Concerts in Hobart: venues, free buses and getting home

Hobart's gig map splits in two. Most shows happen in the CBD, where the Odeon on Liverpool Street, Altar on Murray Street and the Theatre Royal on Campbell Street sit a short walk apart. The big touring shows go to MyState Bank Arena in Glenorchy, which the arena puts 9km north of the CBD on the Brooker Highway. Those are two quite different nights out, and the second one needs a plan for getting home.

The other thing to know straight away: as of October 2026, Metro buses are free for Tasmanians until 30 June 2027. Everything below was checked against the venues' own pages, Metro Tasmania and the City of Hobart on 3 October 2026. For the full listings, see concerts in Hobart.

Quick facts

Where are the main concert venues in Hobart?

Here's what each venue publishes about itself. Capacities are the venues' own figures for the room, not the number of tickets on sale for a given show.

MyState Bank Arena: the big shows in Glenorchy

The arena sits in Glenorchy overlooking the Derwent River. It's the one venue in this guide you can't walk to from the city, so plan transport before anything else.

Getting there

The arena's own advice is blunt: "Public transport is the quickest and easiest way to get to and from an event." Its Getting Here page links to the Metro journey planner but doesn't name a route or a stop.

Metro's Hobart timetable page fills part of that gap. It lists the Glenorchy corridor routes as:

• High-frequency routes 500, 501, 502, 503, 504, 510, 511, 512, 513, 520, 522 and 722, running "Glenorchy, Moonah, New Town, Hobart"
• Express routes X02, X10, X11, X20, X21, X22, X23 and X30, running "Glenorchy, Metro Springfield, Brooker Hwy, Hobart"

Neither Metro nor the arena says which stop is closest to the arena, so put the arena's address into the journey planner and let it pick the route and stop for your time.

Driving and parking

The arena says it has over 1,000 spaces across two car parks:

• Car Park West, entered from the Brooker Highway
• Car Park East, entered from Goodwood Road / Loyd Road

For some events Car Park East is kept for corporate, membership and VIP parking, so don't count on it. The arena also points to off-site parking at KGV and Montrose Bay. It doesn't manage those, and it says "fees and charges may apply". The arena's page doesn't say whether its own car parks charge, so check your event page or ask the arena. There's a 20 km/h speed limit inside the precinct.

Getting home from the arena

• Taxis: on event days there's a taxi rank at Entry 1.
• Rideshare: the pick-up and drop-off point for Uber and similar services is in front of Entry 1.
• Bus: we couldn't find a published last-bus time for any route. Check the journey planner or the Metro Tas app for your last service back to the city before you leave home, and keep an eye on Metro's network alerts page on the day.

Bags, payments and entry rules

From the arena's venue information and conditions of entry:

• Bags: "All bags must be smaller than A4." Bags can be searched on arrival, and backpacks aren't allowed.
• Searches: staff may do pat-downs, wanding or other checks on the way in and out.
• Food and drink: no outside food. For some events you can bring one sealed 600ml plastic water bottle. Alcohol only comes from the venue's own bars.
• Payments: card only. EFTPOS and credit cards work at every outlet, and so do PayWave and Apple Pay.
• ID for alcohol: if you look under 25, you'll need a current driver's licence, Tasmania Photo Card or passport to be served.
• Under-18s: they must be with a parent or guardian at all times.
• Not allowed: alcohol, drugs, glass and cans, musical instruments, fireworks, weapons, umbrellas, professional cameras and large items, among others.
• Smoking and vaping: not allowed inside, or in the smoke-free areas outside.
• Lost property: held for seven days.

Accessibility at the arena

The arena lists wheelchair seating on the arena floor (lower level) and in GA standing areas, a lift and ramp from the main foyer down to the lower level, and an adult change facility with a ceiling hoist. Accessible parking is in Car Park West near Entry 1, and both car parks have accessible spaces and drop-off and pick-up zones. Service animals are welcome. It's also a Hidden Disabilities Sunflower venue, with staff trained to help. For anything else, the arena's contact details are 03 8691 0800 and enquiries@mystatebankarena.com.au.

The CBD venues

Odeon Theatre

The Odeon on Liverpool Street was built in 1916. It's part of the In The Hanging Garden precinct, alongside Altar. Fully seated it holds 841 (393 on the floor and 448 in the mezzanine). For standing shows the floor takes 902 and the mezzanine stays seated, for 1,350 in total.

Shows run in three formats: reserved seating, unreserved seating, and GA standing with first-come seating. Check which one your ticket is.

• ID: "Valid ID must be shown upon entry to the venue even if you have a pre-purchased ticket." Bring it to every show.
• Tickets: the Odeon's FAQ names Moshtix and Ticketmaster as the sellers for its concerts, and warns that tickets bought from other resellers may not be valid.
• Bags: licensed security may check them. Alcohol, glass, plastic bottles, weapons and markers or paint aren't allowed.
• Access: the venue calls itself "fully accessible", with mobility seating and reserved wheelchair areas. Email info@odeontheatre.com.au before the show if you need help.

