the prizes, some purely for the glory. Add sharp hosts, craft beer and venues with actual character, and you’ve got weeknights that feel less like homework and more like gathering with your funniest friends.
These are the trivia nights in Melbourne worth leaving the group chat for.
Best Trivia Nights in Melbourne on a Sunday
The Local Taphouse
Trivia at The Local Taphouse feels like a witty friend’s lounge — if their lounge happened to pour twenty craft beers on tap. Janet McLeod hosts with real comic timing, finding the balance between genuinely tricky and genuinely fun that most trivia nights only promise. The room fills with locals who take their Sunday nights seriously without taking themselves too seriously. A very good way to close out a week.
Every Sunday, from 7:30pm
Free event; no bookings required — arrive early for a good table
184 Carlisle Street, St Kilda East
Quarterhouse
Quarterhouse runs its trivia from 3pm on Sundays, which makes it one of the few options in Melbourne genuinely suited to a long afternoon rather than an evening out. Sign in, order cocktails or pints, and settle into the Public Bar as the questions begin. The crowd is stylish and competitive without being intense about it — the kind of room where losing gracefully is still a good afternoon.
Sitchu Tip: Get there in time for the Sunday roast before trivia kicks off — it sells out earlier than you’d expect.
Every Sunday, from 3pm
Free; walk-ins welcome — no bookings required for trivia
693 Collins Street, Docklands
Cornish Arms
The Cornish Arms rooftop is one of those Sydney Road institutions that earns its reputation simply by being consistently good. Pop-culture trivia kicks off at 2pm on Sundays, which means you can arrive for a $22 parma, claim a spot in the sun, and be well-fed before the questions start. The crowd is local and relaxed, the craft taps are well-chosen, and the whole afternoon has the low-pressure energy of a Sunday done right.
Sitchu Tip: Rooftop fills up on sunny Sundays — arrive by 1pm if you want a good spot.
Every Sunday, from 2pm
Free; no bookings required for trivia
163A Sydney Road, Brunswick
Best Trivia Nights in Melbourne on a Monday
The Nott Hotel
The Nott turns Monday from a write-off into a weekly pub ritual. Every Monday from 7.30pm, the Front Bar and Pool Room fill with teams, pints and the sweet, stupid thrill of knowing the answer before anyone else does. Hosted by Adam from Funky Bunch, one of Melbourne’s most entertaining trivia hosts, the night is free to enter, big on banter and stacked with weekly prizes, from bar tabs to giveaways. Bring your smartest friends, your funniest friends or, ideally, someone who knows capital cities under pressure.
Every Monday, from 7:30pm
Free; book here
260-262 Ferntree Gully Road, Notting Hill
Hicken’s Hotel
Hicken’s Hotel gives Monday night in the CBD a much-needed reason to exist. Running from 7pm to 9pm, its weekly trivia is an easy after-work win: cold beers, city-pub comfort and enough friendly competition to turn “one quick drink” into a fun start-of-week ritual. Gather the group chat, claim a table and see who can hold their nerve when the music round gets personal.
Every Monday, 7pm to 9pm
Free; book your spot here
127 Russell Street, Melbourne
Best Trivia Nights in Melbourne on a Tuesday
Revolver Upstairs
Revs trivia has been running long enough to become part of the furniture, which at Revolver means something. Tuesday nights kick off at 7pm with fast-paced rounds that move from music snippets to pop-culture deep cuts that will genuinely test you. Prizes are worth playing for — film tickets, books, the kind of midweek wins that feel disproportionately satisfying.
Hosts Mikey Cahill (journo, Hawks mascot, natural chaos agent) and Joey Lightbulb keep the room at that particular Revs pitch: energetic, cheeky, and completely aware of itself. Trivia for night owls, party people, and anyone who does their best thinking in a packed room.
Every Tuesday, from 7pm
Free; no bookings — get there before 7pm if you want a table rather than standing room
Level 1/229 Chapel Street, Prahran
Hotel Collingwood
Tuesday at Hotel Collingwood belongs to the table that knows too much. From 7pm, Smith Street’s handsome corner pub settles into trivia mode, with $20 jugs, $14 margaritas and spritzes, quick-fire questions and a room full of people trying very hard not to look competitive. The prize is a $200 venue voucher, which is enough to make even the casual players sit up straighter. Come with friends, order generously and prepare to discover who has been quietly hoarding capital cities, nineties lyrics and useless facts for exactly this moment.
Every Thursday, 7pm to 9pm
Free; book your spot here
376 Smith Street, Collingwood
The Standard Hotel
The Standard runs its Tuesday trivia with Comfortably Fun from 7pm, with a $100 venue voucher going to the winning team — one of the better prizes on the Melbourne circuit. Get there from 5pm for $20 schnitzels before the questions start. The crowd is Fitzroy through and through: competitive without being precious about it, and very good at pop-culture rounds. Genuinely one for the dedicated couch potato.
