# List of theatres in Melbourne

This is a list of theatres in Melbourne in Victoria, Australia.

## Melbourne City Centre

The Melbourne City Centre has two distinct areas with concentrations of theatres: the East End, situated in the Hoddle Grid, which contains many of Melbourne's historic theatres; and Southbank, which is home to the more contemporary venues of the Melbourne Arts Precinct.

### East End, Hoddle Grid

| Name | Address | Opened | Seats | Use | Notes |
| Athenaeum Theatre | 188 Collins Street | 1927 | 880 | theatre, comedy | Former hall remodelled as theatre in 1927 |
| Capitol Theatre | 113 Swanston Street | 1924 | 600 | films, comedy, talks, theatre | Cinema purchased by RMIT in 1999 |
| Comedy Theatre | 240 Exhibition Street | 1928 | 997 | theatre, comedy | Replaced one of Melbourne's earliest theatres, the Olympic Theatre |
| Deakin Edge | Federation Square | 2003 | 269–450 | live music, events, talks | |
| Forum Theatre | 154 Flinders Street | 1929 | 1,320 | live music, comedy | Downstairs Auditorium seats 800, Upstairs Auditorium seats 520 |
| Her Majesty's Theatre | 219 Exhibition Street | 1886 | 1,700 | theatre, opera | Opened as the Alexandra Theatre |
| Melbourne Town Hall | 100 Swanston Street | 1887 | 1,990 | theatre, live music | Main Auditorium was rebuilt and enlarged in 1925 |
| Princess Theatre | 163 Spring Street | 1857 | 1,488 | theatre, comedy | Opened as Astley's Amphitheatre in 1854, renovated as the Princess Theatre in 1857 |
| Regent Theatre | 191 Collins Street | 1929 | 2,143 | theatre, opera | Former cinema reopened as a theatre in 1996 |

### Arts Precinct, Southbank

| Name | Address | Opened | Seats | Use | Notes |
| Beckett Theatre, Coopers Malthouse | 113 Sturt Street | 1990 | 198 | theatre | Converted from a brewery built in 1892 |
| Chunky Move Studio | 111 Sturt Street | 2002 | 144 | dance | Part of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art |
| Fairfax Studio | 100 St Kilda Road | 1984 | 376 | theatre | Part of the Theatres Building of the Arts Centre Melbourne |
| Hamer Hall | 100 St Kilda Road | 1982 | 2,466 | live music, comedy, theatre | Part of Arts Centre Melbourne. |
| Hanson Dyer Hall | 43 Sturt Street | 2019 | 400 | live music | Ian Potter Southbank Centre, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music |
| Iwaki Auditorium | 120–130 Southbank Boulevard | 1994 | 350 | live music, events | Part of the ABC's Southbank Centre |
| The Lawler, Southbank Theatre | 140 Southbank Boulevard | 2009 | 150 | theatre | Home of the Melbourne Theatre Company |
| Elisabeth Murdoch Hall | 31 Sturt Street (cnr Southbank Boulevard) | 2009 | 1,000 | live music | Melbourne Recital Centre |
| Merlyn Theatre, Coopers Malthouse | 113 Sturt Street | 1990 | 512 | theatre | Converted from a brewery built in 1892 |
| The Palms at Crown | 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank | 1997 | 800 | live music, comedy, theatre | Casino showroom |
| Primrose Potter Salon | 31 Sturt Street (cnr Southbank Boulevard) | 2009 | 136 | live music | Melbourne Recital Centre |
| Federation Hall | 234 St Kilda Road | | 221 | live music, cinema | Part of the Victorian College of the Arts |
| Playhouse | 100 St Kilda Road | 1984 | 884 | theatre | Part of the Theatres Building of the Arts Centre Melbourne |
| Sidney Myer Music Bowl | Kings Domain, St Kilda Road | 1959 | 2,030 | live music | Lawned area can hold an additional 10,000 patrons |
| State Theatre | 100 St Kilda Road | 1984 | 2,085 | theatre, opera, live music | Part of the Theatres Building of the Arts Centre Melbourne |
| The Sumner, Southbank Theatre | 140 Southbank Boulevard | 2009 | 550 | theatre | Home of the Melbourne Theatre Company |
| Tower Theatre, Coopers Malthouse | 113 Sturt Street | 2005 | 99 | theatre | Converted from a brewery built in 1892 |
| Plenary Hall, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre | 1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf | 2009 | 5541 | theatre, live music | Can be divided into three smaller theatres |

### Independent/fringe

Notable venues for independent or fringe theatre in the Melbourne City Centre.
| Name | Address | Opened | Seats | Use | Notes |
| Athenaeum Theatre 2 | 188 Collins Street | 1979 | | comedy, theatre | Upstairs studio theatre at the Melbourne Athenaeum |
| The Butterfly Club | 5 Carson Place | 1999 | 76 | cabaret, theatre, comedy | |
| fortyfivedownstairs | 45 Flinders Lane | 2002 | 120 | theatre, live music | |

