Concerts in Melbourne: venues, getting there and home

Melbourne's gigs are spread right across the inner city. The arena shows are at Melbourne Park, a short walk from the CBD. Stadium concerts go to Marvel Stadium in Docklands. The theatres and big band rooms are in the CBD itself: the Forum, 170 Russell and Max Watt's. Then there are the pub and band-room strips: Swan Street in Richmond, High Street through Northcote and Thornbury, Sydney Road in Brunswick, and the St Kilda foreshore.

Getting home is the hard part. On Friday and Saturday nights the Night Network keeps trains and some trams running, but several city stations shut just after midnight, and the Melbourne Park tram isn't one of the night routes. During the week there's no Night Network at all. Below, each venue is matched to the transport that runs when your show finishes.

Everything here was checked against Transport Victoria and the venues' own pages on 3 October 2026. The Night Network maps we used are marked "Effective 1 February 2026". Services change, so check the Journey Planner or the PTV App on the day. For the full list of shows, see concerts in Melbourne.

Where are the main concert venues in Melbourne?

None of the venue pages we read publish a capacity, so this table sticks to where each venue is and what runs nearby late on a Friday or Saturday.

Melbourne Park: Rod Laver Arena and friends

Melbourne Park is the arena precinct: Rod Laver Arena, John Cain Arena and Margaret Court Arena, with AAMI Park next door. It's "a 10-minute walk from the CBD via Birrarung Marr or Tanderrum Bridge", according to Melbourne Park, and it says public transport is "the quickest and easiest option".

Trains. Melbourne Park lists Richmond, Jolimont, Flinders Street and Town Hall as the nearby stations.

Trams. Route 70 (Waterfront City Docklands to Wattle Park) runs from Flinders Street or Richmond Station and stops at Rod Laver Arena (stop 7B), John Cain Arena (stop 7C) and AAMI Park (stop 7D). Trams 48 and 75 stop at the MCG on Wellington Parade.

Bus. Rod Laver Arena says route 246 (Elsternwick to Clifton Hill) stops at the corner of Olympic Boulevard and Punt Road.

Taxis and rideshare. The taxi rank is next to Melbourne Park Oval on Olympic Boulevard. The rideshare pick-up and drop-off point is outside John Cain Arena, also on Olympic Boulevard. Melbourne Park asks you not to order your car until you've reached that point.

Driving. The Eastern Plaza Car Park (Entrance D, Olympic Boulevard) is paid, and Rod Laver Arena strongly recommends booking. Bookings close at midnight the night before the event. Accessible drop-off and pick-up is at the Northern Car Park (Entrance A, Batman Avenue).

Bags and tickets at Rod Laver Arena

Rod Laver Arena says that "for the majority of events, bags must be A4 size or smaller", and handbags must be A4 or smaller without studs or embellishments. If you have medical needs, you can bring a larger bag. Prams generally aren't allowed, and nor are cameras with detachable lenses longer than 300mm. No smoking or vaping inside or within 10 metres of the outside doors.

Each Melbourne Park venue has its own conditions of entry, linked from the Melbourne Park site, so check the one for your arena.

Tickets: as of October 2026, John Cain Arena's site says Melbourne Park is bringing in AXS as its ticketing partner, and that depending on the event, your tickets may come from AXS or Ticketek. Check which one your show uses before you go looking for the ticket in your app.

Marvel Stadium

Marvel Stadium is at 740 Bourke St, Docklands. Southern Cross Station is right next door, over the Bourke Street pedestrian bridge, and the stadium says it connects to most metropolitan and regional lines. If you're on the Cranbourne, Pakenham or Sunbury line, the stadium says to change at Town Hall to get to Southern Cross.

Trams 30, 35, 70, 75 and 86 serve the stadium via La Trobe Street and Harbour Esplanade. Routes 96, 11 and 48 stop in the CBD a short walk away. Taxi ranks are on Bourke Street (opposite Platform 28 restaurant) and La Trobe Street (near Peppers apartments). There's paid on-site parking you can book ahead through UbiPark, with a 2.1-metre height limit.

