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New Venue To Boost Melbourne’s Live Music Scene

Staff Writer

Melbourne Pavilion is getting a makeover

Heritage-housed yet ultra-contemporary Victorian venue Melbourne Pavilion has announced that it will undergo an “extensive” renovation to afford it the ability to host major touring acts and give fans and promoters alike a fresh mid-size event-space option in the city.

With planned operation under the Pavilion Live moniker, the Racecourse Road, Kensington, Melbourne Pavilion is seeking to have its capacity raised from 1300 to a more concert-friendly 2250, which, given the recent closure of the city's famed Palace Theatre, goes a long way towards filling an unfortunate new hole in Melbourne's live-music tapestry.

“There's no doubt that Melbourne has an incredible music culture, and in particular live music has always flourished in this city. Part of that has been because local and touring acts have been able to build their careers and their fanbase by graduating through a series of venues of different sizes as their popularity has increased,” Pavilion Live spokesman, entertainment lawyer and consultant Andrew Watt said in a statement.

“Melbourne is well served by a brilliant collection of well-operated small venues and venues of the 900-1500 capacity but there is a definite need for a venue that is the next step up from there – a venue that is large enough to accommodate national level touring bands but still offers a more intimate experience than a stadium-type venue.”

Pavilion Live's arrival comes at a time when live music in Melbourne continues to be a hot-button issue for councils and citizens alike, with the Melbourne City Council recently voting to introduce the three-year Melbourne Music Strategy 2014-17, cementing the city's commitment to fostering a healthy live music scene.

“Music is a vital part of the city's cultural scene but the industry is also an enormous economic contributor. Each weekend, around 97,000 people attend music performances in the city which generates $5.4 million in ticket sales, entry, hospitality and merchandising,” Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said in a statement recently.