Melbourne Music Walk (Central Melbourne)
Follow these rock routes for music laneways, sticky carpets and historic venues.
Discover Melbourne’s music highlights, from music venues to busking hotspots and historic sites on this 3.5km (1.5 hour) walk.
Melbourne Music Walk Map
Heart of the City Walk
Start beneath the soaring white spire of Arts Centre Melbourne (1). This icon houses the State Theatre, the Playhouse Theatre and the Fairfax Studio. Find the Australian Music Vault for a peek inside Australia’s contemporary music scene.
Head towards the Yarra River. The mammoth round building on your left is Hamer Hall (2), which hosts a broad range of local and international concerts, from rock, pop and jazz to classical and chamber music.
Cross the river, continue past Flinders Street Station and turn right along Flinders Street, towards Russell Street. The Forum (3), on the corner of Russell Street, was built in 1929 as a grand picture palace. Look up for the multi-coloured, star-lit ceiling and Roman style statues. Beloved by generations of gig-goers, The Forum was voted Australia’s best live music venue at The Music Victoria Awards 2019 and 2020. Acts to take the stage include Paul Kelly, Archie Roach, The Beastie Boys and many more.
Turn left up Russell Street and right at Flinders Lane. The third laneway on your right is AC/DC Lane (4), the first street in Australia named after a rock band.
Continue along Flinders Lane; turn left at Exhibition Street and right onto Little Collins Street. On the left you’ll pass the iconic Cherry Bar (5), previously located in AC/DC lane until late in 2019. Cherry Bar operates as a live music venue every night of the year and is the go to place for local and international acts, including Lady Gaga who famously danced on the bar.
Turn left at Meyers Place, and on your left you will find Loop Project Space & Bar (6). Drop in after 4pm for an ever-changing program of live audio-visual performances and workshops.
Turn right on Bourke Street and walk towards Parliament House. In early 2010, the Save Live Australia’s Music (SLAM) rally finished with an impromptu concert on the steps of Parliament House (7). SLAM was the biggest cultural rally in Australia’s history.
Turn left at Spring Street and walk to the Princess Theatre (8), operating since 1854. In 1951, an Aboriginal ‘Moomba’ show was held at the Princess featuring Aboriginal performers. Moomba has since evolved into Australia’s largest community festival, held every year over the Labour Day long-weekend in March.
Turn left at Little Bourke Street. Just behind the Princess Theatre is Amphlett Lane (9), renamed after the charismatic lead singer for the Divinyls, Chrissy Amphlett, after her death in 2013.
Turn right onto Exhibition Street where you can check out the programs at Her Majesty’s Theatre (10) on your left, and at the Comedy Theatre (11) on your right. Turn left into Little Lonsdale Street, keep walking until you get to Swanston Street and turn left. AC/DC’s film-clip for It’s A Long Way To The Top (1976) was filmed right here, from the corner of Bourke Street down past Collins Street.
The vertical laneway Curtin House (12) is packed with bars and restaurants including The Toff in Town (13). This intimate performance space has hosted acts like Pete Murray, Holly Throsby and Rowland S. Howard.
Spot local buskers along Bourke Street Mall (14). Many Melbourne musicians started their careers here, including Tash Sultana. On the corner of Swanston and Collins streets is the Melbourne Town Hall (15), home to the largest grand organ in the Southern Hemisphere.
Opposite, the iconic Max Watt’s (16) has hosted sold-out shows for Powderfinger, You Am I, Foo Fighters and No Doubt.
More Melbourne Music
See more of Melbourne’s immense music scene. Catch a gig at 170 Russell, The John Curtin Hotel, Trades Hall, Colour Club, Last Chance Rock ’n’ Roll Bar, The Drunken Poet or Transport Hotel. Or head to record stores Heartland Records, Wax Museum Records, Basement Discs, Rocksteady Records and White Rabbit Record Bar.★ Birrarung Marr and Federation Bells
Visit Birrarung Marr on the Yarra, a public space and significant site for Aboriginal artists and communities. Find the Federation Bells nearby, a set of 39 bronze bells created for the Australia’s 1901 federation centenary. Compose music for the Federation Bells using its online composer.
★ Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Kings Domain
Surrounded by parklands, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl opened in 1959. With capacity for 12 000 this outdoor venue caters for all tastes, from philharmonic orchestras and Christmas carolers to heavy metal bands and house DJs.
★ Melbourne Recital Centre
Combining architectural innovation and acclaimed acoustic perfection, Melbourne Recital Centre showcases musicians, artists and ensembles in its two world-class performance spaces.
★ Looking Out, Looking In
City of Melbourne’s Looking Out, Looking In Spotify playlist series is curated by our local music industry to showcase Melbourne’s diverse and emerging music scene.
