Live music Fitzroy: the band rooms and pubs with gigs
Fitzroy has one of Melbourne's densest runs of band rooms, from the Old Bar's seven nights a week to the free front-bar sets at Bar Open. For current venue calendars and saved upcoming shows, see the gig guide.
Live music Fitzroy: the venues on one map
Seven places to see live music in Fitzroy and Fitzroy North, from dedicated band rooms to corner pubs with a stage in the front bar. Each was checked against the venue's own website; set times and ticket prices change, so follow the venue link before you head out.
The Old Bar
Live music seven nights a week, open 3pm to 3am, with free-entry arvo shows on weekends, DJs late, karaoke on Wednesdays and a gallery upstairs.
74-76 Johnston Street, Fitzroy · Venue site · Checked 3 October 2026
Bar Open
A Brunswick Street band room with free-entry front-bar sets most nights, the Make It Up Club's improvised music every Tuesday, and a daily happy hour.
317 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy · Venue site · Checked 3 October 2026
The Workers Club
A front bar with rock-solid pub food and a band room hosting local and touring acts most nights, plus a Tuesday front-bar pub quiz and a Wednesday comedy club.
51 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy · Venue site · Checked 3 October 2026
Labour in Vain
A Brunswick Street pub with live music, one of the few pool tables left in Fitzroy, and a covered rooftop beer garden with city views, heated in winter and misted in summer. No kitchen: you are welcome to order in.
197A Brunswick Street, Fitzroy · Venue site · Checked 3 October 2026
The Rainbow Hotel
Established in 1869, the Rainbow is a backstreet pub known for its beer selection, kitchen and live bands.
27 St David Street, Fitzroy · Venue site · Checked 3 October 2026
Tramway Hotel
A backstreet corner pub first licensed in 1873 and revived in 2011, known for independent beers, burgers and music. Gigs are listed on ticketing sites through 2026.
165 Rae Street, Fitzroy North · Venue site · Checked 3 October 2026
Railway Hotel
A 1970s-flavoured neighbourhood pub run for more than 20 years by the Negrelli family and now by the Corner Group (3AW's pub of the week, 2024). Italian-leaning pub food, a vine-covered beer garden, no pokies and no TAB, and gigs announced through its newsletter.
800 Nicholson Street, Fitzroy North · Venue site · Checked 3 October 2026
Band rooms and pub gigs: what to expect
Band rooms. The Old Bar and the Workers Club have proper band rooms with a stage, a PA and a door charge on most nights. Expect three or four acts, with the headliner on last, often after 10pm. Tickets are usually sold online through the venue's own site, with some on the door if the show has not sold out.
Front-bar sets. Bar Open and several of the pubs put bands, solo acts and jazz on in the front bar, often for free. These suit a drink with friends where the music is part of the night rather than the reason for it.
Sunday sessions. Afternoon shows are a Fitzroy habit: free or cheap sets on Sunday afternoon that finish early enough for work on Monday.
Open mics and jam nights. Some venues run open mic or jam nights where anyone can sign up to play. They are a good way to hear local players and, if you play yourself, to get on a stage.
Free live music in Fitzroy
Free entry is common in the front bars and on weekend afternoons. Bar Open's front-bar sets and the Old Bar's weekend arvo shows are often free. When a show is free, buy a drink, tip the band if there is a jar, and follow them online; that is how small acts keep playing small rooms.
Tickets, door charges and set times
Band room shows usually list a door time, when the venue opens the room, and set times for each act, which are often posted on the day. If you only want to see one band, check the set times on the venue's social media before you leave home. Booking fees vary; buying through the venue's own ticket link is usually cheapest. Some gigs sell out, especially album launches and touring acts, so buy early for anything you do not want to miss.
Fitzroy and Melbourne's live music scene
Fitzroy and its neighbours in the inner north, Collingwood, Brunswick and Northcote, have long been a centre of Melbourne's live music, with band rooms in old pubs along Brunswick, Johnston and Smith streets. Victoria's planning rules recognise that history: the agent of change principle in the state's planning scheme puts the responsibility for noise protection on whoever arrives second. A new apartment block built next to an existing live music venue has to deal with the noise, rather than the venue having to turn the music down. Planning Victoria's practice note on live music and entertainment noise, in the sources, explains how it works.
The Old Fitzroy is in Sydney
People searching for live music in Fitzroy sometimes mean the Old Fitz Theatre, but it is a pub theatre in the basement of the Old Fitzroy Hotel in Woolloomooloo, Sydney, not a Melbourne venue. If you are in Melbourne's Fitzroy, the venues on this page are the ones to look at.
A night out, by budget
Free. A front-bar set at Bar Open, then a free Sunday arvo show at the Old Bar.
One ticket. Pick one band room gig, eat at a pub nearby beforehand and walk between the two.
A big night. A ticketed show at the Workers Club or the Old Bar, then a DJ set at the Old Bar, which stays open until 3am.
Getting home after a gig
Brunswick Street is served by tram route 11, Nicholson Street by route 96, and Smith Street by route 86. On Friday and Saturday nights, Night Network services run on some tram routes; check the Transport Victoria journey planner for the night you are going. Rideshare pick-ups are easiest on the side streets rather than in the middle of Brunswick Street on a busy night.
How we chose these venues
We included venues in Fitzroy and Fitzroy North that put on live music regularly, checked against each venue's own website. We list what each one puts on, not every gig: for dates, see the gig guide Melbourne page, which links to current venue calendars. We do not take payment for inclusion.
What to do in Fitzroy at night
Start with a free front-bar set at Bar Open early in the evening, catch a band at the Old Bar or the Workers Club, and finish with a DJ at the Old Bar, which stays open until 3am. On a Sunday afternoon, the free arvo shows at the Old Bar and the jazz in Bar Open's front bar are an easy way in.
Common questions
Where can I see live music in Fitzroy tonight?
The Old Bar has live music seven nights a week; Bar Open and the Workers Club have gigs most nights. The gig guide links to current venue calendars and lists any future shows remaining in our saved listings.
Are there free gigs in Fitzroy?
Yes: Bar Open's front-bar sets and the Old Bar's weekend arvo shows are often free entry.
Is the Old Fitzroy Theatre in Melbourne?
No. The Old Fitz Theatre is in the Old Fitzroy Hotel in Woolloomooloo, Sydney.
Which Fitzroy venue stays open latest?
Of the venues on this page, the Old Bar lists the latest close, at 3am.