The CBD: Forum, 170 Russell and Max Watt's

These three are all within the grid, so the walk to a station is short. Which station is the question.

Forum Melbourne is at 154 Flinders St, on the corner of Flinders and Russell streets. The venue says it's "easily accessible by all modes of public transport" and that city parking is limited. Bags larger than A4 aren't allowed. There's a paid cloakroom on the mezzanine. Over-18 shows need valid ID: a licence, passport, proof of age card, digital ID or Keypass. At some all-ages shows, under-8s aren't allowed in and 8 to 12-year-olds need a parent or guardian.

170 Russell is on the corner of Russell and Little Bourke streets in Chinatown. It opened as the Lido Theatre in 1965. The venue gives Russell Street (stop 7) on tram routes 86 and 96 as its tram stop, and Parliament as its closest station. Wheelchair access is through the glass doors at 180 Russell Street, and it accepts Companion Cards. Lighting is low, and the venue puts up strobe signage when it can.

Max Watt's is at 125 Swanston St. The band room is 18+ and you need photo ID. Cloaking is at the downstairs bar. There's lift access to the band room (ask door security), but no lift to the mezzanine bar. Companion Cards are accepted.

Richmond: the Corner Hotel

The Corner is at 57 Swan Street, Richmond, and says it's "close to Richmond Station and multiple tram routes". Richmond is one of the stations Transport Victoria lists as having more frequent night trains, which makes the Corner one of the easier late finishes in town.

Most band-room shows are 18+ unless they're listed as underage or all-ages, and staff may ask for photo ID. Set times usually go up on the show listing a week before. Wheelchair access is via Botherambo Street, the rooftop is reachable by lift, and there are accessible toilets. The cloakroom is at the band-room box office and is paid.

Northcote and Thornbury: High Street and tram 86

High Street is the inner north's gig strip, and tram 86 runs straight up it. That matters, because route 86 is one of the six Night Network tram routes, running every 30 minutes on Friday and Saturday nights.

Northcote Social Club is at 301 High Street. Tram 86 stops out the front at stop 32, which is wheelchair accessible. Northcote station is 350 metres away, and buses 567 and 508 run nearby. The Uber and taxi zone is on the corner of Hawthorn and High streets. Band-room shows are 18+, though the club does run "strictly under age events". There's an accessible toilet on the back deck, and the band room is mostly standing, but staff can arrange a chair.

Northcote Theatre is at 216 High Street and dates from 1912. Take tram 86 towards Bundoora RMIT and get off at stop 31 (Northcote Town Hall/High Street). Westgarth, Merri and Northcote stations are all within about a kilometre. It's 18+ except at designated events, and it wants physical ID; photos of ID aren't accepted. No bags bigger than A4. Wheelchair access is from Bastings Street. It's a standing venue, but you can ask for a seat. Companion Cards are accepted.

The Croxton Bandroom is further up at 607 High Street, Thornbury. We couldn't load its FAQ, so check age rules and access with the venue.

Brunswick: Sydney Road

Brunswick Ballroom is at 314-316 Sydney Road. Children of any age are welcome at matinee shows but not at evening shows. GA seating is first come, first served. There are accessible toilets on the ground floor, but the stairlift means wheelchair users have to transfer out of their chair. Check with the venue if that's a problem.

For getting home, the nearest Night Network trams are route 19 (North Coburg to Flinders Street) and route 96 (East Brunswick to St Kilda Beach). The Upfield line runs night trains too, about hourly, like the rest of the network. Look up the exact stop in the Journey Planner.

St Kilda: the Palais and the Espy

The Palais Theatre is on the Lower Esplanade at Cavell Street, next to Luna Park. Trams 16, 3a (weekends only) and 96 serve it, and stop 138 (Luna Park/The Esplanade) is a minute's walk. The nearest train is Balaclava on the Sandringham line, then tram 16. The taxi rank is on Acland Street near Carlisle Street. The Palais says "almost all parking in St Kilda, including on-street, is paid parking."