Every Tuesday, from 7pm
Free
Bookings recommended for dinner; walk-ins welcome for trivia only
293 Fitzroy Street, Fitzroy
Railway Hotel
Tuesdays at The Railway are for brains, bites and beers. Start with the $21 parma deal from 4pm, with meat and veg options to keep everyone happy, then settle in for Trivia Tuesday from 7.30pm. Expect a full house, sharp questions and prizes worth playing for, from venue vouchers to shared jugs. Fitzroy North locals love it for its easy, no-pretence energy and that sweet spot between competitive and chill. Round up your mates, book a table or wander in and see how your general knowledge holds up under pressure.
Every Tuesday, from 7:30pm
Free; book in your spot here
800 Nicholson Street, Fitzroy North
Best Trivia Nights in Melbourne on a Wednesday
Moon Dog World
Moon Dog World is not a subtle venue, and Wednesday trivia with Funky Bunch leans into that fully. Waterfalls, cabanas, disco lights and enough taps to fuel a small festival — the whole thing feels like a game show on holiday. Happy hour runs alongside the questions, which helps. Come for the trivia, stay because you forgot you were supposed to leave.
Every Wednesday, from 7:30pm
Free; book your spot here
32 Chifley Drive, Preston
Royston Hotel
The Royston is a Richmond pub that knows what it is, and Wednesday trivia with Funky Bunch fits the room well. Burgers drop to $20 from 4pm to 9pm — order before the questions start at 7pm. The crowd is local and well-practised, the beer is cold, and the quiz hits a difficulty level that keeps the room honest without tipping into pub-trivia smugness.
Every Wednesday, from 7pm
Free; book your spot here
12 River Street, Richmond
The Flying Duck
Shit Pub Trivia takes over The Duck on Wednesdays, bringing its usual chaos, cheek and very unserious competition to one of Prahran’s liveliest pubs. Starting at 7:30pm, it’s built for big teams, loud laughs and anyone who enjoys a quiz night that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Add drink specials and $25 counter meals, and you’ve got a midweek pub plan that feels far more appealing than staying home pretending to be productive.
Every Wednesday, from 7:30pm
Free; bookings are recommended for groups
67 Bendigo Street, Prahran
Surly’s Bar & Garden
Surly’s is the Preston local that does not need to announce itself. Wednesday trivia with host Pauli runs from 7pm in the front bar — free to play, prizes on offer, and groups capped at six which keeps the competition honest. The beer garden is dog-friendly, BYO food is welcome, and the pizza joint next door has you covered if you want to eat before the questions start.
Every Wednesday, from 7pm
Free; book your table here
570 High Street, Preston
Best Trivia Nights in Melbourne on a Thursday
Tallboy & Moose
Tallboy & Moose is already worth visiting for the rotating craft list — the Thursday trivia with Quizmeisters makes it a proper night out. Questions run from genuinely tricky to delightfully odd, the humour is chaotic in the best way, and the $22 chicken or eggplant parmas (available 4pm to 9pm) mean you can eat well before the 7pm start. The room has real personality and so does the quiz.
Every Thursday, from 7pm
Free; book your spot here
270 Raglan Street, Preston
Best Monthly Trivia Nights in Melbourne
Cinema Nova
CineTrivia is monthly, cinema-only trivia — no sport, no geography, no history. Just film knowledge, from blockbusters to deep-cut arthouse, hosted by comedian Alex Hines in the Nova Bar with choc tops, drinks and the particular competitive energy of a room full of people who have strong opinions about cinematography. Teams of four book ahead; upcoming dates are listed on the Cinema Nova website.
Sitchu Tip: Bookings essential. Teams of up to four people. Arrive a few minutes early to register and order drinks before the questions start.
Monthly — check cinemanova.com.au for upcoming dates
Ticketed, check website for pricing
380 Lygon Street, Carlton
House of Plants
House of Plants runs monthly trivia on the first Thursday of every month from 6:30pm sharp — dog-friendly, foliage-framed, and hosted by Planet Janet with the full category spread your competitive heart craves: general knowledge, music, movies, sport, topical curveballs, and the questions specifically designed to end friendships. Prizes include a $50 bar tab, surprise booze, and the famously unhinged last-place reward. Will it be a Wizz Fizz? A sheet of kitten stickers? Only one way to find out.
First Thursday of every month, from 6:30pm
Free; registration required in advance — email functions@houseofplants.co to secure your spot
366 Johnston Street, Abbotsford
The leaderboard awaits. Pick your night, round up your sharpest people, and accept that someone on your team will confidently give the wrong answer and never hear the end of it. Pair the evening with a rooftop drink or dinner at one of Melbourne’s best new restaurants and you have yourself a proper Melbourne night out.
