Melbourne Arts Precinct

South of the Yarra, a run of buildings along St Kilda Road and Southbank holds most of Melbourne's large-scale performing arts. Arts Centre Melbourne is the visible anchor, its white lattice spire lit at night and recognisable from across the city, with the State Theatre, the Playhouse and smaller stages underneath it, largely below ground level. Hamer Hall, the concert hall, sits on the river. Nearby are a purpose-built recital centre, a repertory theatre known for new Australian work, and the buildings of the state orchestra, opera and ballet companies. The commercial theatres that host long-running musicals are on the other side of the river in the central grid. A market runs beside the arts centre on Sundays.

History

In 2008 the government of Victoria announced an upgrade of 128 million dollars centred on the refurbishment of Hamer Hall, and the combined Melbourne Recital Centre and MTC Theatre, opened in February 2009, won the Property Council's top award for a public building. A blueprint for the precinct followed in 2014, and in 2018 the state committed 208 million dollars to the first stage of a major redevelopment, including a new contemporary art gallery, NGV Contemporary, upgrades to the State Theatre and 18,000 square metres of new and renewed public space (Wikipedia, Melbourne Arts Precinct).

What you'll find

• The spire - the white steel lattice tower over Arts Centre Melbourne, floodlit after dark.
• Hamer Hall - the riverside concert hall, home to the state orchestra's main season.
• The State Theatre - the largest stage in the complex, used for opera and ballet seasons.
• The Sunday market - stalls of craft and design along the arts centre forecourt each week.

When to go

Performance seasons run through the year, with opera and ballet blocks in autumn and spring and the orchestra playing most weeks. Book weeks ahead for anything popular; same-day rush tickets appear for some shows. Evenings are the point, though the riverside walk is pleasant by day. Melbourne's winter is the strongest theatre season simply because nobody wants to be outside.

What to expect

The precinct has been under long-running redevelopment, so hoardings, closed walkways and diverted entrances are normal and will be for some years. The arts centre interiors are dated in places and the underground layout is not obvious. Ticket prices for opera and ballet are high, and cheap seats often have restricted views. Parking is expensive; the tram is simpler.

Nearby

NGV International is next door and Federation Square is over the footbridge.

Key facts