It's an all-ages, fully seated venue (Orchestra, Stalls, Lounge and Dress Circle). Under-14s should preferably be with an adult, and everyone over 2 needs a ticket. No backpacks, eskies or bags bigger than 30cm x 30cm, and there's no cloaking, so pack light. Bring photo ID for the licensed areas. No pass-outs unless venue management approves.

Hotel Esplanade, the Espy, is at 11 The Esplanade, with live music in the Gershwin Room and The Basement.

Tram 96 runs to St Kilda Beach as a Night Network route. Tram 16 doesn't.

How do I get home after a gig in Melbourne?

Friday and Saturday: the Night Network

Transport Victoria's Night Network runs every Friday and Saturday night, with metropolitan trains, trams and buses, plus some regional coaches.

Trains run about every 60 minutes on all lines except Stony Point and Flemington Racecourse. After 1am, every train runs to and from Flinders Street and Town Hall. Richmond, South Yarra, North Melbourne, Footscray, Caulfield, Clifton Hill and Burnley get more frequent night trains.

Station closures are the part that catches people out:

• Just after midnight: Anzac, Arden, Flagstaff, Melbourne Central, Parkville, Parliament and State Library
• Just after 1am: Southern Cross
• Staffed stations stay staffed all night

Trams run every 30 minutes on six routes:

Every other tram route, including the 70 to Melbourne Park and the 16 to St Kilda, has no Night Network service.

Buses and coaches. Transport Victoria says "many of our bus routes run a late night service on weekends". Late-night V/Line coaches run from the city to Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Seymour and Traralgon. Most stops are on request, so tell the driver where you're going.

Transport Victoria's pages don't give Night Network start and finish times, so check the Journey Planner or PTV App for your trip.

Sunday to Thursday

There's no Night Network on weeknights. Look up your last train or tram before the show, and if the encore's going to push you past it, sort a taxi or rideshare in advance.

Paying: myki or tap and go

• Contactless now works on trains, trams and buses for full fare. Tap a Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card, or a phone or smartwatch wallet like Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay. Transport Victoria says the fares are the same as myki fares.
• Tap off with the same card or device you tapped on with. Each one counts as a separate payment method, and mixing them "may result in higher charges".
• Concession card holders should stick with myki, since contactless is full fare only. Under-18s travel free with a Youth myki.
• No top-ups on trams or buses. You can't buy or top up a myki on board. At night, top up with Mobile myki, an instant top-up in the PTV App, or at myki machines at stations, tram stops and 24-hour shops like 7-Eleven.
• Late nights count as one day. "You won't be charged a return fare if you tap on before 3am. A new day of myki fares begins at 3am."
• Free Tram Zone. Trips entirely inside the city's Free Tram Zone are free. Transport Victoria publishes a Free Tram Zone map; check whether your stop is inside it.

Staying safe

Protective Services Officers (PSOs) patrol trains and metropolitan train stations, major regional stations and their car parks, bus interchanges, trams and tram stops. In an emergency, call 000.

Transport Victoria also suggests planning ahead so you're not rushing, checking real-time departures in the PTV App, and registering your myki so your balance is protected.

Age rules and ID

There's no citywide rule. Max Watt's, Northcote Theatre and the Northcote Social Club are 18+ apart from designated under-age events, and so are most Corner Hotel shows. The Forum runs both over-18 and all-ages shows, and the Palais is all-ages. Bring physical photo ID: Northcote Theatre won't accept a photo of it. The Forum also lists digital ID and Keypass, but that's the Forum's list, not every venue's.

Before you go

• Friday or Saturday? Know your Night Network route. Remember tram 70 and tram 16 don't run all night.
• Leaving the CBD after midnight? Head for Flinders Street, not Parliament or Melbourne Central.
• Weeknight? Look up your last train or tram before the show.
• Top up your myki before you leave, or bring a card or phone to tap on.
• Pack an A4 bag or smaller for Rod Laver Arena, the Forum or Northcote Theatre, and 30cm x 30cm or smaller for the Palais.
• At Melbourne Park, check whether your ticket is with AXS or Ticketek.

Upcoming concerts in Melbourne