Melbourne Entertainment

Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex

Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex
Located on the banks of the River Yarra, the Crown Entertainment Complex is the largest gambling center in the Southern Hemisphere, well able to cater for those who like a bet. Games include traditional standbys of blackjack, craps, pai gow, poker, baccarat and roulette. The Crown is also the founder of the electronic version of roulette known as Rapid Roulette. The Poker Room has various varieties of the game, and the casino houses 2,500 poker machines as well as several slots.

Guests can take a break from the tables at one of over 40 restaurants and bars, including Nobu, Giuseppe, Silks, Number 8 restaurant and wine bar and more. For non-gamers, the complex has luxury boutiques featuring high-end retailers such as Prada, Burberry and Louis Vuitton, as well as restaurants, bars, a movie theater and a bowling alley. With a 900-seat cabaret theater, the complex is host to numerous shows and concerts; past headliners have included singers Elton John, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Dionne Warwick. Some of Melbourne's most prestigious events including Australian television awards the Logies and the Brownlow Medal Australian Football League awards are held at the complex.

Covering over 43,000 square feet, the Crown Entertainment Complex has several spaces for private events. Among them, the Promenade Room accommodates 600 guests theater-style and the River Room overlooking the Yarra waters can seat 270 guests. The casino is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Hours and schedules for other attractions vary. For more information: +61 3 9292 6968

Marriner Theatres
Marriner Theatres operates four locations throughout Melbourne's downtown: Regent Theatre, Princess Theatre, Comedy Theatre and Forum Theatre. The Marriner family stepped in to restore these theaters from the disrepair they suffered over the years, beginning with the re-opening of the Princess in 1989. Today, the theatres continue to upgrade by making strides to "green" their facilities, taking steps such as sourcing organic and local produce and using co-mingled garbage collection. Hosting a wealth of entertainment, any one venue offers visitors the chance to see a concert by the latest musical acts or watch both new and classic Broadway plays, from Wicked to Guys and Dolls.

Marriner Theatres has several private event spaces across its venues, including the Romanesque Forum Theatre for up to 1,500 guests or the historic Princess for up to 200 people. On-site catering and technical services are also available. Hours and prices vary based on performance. For more information: +61 3 9299 9860

Melbourne Cricket Ground

Melbourne Cricket Ground
Lovingly referred to as the "Spiritual Home of Australian Sport," the Melbourne Cricket Ground is the largest stadium in Australia and holy ground to this city of sporting aficionados. Colloquially known as "the MCG" or simply the "G", the venue was the centerpiece of both the 1956 Summer Olympic Games and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Today, it is is used for cricket, rugby and football matches as well as rock concerts for performers such as Madonna. Also on site is the National Sports Museum, which has an amazing range of sporting-related artifacts and interactive technology. Australian Football League matches (also known as AFL or Ozzie Rules) are played at the MCG at least once a week, and for a truly unforgettable Melbourne experience, guests should catch a game.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground has a number of function rooms with capacities for 30 to 500 people, including 10 recently opened spaces. The AFL season runs April to September. AFL match ticket prices range from AU$20.30 to AU$43.35. On-site parking is available. For more information: +61 3 9657 8888

National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria has the largest art collection in Australia, so large that in the mid-1990s it was split between two sites to accommodate it all. The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia in Federation Square has more than 20,000 pieces of Australian art including colonial, modern and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collections.

The National Gallery of Victoria International is located across the River Yarra from the Ian Potter Centre and is home to a stunning European section, including masterpieces by Rembrandt, Picasso, Turner and Monet. Patrons can also marvel at the stained glass ceiling of the great hall that took over five years to create.

Both venues have a range of function rooms with capacities from 80 to 900 guests. The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM and Thursday until 9 PM. The NGV International is open Wednesday through Monday from 10 AM to 5 PM. Both galleries are closed Good Friday and Christmas. General admission is free, but entrance fees may apply to specific exhibitions. For more information: +61 3 8620 2222

Sidney Myer Music Bowl
As the Victorian Arts Centre's outdoor arena, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in the Kings Domain Gardens has hosted everything from the pumping rock of Metallica to the electronic masters Daft Punk to the operatic genius of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. With seating for 2,150 guests and space for another 12,000 on the graduated lawn, the bowl is a magical place for music lovers. Home to the annual free summertime series with performances by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the bowl also continuously hosts a great line up of Australian and international artists.

