Festival Hall 2027

About Festival Hall

Festival Hall began in 1913 as West Melbourne Stadium, a boxing and wrestling venue, which is where the nickname “House of Stoush” comes from. After a fire in 1955 it was rebuilt in time for the 1956 Olympics. The Beatles played it in 1964, and over the following decades almost every international rock band touring Australia came through. After a period of uncertainty the building was bought by Hillsong Church in 2020, and since March 2023 Live Nation has operated it under a lease, putting it back into regular use. It is heritage-listed. Inside it is a big, plain rectangular hall, which is part of its charm. The 2027 bookings so far are Sienna Spiro, Beartooth, Sleep Theory, Max McNown, CAKE and Malcolm Todd.

Getting to Festival Hall

Festival Hall is at 300 Dudley Street, on the western edge of the CBD. The closest train station is Southern Cross; walk north up Spencer Street and turn left into Dudley Street, roughly 10–15 minutes. Flagstaff station on the City Loop is a similar walk. Trams along Spencer Street and La Trobe Street get you closer, and the City Circle route passes nearby. There is very little parking in the surrounding streets, so plan on public transport or a rideshare pick-up away from the main doors. North Melbourne station, on several western and northern lines, is another option a little further away, useful for heading back to the outer suburbs.

Tips for a show at Festival Hall

Much of the floor is standing room, with fixed seating in the balcony around it. The hall is wide and fairly flat, so a spot near the sound desk often sounds and sees better than pushing to the side near the front. Dudley Street has few food options; eat in the CBD or North Melbourne before walking over. The Queen Victoria Market area is on the way from Flagstaff if you want something quick.