Gig guide Melbourne: Fitzroy venue calendars and upcoming shows

Upcoming gigs in Fitzroy

Regular nights

• The Old Bar: live music seven nights a week, DJs until 3am, karaoke on Wednesdays, free arvo shows on weekends.
• Bar Open: free front-bar sets most evenings, 6.30pm to 8.30pm; the Make It Up Club's improvised music every Tuesday at 8pm.
• The Workers Club: pub quiz in the front bar on Tuesdays, the Workers Comedy Club on Wednesdays.

More venues in live music in Fitzroy.

Venue calendars to bookmark

Each of these venues keeps its own gig calendar, and that calendar is always more current than any guide, ours included.

• The Old Bar, 74-76 Johnston Street, Fitzroy. A band room with live music seven nights a week, open 3pm to 3am, free-entry afternoon shows on weekends, DJs late and karaoke on Wednesdays.
• Bar Open, 317 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Free-entry front-bar sets most nights, the Make It Up Club's improvised music on Tuesdays, and ticketed shows upstairs.
• The Workers Club, 51 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. A pub with a band room hosting local and touring acts most nights, plus comedy on Wednesdays.
• The Rainbow Hotel, 27 St David Street, Fitzroy. A backstreet pub known for its beer list and live bands.
• Labour in Vain, 197A Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Live music, a pool table and a rooftop beer garden.
• Tramway Hotel, 165 Rae Street, Fitzroy North. A backstreet corner pub known for independent beers, burgers and music; its gigs are listed on ticketing sites.

Most of these venues post their week's lineup on their websites and social accounts early in the week, and add late shows as they are booked.

Free gigs in Fitzroy

You can see live music in Fitzroy most nights without buying a ticket. Bar Open's front-bar sets are free and start early in the evening, the Old Bar runs free-entry afternoon shows on weekends, and several pubs put on free bands in the front bar on weekends. Free shows fill up quickly on Friday and Saturday nights, so arrive early. Buying a drink or a meal is how these shows are paid for, and a tip for the band, or buying a record or a shirt at the merch table, goes straight to the musicians.

How to find gigs across Melbourne

This page covers Fitzroy and the inner north on purpose. For a city-wide gig guide in Melbourne, combine a few sources:

1. Venue calendars for the rooms you like, checked weekly.
2. Ticketing sites, which list every ticketed show at the venues that use them. Search by venue or by suburb.
3. Artists' own pages, where bands announce tours first, often with presale codes for their mailing list.
4. Community radio, where Melbourne's music stations read out and publish gig guides.
5. Street press and music websites, which run weekly gig listings and previews.

Following a venue or a band is the most reliable way to hear about a show before it sells out.

Buying tickets

Buy tickets through the link on the venue's or the artist's own website, so you know you are on the official seller. Be careful with tickets offered on social media or by strangers after a show sells out: fake and duplicate tickets are common, and you may have no way to get your money back. Many small venues sell some tickets at the door, but popular shows can sell out in advance. Read the listing for the age limit, the door time and the set times.

Ages, doors and set times

Most pub band rooms in Fitzroy are 18 and over, because they are licensed venues; some run occasional all-ages shows, which the listing will say. Door time is when the room opens, not when the headline act starts, and support acts usually play first. Headliners at pub venues often go on late, so check the set times if you need to catch a last tram.

Getting there and home

Brunswick Street is on tram route 11 and Smith Street on route 86, both running to the city; Nicholson Street is on route 96. Check the Public Transport Victoria journey planner for late services, and plan your trip home before the show.

Looking after your ears

Small band rooms are loud. A pair of musician's earplugs costs little, lets you hear the music clearly, and protects your hearing over years of gigs. Stand away from the speaker stacks, and take a break in the front bar if your ears ring.

For musicians: getting a gig in Fitzroy

Fitzroy's rooms book local acts as well as touring ones, and many bands play their first shows in a front bar. Each venue has its own booking contact, usually listed on its website. Send a short email with your band's name, the style of music, links to a few recordings and a live video, how many people you can realistically bring, and the dates you want. Start with a free front-bar slot or a support spot, bring a crowd, and be on time for load-in. Venues remember bands that draw people and finish on time.

A gig night in Fitzroy, planned

A good Fitzroy gig night starts early. Eat on Brunswick Street or Johnston Street, catch a free front-bar set at Bar Open from the early evening, then head to the ticketed show you came for at the Old Bar or the Workers Club. Check the set times before you go, so you are in the room for the band you want to see, and keep an eye on the last tram if you are heading out of the inner north.

Why this gig guide stays small

City-wide gig guides list hundreds of shows and go stale fast. This one lists only the Fitzroy and inner north rooms we check, from their own calendars, with the date we read them. A smaller list that is right beats a long one that sends you to a cancelled show.

Common questions