Our Odeon Theatre guide has more on the layouts and nearby parking.

Altar

Altar is at 112 Murray Street, the Odeon's sister venue. It runs live music, comedy and club nights, and its events list splits free nights from ticketed ones. As listed in October 2026, it's open Wednesday 4pm to 10pm and Thursday to Saturday 4pm to 3am, with bar food all day.

Its entry line is "No guns, no dogs, no cash", so bring a card. Tickets are sold through Moshtix. Age rules change from event to event: some are all ages, some are 18+. Check the event listing before you buy for anyone under 18.

Theatre Royal and The Hedberg

The Theatre Royal opened in 1837, and the venue calls it "Australia's oldest working theatre". It came close to demolition in the late 1940s, until people including Sir Laurence Olivier spoke up for it. A fire in June 1984 closed it, and it reopened in March 1986.

It's now part of The Hedberg, on the corner of Campbell and Collins Streets. Published capacities:

The box office is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, and the phone line ((03) 6146 3300) runs 9am to 5pm. Bars are open before and during the show.

Accessibility is well covered. There's dedicated wheelchair seating, though staff can't help with transfers. Drop-off spaces and short-term accessible parking are on Collins Street. A lift runs from the main entrance on level one of The Hedberg to all the Theatre Royal and Studio foyers. The Assistive Hearing System (headphones or a hearing loop) is free from the box office, but book it ahead. The Companion Card is accepted; book those tickets through the box office.

Federation Concert Hall and Wrest Point

Federation Concert Hall has been the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra's home since 2001. The TSO lists wheelchair access, ramps, level entry and accessible toilets. Its venues page doesn't give a street address, so check your ticket. The TSO box office is on 1800 001 190, 10am to 4pm on weekdays.

Wrest Point, at 410 Sandy Bay Road, hosts shows too, and the TSO lists the Wrest Point Entertainment Centre among its venues. We couldn't find capacity or parking details, so check with Wrest Point.

Are buses free in Hobart?

For Tasmanians, yes. Metro announced on 21 May 2026 that "Tasmanians can now hop on Metro buses for free, with no fare or GreenCard required". The free travel runs until 30 June 2027 and covers all Metro services across the state, urban and non-urban.

Two catches:

• Don't tap on. Metro says "Customers should not tap their GreenCard when boarding."
• Visitors: Metro's pages talk about "Tasmanians" and don't say whether interstate or overseas visitors ride free. If you're visiting, check with Metro before you rely on it.

Plan trips with the Metro journey planner, and use the Metro Tas app to track buses in real time. The City of Hobart also lists Kinetic (services to Hobart, Dodges Ferry, New Norfolk and Sorell) and SkyBus, which runs between the airport and the city.

Where do I park for a gig in the CBD?

None of the CBD venues publish their own parking. The Theatre Royal says only that "a number of parking options are located nearby". The City of Hobart runs a set of multi-storey car parks, including:

• Argyle Street, 38 Argyle Street, which the council calls "the largest multi-storey car park in the Hobart CBD"
• Centrepoint, 35 Victoria Street
• Hobart Central, 60 Melville Street
• Melville Street (Midtown), 49 Melville Street
• Dunn Place, 3 Davey Street
• Salamanca Square, 20 Montpelier Retreat (underground)
• In North Hobart, Condell Place (11-13 Condell Place) and Lefroy Street (16A Lefroy Street)

The council's page doesn't list opening hours, so check them before you leave your car in one for a late show.

For street parking, the council says on-street spots are for short stays and the multi-storey car parks are for longer ones. You pay at the meter or with the EasyPark app, and the council has a live parking availability map. One example sign on its rules page says payment applies between "9 am and 6 pm Monday to Friday" and "there are no time limits imposed outside of those hours". Hours vary from street to street, though, so read the sign where you park. Topping up the meter doesn't reset the time limit.

Getting home from a CBD gig

The CBD venues are close enough together that the main question is how you get from the city to wherever you're staying.

• Bus: look up your last service in the Metro journey planner or app before the show. No page we checked publishes late-night bus times.
• Ferry: the City of Hobart lists the Derwent Ferries service between Bellerive and Hobart. Evening times aren't on the council page, so check the Derwent Ferries timetable.
• Taxis: we couldn't confirm the locations of CBD taxi ranks. Book ahead or use a rideshare app.

Before you go

• Check which venue your show is at. MyState Bank Arena is 9km out of the city.
• Look up your bus there and your last bus home in the Metro journey planner.
• Visiting from outside Tasmania? Check with Metro whether the free fares cover you.
• Arena show? Bring a bag smaller than A4, no backpack, and a card.
• Odeon show? Bring valid ID, even with a ticket.
• Altar? Bring a card, and check the age rule for the night.
• Buy from the sellers the venue names: Moshtix or Ticketmaster for the Odeon, Moshtix for Altar. The arena's conditions ban reselling tickets above face value.
• Driving into the CBD? Check the car park's hours and the meter signs.
• Need access help? Contact the venue before the day.

Upcoming concerts in Hobart