## Inner-Melbourne

| Name | Address | Opened | Seats | Use | Notes |
| Alex Theatre St Kilda | Level 1, 135 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda | 2015 | 499 | theatre, comedy | Theatre 1 with 499 seats and Theatre 2 with 291 seats |
| Brunswick Mechanics Institute | 270 Sydney Road, Brunswick | 1999 | 112 | theatre | |
| Chapel Off Chapel | 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran | 1995 | 255 | theatre | |
| Dancehouse | 150 Princes St, Carlton North | 1992 | 104 | dance | |
| Festival Hall | 300 Dudley Street | 1919 | 1,741 | live music | Up to 5,445 capacity standing |
| Footscray Community Arts Centre | 45 Moreland Street, Footscray | | 174 | theatre, music, events | |
| Gasworks Arts Park | 21 Graham Street, Albert Park | 1992 | 192 | theatre | |
| La Mama Theatre | 205 Faraday Street, Carlton | 1967 | 40 | theatre | |
| La Mama Courthouse | 349 Drummond Street, Carlton | 1987 | 90 | theatre | Former Carlton Courthouse built in 1887 |
| Meat Market | 5 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne | 1880 | | theatre, dance, live art | Part of Arts House |
| Melba Hall | Royal Parade, Parkville | 1913 | 340 | Music | |
| Melba Spiegeltent | 35 Johnston Street, Collingwood | | | circus, cabaret | |
| National Theatre | cnr Barkly & Carlisle Streets, St Kilda | 1972 | 783 | theatre, dance | Originally opened as the Victory Cinema in 1921 |
| Northcote Town Hall | 189 High Street, Northcote | | 350 | theatre | |
| North Melbourne Town Hall | 521 Queensberry Street, North Melbourne | | | theatre, dance, live art | Part of Arts House |
| Palais Theatre | Lower Esplanade, St Kilda | 1927 | 2,896 | theatre, comedy, live music | Largest seated theatre in Australia |
| The Plenary, MCEC | South Wharf | 2009 | 5,540 | live music, dance, events | Also configurations seating 1,482, 1,484 and 2,468 |
| Red Stitch Actors Theatre | Rear, 2 Chapel Street, St Kilda East | | 80 | theatre | |
| Richmond Theatrette | 415 Church Street, Richmond | | 80–120 | theatre | |
| Theatre Works | 14 Acland Street, St Kilda | 1985 | 144 | theatre | |
| Thornbury Theatre | 859 High Street, Thornbury | | | theatre | |
| Trades Hall | 54 Victoria Street, Carlton | | 340 | | |

## Suburban

| Name | Address | Seats | Use | Notes |
| Frankston Arts Centre | 27-37 Davey Street, Frankston | 800 | theatre, events, live music | Houses Victoria's second largest proscenium arch |
| The Bowery Theatre at St Albans Community Centre | Princess Street, St Albans | 202 | theatre, dance, live music, events |
| Clocktower Centre | 750 Mt Alexander Road, Moonee Ponds | 503-545 | theatre, conferences, events | |
| Whitehorse Centre | Rear of, 379-397 Whitehorse Road, Nunawading | 408 | theatre, live music | |
| Karralyka Theatre | Mines Road, Ringwood | 430 | theatre, live music | |
| Darebin Arts and Entertainment Centre | Cnr Bell Street & St Georges Road, Preston | 385 | theatre, events | |
| Wydnham Cultural Centre | 177 Watton Street, Werribee | 477 | theatre, dance, live music | |
| Drum Theatre | Lonsdale Street & Walker Street, Dandenong | 521 | theatre, dance, live music | |
| Plenty Ranges Arts and Convention Centre | 35 Ferres Boulevard, South Morang | 497 | theatre, events | |
| Robert Blackwood Hall | 49 Scenic Boulevard, Clayton | 1598 | live music, events | Part of Monash University's Clayton campus |
| Alexander Theatre | 49 Scenic Boulevard, Clayton | 586 | theatre, live music, dance | |
| George Wood Performing Arts Centre | Yarra Valley Grammar School, Kalinda Road, Ringwood | 895 | live music, events, dance | |
| George Jenkins Theatre | McMahons Road, Frankston | 426 | theatre, dance, conferences | Part of Monash University's Peninsula campus |
| Bunjil Place Theatre | 2 Patrick Northeast Drive, Narre Warren | 846 | theatre, events, live music | |
| Bunjil Place Studio | 2 Patrick Northeast Drive, Narre Warren | 200 | theatre, events | |