A taster of Melbourne venues and spaces for your shows and events:
**Please note – I do not have specific information about the hire of these venues, I’ve just listed them here for your convenience. Please contact them directly with any questions. This is a small selection I recommend, for more options head to the Creative Spaces website. It’s aces.
Arts House is a City of Melbourne contemporary arts initiative. Each year Arts House presents a curated program of contemporary art featuring performances, exhibitions, live art, installations and cultural events. Arts House runs at the North Melbourne Town Hall.
Ever since its inception, Bar 303 has supported the live music scene, since that’s what its inception was all about. A quality, no-frills venue, that gives musicians and artists a place to be seen, heard and talked over the top of.
The Butterfly Club is a small theatre in the heart of Melbourne. They have plenty of shows, award-winning foyer bars, and an enormous collection of kitsch.
fortyfivedownstairs is a not-for-profit theatre and gallery based at 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Australia. They showcase independent, experimental and through-provoking visual art, theatre, live music and discussion. Since 2002 fortyfivedownstairs has offered an evocative urban space and a friendly, hands-on, personalised service to an eclectic mix of artists for theatre, visual arts, forum, music and dance events. Galleries are located on the first level down. The two gallery spaces are simple with white walls, wooden floors and soft light. They provide a perfect blank canvas for the artworks displayed within. The theatre is on the next floor down; an intimate, versatile and grungy space which transforms with every production and show held within its unpainted brick walls.
Gasworks Arts Park houses a number of spaces for multidisciplinary art and performance, enlivening a public park by maintaining a thriving arts program. The former site of the South Melbourne Gas Plant has been transformed into an inner-urban gathering place for creative minds and those appreciative of art in all forms. Gasworks display the work of a number of its resident artists in addition to presenting changing exhibitions, festivals, performances, markets, children’s programming and artistic workshops. Its two theatres, three galleries, meeting and workshop space, plus its four hectares of green parkland makes it a significant and welcoming institution representing all that is great about the Melbourne arts scene.
La Mama is currently one of Melbourne’s oldest and most relevant theatres. La Mama plays a significant role in the wider community, providing access to people from marginalized and other backgrounds. Through its Audience Access and Mentorship Programs, La Mama provides many groups with the opportunity for self expression in a theatrical context. La Mama consists of two performance spaces: – La Mama Theatre and The Carlton Courthouse.
Malthouse Theatre produces and presents Australian contemporary theatre, a broadly defined program of work conceived and created in collaboration with writers, directors, designers, choreographers, audio artists and performers – a contemporary theatre where the combined possibilities of all the theatre arts are offered centre stage. Located close to ACCA (Australian Centre for Contemporary Art), Chunky Move, Melbourne Recital Centre and the Arts Centre, The CUB Malthouse houses three theatres, rehearsal studios, meeting rooms, a bar and café in the heart of Southbank. Originally built in 1892 as a brewery and malting works, MalthouseTheatre was generously donated by Carlton and United Breweries in 1986, with the vision to provide a home for the creation and presentation of contemporary Australian theatre.
The Meat Market in Melbourne is an iconic heritage listed building that has been lovingly restored as a venue hire space for arts and cultural events.
Founded in 1953, Melbourne Theatre Company is the oldest professional theatre company in Australia. It aims to produce classic and contemporary Australian and international theatre with style, passion and world class artistic excellence in order to entertain, challenge and enrich audiences in Melbourne, Victoria and Australia. There are various spaces within the new MTC Theatre that are available for hire:
- The 500-seat Sumner Theatre is available for meetings and presentations during the day
- The 150-seat Lawler Studio is a flexible space that can be hired for rehearsals, meetings etc
- Two VIP rooms with great views across Melbourne’s Arts Precinct are also available for hire for meetings or cocktails parties – catering for sit down or standing functions. (These two VIP rooms can also be opened up to make one larger entertaining space)
- Rehearsals spaces are also available for hire at MTC’s HQ in Sturt Street
Northcote Town Hall is a spectacular icon, notable for its location on High Street, grand main hall, modern function and meeting rooms, and it’s rich history in the Northcote precinct. All rooms within the Northcote Town Hall have a blend of modern and art-deco interiors. Seven rooms are available for hire, as well and two studio spaces and the Main Hall.
Off the Kerb Gallery and Studios
Off the Kerb is an exciting and experimental artist-run space located in one of Melbourne’s prolific visual and performing arts precincts – Collingwood. Off the Kerb supports Australian and international emerging and established artists, curators, designers and sound producers.
Paris Cat is one of Melbourne’s Premier Jazz Clubs. Established in 2006, this intimate and unique venue hosts a vibrant underground Jazz scene and was voted one of the best World music venues in Australia. Inspired by the 1930s French bee-bop era the Paris Cat is committed to supporting the Arts.
The Space has nine unique spaces available for any dance style, performance, rehearsals, dance classes, workshops, theatre shows and other events you have in mind.
Theatre Works
Theatre Works is a creative centre and venue in the heart of St. Kilda. It reaches out to the wider community; it supports innovative arts practitioners through collaborations, partnerships and the imaginative use of its space and resources. Theatre Works always aims to entertain, challenge and surprise its audiences.
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