Sidney Myer Music Bowl: What to Know Before You Go
Everything you need to know before your next concert under the stars
I’ve been to enough concerts at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl over the years that I really should know it back to front by now. And yet every single time, I find myself standing in the bar queue or hunting for a decent lawn spot, thinking “why didn’t I remember this from last time?”
So this time, I’ve actually written it all down. The Bowl has been one of Melbourne’s great outdoor stages since 1959, hosting everyone from the MSO’s summer series to Carols by Candlelight and major international touring artists. It’s a wonderful night out, but it’s also a different kind of venue to Melbourne’s indoor concert halls, with its own quirks worth knowing before you go. Consider this the list I wish I’d had years ago.
Related reading: Music Concerts in Melbourne: Venues & Where to Find What’s On
Sidney Myer Music Bowl: About the Venue
Set in the gardens of Kings Domain, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl is an open-air amphitheatre with two main seating options: tiered stalls seating closer to the stage, and a sloping lawn further back where many people bring a picnic blanket or low chair. As an outdoor venue, performances go ahead rain or shine, so it’s worth checking the forecast and dressing for the weather rather than hoping for the best.
Insider tips for your visit
The bar queue is famous, in a not-entirely-good way. The bar itself is large, but the line can stretch impressively far. It does move at a steady pace, and you’re allowed to buy up to four drinks at a time, so it’s well worth ordering for the whole group in one trip rather than queuing twice. Budget more time than you’d expect, and don’t be surprised if the person next to you mentions the queue too. It seems to be a running joke among regulars.
Bring a card, not cash. The whole venue is strictly cashless.
The food trucks are a highlight. Expect a good spread, from souvlaki and burgers to tacos and pizza, with menus generally available online if you’d like to plan ahead.
The toilets are in a permanent building, not portaloos, which makes for a far more comfortable evening than some other outdoor venues in Melbourne.
For general admission, head away from the entrance, not towards it. Most people settle in near the gate they walked through, so the far side of the lawn tends to have more space and a better pick of spots. You’ll just be viewing the stage from the opposite angle.
A low chair is fine for general admission, and you’re welcome to bring your own food and non-alcoholic drinks in a soft-sided bag or cooler. Glass, alcohol, hard-sided eskies and sharp knives aren’t permitted.
Pack a poncho, or buy one at the bar. Shows go ahead in just about any weather short of genuinely dangerous conditions. If you get caught out, rain ponchos are available at the bar for $5.
Bring your own water bottle. Free refillable water stations are available around the venue, so a reusable bottle (no glass, and emptied before you go through the gate) saves you a $5 and a trip to the bar. Another tip, if you do forget a water bottle, is to ask for an empty cup with your drink, and fill that with water from the tap.
A Bit of History
The Bowl has been part of Melbourne’s story since 1959, when it was officially opened by Prime Minister Robert Menzies in front of a crowd of 30,000 people. It was a gift to the city from businessman and philanthropist Sidney Myer, who’d been inspired by a visit to the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and wanted Melbourne to have something similar. Myer, a violinist himself, had already been running free open-air concerts with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 1929, and the Bowl gave that tradition a permanent home.
It didn’t take long for the venue to make history. Later that same month in 1959, over 70,000 people turned up to hear the American evangelist Billy Graham speak, and in 1967, an estimated 200,000 people attended The Seekers’ homecoming concert, still recognised as the largest concert attendance ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.
Since then, the stage has hosted a genuinely remarkable list of performers, from The Seekers, AC/DC, Paul McCartney, Neil Diamond and Metallica to Florence and the Machine and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. If you were around for Paul McCartney’s Wings tour in 1975, you saw something properly special. Those two shows at the Bowl were McCartney’s only Australian performances on that tour, and he didn’t return to Australian shores again until 1993.
The Bowl has had its quieter, stranger moments too — there was even the odd ice skating event held there over the years. It’s now listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, recognised for its cultural importance and as the largest purpose-built outdoor performance venue in Australia, with its distinctive lightweight roof held up entirely by steel cable tension rather than traditional supports.
And of course, for many Melburnians, the Bowl means one thing above all else: Carols by Candlelight has been held there every Christmas Eve since the venue opened in 1959.
Accessibility at Sydney Myer Music Bowl
This is one venue where it’s worth doing a little extra planning if mobility is a concern, more so than most of Melbourne’s indoor concert venues.
- Wheelchair accessible seating is available in the rear of the stalls (Accessible Viewing Platforms) and in the Balcony areas, bookable through Ticketek’s Accessible Seating line or by calling Arts Centre Melbourne directly on 1300 182 183.
- The path from Linlithgow Avenue to the main entrance (Gate 1) is a gravel incline, and the pathway down to the seated stalls has a noticeable 1:5 gradient. There are no tactile ground surface indicators before steps in the Stalls, so extra care is worth taking if you have low vision.
- A golf buggy service is available from venue staff to help with the walk from Linlithgow Avenue to the entrance, though it can’t be pre-booked. Look for staff in orange hi-vis near the base of the Gate 1 path.
- Hearing loop and assistive listening devices are available free of charge at Gate 1.
- Companion Card accepted.
- Accessible toilets are located in the Balconies and at the rear of the Stalls near the Food Truck area. A Changing Places facility (for those needing extra space and equipment) is available a short walk away on Level 3 of Hamer Hall.
- First Aid is stationed between the merchandise stand and the food trucks behind the lawn, with mobile first aid staff also roaming the venue during events.
If steep or uneven paths are a concern, it’s worth booking a reserved seat rather than relying on general lawn access, and reaching out to Arts Centre Melbourne on 1300 182 183 if you have any questions about the path or what to expect on the day. The golf buggy itself is available on arrival only, so just look for staff in orange hi-vis near the base of the Gate 1 path if you need it.
Getting there
- Public transport: The closest train station is Flinders Street, with a walk through the gardens from there. The nearest wheelchair-accessible tram stop is Arts Precinct/St Kilda Road.
- Driving: Street parking on Linlithgow Avenue is very limited, including four 4-hour accessible parking spaces near Gate 1 on a first-come basis. The Arts Centre Melbourne car park is a better bet for most visitors, roughly a 10-minute walk from the entrance.
- Drop-off zone: No formal drop-off point, though there’s a small kerb cut on Linlithgow Avenue near the Gate 1 path suitable for a quick stop. For accurate GPS directions, use 21 Linlithgow Avenue, Melbourne.
21 Linlithgow Ave, Melbourne VIC 3000
For Box Office enquiries, please contact Ticketek on 1300 130 300.
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