The Sidney Myer Music Bowl's ample space is available for private events. The Merlyn Myer Room, adjacent to the stage, also offers space for meetings. The box office in the Theatres Building is open Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 9 PM. Another box office at Hamer Hall is open one hour prior to performances. Ticket prices vary based on event, ranging from free to AU$100. For more information: +61 3 9281 8450

Victorian Arts Centre

Victorian Arts Centre
The Victorian Arts Centre, with its enormous skyward spire, is the flagship of performing arts in Melbourne and has become a national icon. Comprising two buildings, the Melbourne Concert Hall and the Theatres Building, the centre hosts Opera Australia's Melbourne season, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Melbourne Theatre Company, the Australian Ballet Company and well-known contemporary dance company Chunky Move, as well as a variety of touring productions. Patrons can catch a performance or simply take a tour of the centre to admire its architecture and glorious interior.

The Victorian Arts Centre has numerous rooms for private events of 16 to 200 people. The box office in the Theatres Building is open Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 9 PM. Another box office at Hamer Hall is open one hour prior to performances. Ticket prices vary based on performance but usually range from AU$50 to AU$100. Tours cost AU$11. For more information: +61 3 9281 8000

Melbourne Nightlife

Butterfly Club
Billed as a "dollhouse-sized, Windsor Castle of camp, kitsch and good times," the Butterfly Club cocktail lounge and cabaret salon is the strikingly unique venue for an eclectic mix of music and performing arts. The two-story Victorian house is jam-packed with glittering fairy lights and fascinating knickknacks among its two well-stocked bars, three comfortable lounges, garden and covered outdoor courtyard.

The club offers space for private events, either as a club buy-out for 40 or more people, or as an upper level rental for up to 45 guests with the exclusive use of two lounge areas, a private bathroom and the Monarch Room Bar. The Butterfly Club is open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 5 to 11 PM and Friday and Saturday from 5 PM to 1 AM. Ticket prices for performances range from AU$10 to AU$45. For more information: +61 3 9690 2000

Cherry
Cherry, Melbourne's first authentic classic rock bar, is appropriately located on AC/DC Lane. Since its opening in 1999, it has become an extremely popular live music venue offering a mix of classic rock, retro and alternative music among its two bars and main dance floor. A "beer drinker's delight," Cherry offers an astonishing range of brews including New Zealand's Monteith's and England's Newcastle Brown Ale.

The bar is available for private functions and offers an event room for up to 40 people. Cherry is closed on Monday, Tuesday and usually Sunday. Cherry is open Wednesday from 8 PM to close, Thursday and Friday from 5:30 PM to close, and Saturday from 9 PM to close. Wednesday admission is free and Thursday through Saturday cover is AU$7. For more information: +61 3 9639 8122

Comics Lounge
Melburnians love a laugh, which is probably why the Comics Lounge has been such a popular nightspot venue for 10 years. With a wide range of new and established comics performing seven nights a week, it's the perfect place for patrons to go for some comedy. The lounge has an impressive 500-seat capacity and also houses a separate bar area with comfortable seating and a pool table. Guests can grab a bite from the lounge's modest menu, which includes Thai beef salad, American-style barbecue pork ribs, and snacks such as salt and pepper calamari, nachos and French fries. The venue is so popular that booking tickets in advance, especially on weekends, is recommended.

The Comics Lounge is available for private functions for up to 450 guests and offers on-site catering. It is open from Monday through Sunday from 7 PM to close. Schedules and prices vary based on performance. Food is served Monday and Wednesday through Saturday. For more information: +61 3 9348 9488

The Croft Institute
The motto of the funky Croft Institute, hidden in the alleys of Chinatown, is, If you can find it, you'll love it! Spanning three levels, the bar's décor is unlike any other. The ground level is laboratory-themed, complete with test tube shots and industrial sinks. The next floor is a hospital-like waiting area, where guests can stop at the "Departments of Male and Female Hygiene" before heading up to the gymnasium bar on the top floor. Here, guests can hit the dance floor or enjoy cocktails, wine or beer in an atmosphere reminiscent of physical education classes in the 1940s, right down to the bench seating and climbing wall.

The Croft Institute is available for private functions, with space for 22 to 60 guests. It is open Monday through Thursday from 5 PM to 1 AM, Friday from 5 PM to 3 AM and Saturday from 6 PM to 3 AM. Entry is free. For more information: +61 3 9671 4399

The Esplande Hotel
The Esplanade Hotel, or the "Espy," is located in the beachside suburb of St Kilda and has been entertaining Melbournians for over 100 years. A true Melbourne icon, the sprawling three-story hotel was designed in a conservative Italianate style reminiscent of the seaside resort architecture of 19th century Britain. Home to competitive pool tables, a restaurant and two band rooms, the Espy is renowned for its laid back atmosphere and varied clientele. The Espy has great views of sunset over the water and live bands and comedians performing most nights; both the front bar and the historical Gershwin Room have nurtured burgeoning Australian talent.

