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With a lively cultural life, a wide selection of clubs and bars, a restaurant for every cuisine, one of the world's biggest casinos, a multitude of festivals and events and a rich theatre tradition, there is no excuse to be bored in Melbourne! The city that was once noted as a somewhat dour after-hours town has quietly transformed itself into an entertainment hub, with a nightlife that many larger cities would envy.
To keep abreast of what is going on, check the free street press—Beat magazine and Inpress which come out every Wednesday. Both are available from many music stores, cafés and pubs, and contain comprehensive listings for the week's entertainment. Alternatives are the daily newspaper The Age's green guide (Thursday) or the Victoria Visitor Information Centre.
Bars and pubs
English-style pubs have traditionally been the bedrock of Melbourne's entertainment scene, and the city is blessed with a multitude. Every area will have one, and they range from the grungy Punter's Club to more elegant venues. There are traditional watering holes—Old Colonial Inn or the quirky Builder's Arms—and Melbourne institutions such as The Esplanade. Usually opening in the afternoon and shutting around midnight or later, many serve food as well as providing beer gardens, satellite television, pool tables or live music.
Recently, a slew of stylish, intimate bars have evolved in the lanes and alleyways of the central business district. They draw an eager crowd of after-work drinkers and stay open until late. Try Spleen on Bourke Street, or just head off and find one of your own—they seem to pop up in little recesses of the city overnight!
Live music
Melbourne is widely regarded as the live music capital of Australia. Everyone who is anyone in the Australian music scene plays here regularly, and almost-legendary venues such as the Punter's Club and The Espy are packed every night with band-goers looking for old favourites or the next big thing. The favoured style is grungy alternative rock, but there is also a fledgling funk/jazz/hip hop community. International touring acts, from obscure cult artists to superstars, regularly visit. Tickets are usually handled by the main agencies, Ticketek and Ticketmaster.
Those with more discerning musical tastes will enjoy the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia, the brilliant 85-piece Australian Pops Orchestra or the delightful Australian Boys Choir.
Nightlife
Melbourne's club scene is large and varied but concentrated in a few different districts. King Street, in the city centre, is home to several large and well-known establishments. South Yarra, around Chapel Street, attracts a hipper crowd to venues such as Revolver, The Viper Room, while Brunswick and Smith Streets in Fitzroy cater to a more bohemian, alternative crowd with smaller venue—the Night Cat and Planet Afrik for jazz, African and Latin music. St Kilda, home to Monkey, Twister and the Prince of Wales, is also a lively part of town. The Crown Entertainment Complex is home to a variety of establishments, from cabaret to wine bars, a jazz club and the popular Heat discotheque. Its casino is one of the largest in the world, and it also houses a five-star hotel and a plethora of shops and restaurants on the southern bank of the Yarra River.
Gay scene
Melbourne's thriving gay scene is mostly centred around slick Commercial Road in South Yarra, near the corner of Chapel Street. There is also a gay patch around Smith Street in Fitzroy and Collingwood, home to establishments like the cruisy Peel, the Laird leather bar, alternative rock venue Q & A and the Glasshouse pub. Unfortunately, as in most cities, men are much better catered for than women. Detailed listings as well as news, personal ads and the like can be found in the free gay press, the weekly Melbourne Star Observer and the fortnightly Brother Sister, which can be picked up at venues and also in many bookshops and cafés. Keep an eye out for various events held throughout the year such as Midsumma Festival, Queer Film and Video Festival and the ALSO dance parties.
Theatre and cinema
Melbourne's lively theatre scene offers everything from experimental works to mainstream Broadway-style blockbusters like Miss Saigon or Phantom of the Opera. What is more, the city can offer them in truly beautiful and historic theatres such as Her Majesty's and the Princess Theatre.
Ballet and dance are as good as any in the world and The Australian Ballet performs 160 shows a year to packed houses. For something a bit more funky, Chunky Move discards traditional theatre venues, performing bold works in club-type settings. OzOpera similarly abandons tradition and takes its own version of opera to everyday people in both Melbourne and across regional Victoria.
There is a full range of cinemas from Hoyts and Village blockbuster multiplexes to arthouse such as the Astor or the Lumiere. An International Film Festival is held in winter while summer in the city would not be the same without the Moonlight Cinema set in the beautiful surrounds of the Royal Botanical Gardens.
Events
Melbourne has a packed events calendar. A major International Arts Festival has its attendant Fringe Festival and the family-oriented Moomba Waterfest is fun. There are separate celebrations of comedy, contemporary visual art, gardening, writing, fashion and food. There are also Italian, Greek, Vietnamese and Chinese festivals, and happenings in St Kilda, Chapel Street, Williamstown and Brunswick Street. Summer sees regular seasons of outdoor cinema, classical music and jazz, and year-round the city hosts trade fairs for industries as diverse as holidays, motoring, aeronautics and sex!
The city is renowned for major international sporting events including the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament, the Grand Prix motor race, marathons, cricket tests and major golf tournaments. But perhaps its biggest sporting events are its most unique—the AFL Grand Final, which decides the champion of the national football code and the famous Melbourne Cup horse race, held like clockwork on the second Tuesday of November—and stops the nation.
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 Melbourne Hotels Guide
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