Various function rooms are available at the hotel for rent. The Espy is open Monday through Wednesday from noon to 1 AM, Thursday through Saturday from noon to 3 AM and Sunday from noon to 1 AM. Entrance is free. Certain bands may require a cover charge of up to AU$15. For more information: +61 3 9534 0211

Night Cat
As a contemporary and swing jazz club playing anything from hip hop to Latin, reggae to funk, or salsa to swing, the Night Cat creates a wonderful all-inclusive atmosphere attracting an eclectic blend of clientele. This sophisticated venue, with its comfy couches, painted checkerboard floor, retro furniture and great lighting, has live music most nights drawing guests out onto one of the largest dance floors in the area. Los Cabrones, a 14-piece Afro Cuban band, have been playing many Sunday nights to a packed house for 10 years, and Relax With Max, an 11-piece Afro beat funk band, plays many Saturday nights. Night Cat is open Thursday through Sunday from 9 PM to 3 AM. Admission is free most nights. For more information: + 61 3 94162669

Melbourne Tours

Aboriginal Heritage Walk
The Aboriginal Heritage Walk guarantees an enlightening experience that connects guests to the spirit of the land. The traditional camping and meeting places of the indigenous Boonerwrung and Woiwarrung people are located within the beautiful grounds of the Royal Botanic Gardens, which guests can explore to catch a glimpse of pre-European Australia. Indigenous Aborigines serve as guides that help visitors gain a deeper understanding of the fascinating aspects of Aboriginal culture, including a wealth of local plant lore. Tours run Thursday and Friday during the fall. Tours cost AU$18. For more information: +61 3 9252 2429

Hidden Secrets Tour
Many visitors are apt to feel lost when visiting a foreign location, but with the Hidden Secrets Tour, guests can familiarize themselves with Melbourne's wonderful quirks - and its deepest secrets - on half-day walking tours. Animated guides delve into Melbourne's hidden gems on the signature Lanes and Arcades Tour, which visits over 50 of Melbourne's best designer boutiques and art galleries. Other tours include the Art and Design Tour, which includes new installations, sculptures, stencils, commissioned mural art, project works and architecture, and the Sommeliers City Walk, on which visitors stop by three different venues with exclusive wine tastings. Personalized itineraries can also be designed to suit specific needs and interests.

The Lanes and Arcades Tour runs Thursday through Saturday from 10 AM to 2 PM and includes lunch. The Art and Design Tour runs Saturday from 2 to 4 PM and the Sommeliers City Walk runs Tuesday from 5 to 7 PM. The Lanes and Arcades Tour costs AU$115 per person. The Art and Design Tour costs AU$70 per person and the Sommeliers City Walk is AU$135 per person. For more information: +61 3 9329 9665

Melbourne River Cruise
One of the best ways to experience Melbourne is from the water on an award-winning cruise on the River Yarra. Guests can relax on the deck and enjoy the running commentary as they glide past prominent sites and attractions, which vary based on three tour options. The Down River Tour offers superb views of Melbourne's central business district and takes visitors back in time, past the 19th century sailing ship "Polly Woodside" to the sites of the early settlers' landing places. The Up River Tour meanders through the Royal Botanic Gardens and parklands before reaching the Melbourne Olympic Park and the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Melbourne Highlights Tour combines features of both, illustrating how the unique combination of sites has made the city what it is today.

The Melbourne River Cruise offers catered packages. Tours run daily between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM, depending on the time of year. The Down River Tour and Up River Tour each cost AU$22 and the Melbourne Highlights Tour costs AU$29. For more information: +61 3 3860 2600

Old Melbourne Gaol Hangman's Night Tours
A night tour of the Old Melbourne Gaol is something visitors won't soon forget. As the scene of 136 hangings and numerous ghost sightings, the gaol, or jail, has links to some of Australia's key events including the Gold Rush, the Eureka Stockade Rebellion and the Second World War. This night tour, led by brutal hangman Michael Gateley, combines live interpretation with historical fact and is a unique opportunity to hear about some of the gaol's more famous inmates including the notorious Australian outlaw Ned Kelly.

Tours generally run Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 8:30 PM. Tickets cost AU$16.50 for children under 15 and AU$25 for adults. The tour is not recommended for young audiences. For more information: +61 3 9663 7228

Melbourne Things to Do and Melbourne Attractions