Is parking available?
Yes. Arts Centre Melbourne has its own 850 space undercover carpark. The entry is accessible via Sturt and Kavanagh Streets, just off Southbank Boulevard. The car park fills up quickly on performance evenings, so make sure you arrive early. Our car park is open 24 hours.
More information on parking including prices
Other parking alternatives in the area include The Australian Ballet car park, located across the road from Arts Centre Melbourne. The entrance is located on Kavanagh St Southbank.
A large car park also operates at Eureka Tower in Southbank.
What is the cost of parking at Arts Centre Melbourne
Do you have valet parking?
Yes. Our valet parking service is a convenient, economical way of arriving in style. Bookings must be made by calling the car park on (03) 9281 8012.
Arts Centre Melbourne Valet Parking is open to take bookings 24 hours, 7 days per week. Please leave a message with your booking details; you will only be called back if your booking cannot be fulfilled.
We recommend that you book your valet parking at least 24 hours in advance.
Can I reserve a parking space?
Only valet parking can be pre-booked. Bookings must be made by calling the car park on (03) 9281 8012.
Can I book my parking at Arts Centre Melbourne when I buy a ticket?
At this time, only Valet Parking is available to pre-purchase. Please contact (03) 9281 8012 or if purchasing tickets through Arts Centre Melbourne telephone booking line, please ask our Customer Ticketing Agent to transfer you at the end of the call.
How do I book accessible seating?
Accessible seating is available for wheelchair users and their companions, in all Arts Centre Melbourne venues. You can book accessibility seating in person at Arts Centre Melbourne Box Office or via the telephone booking line 1300 182 183.
Wheelchairs can be booked through the Concierge. Please call 9281 8298 if you require assistance.
What access and parking is available for people with disabilities?
Our car park has several accessible spaces. These cannot be reserved so, although we have plenty of spaces, it's best to arrive early. There are a very small number of spaces reserved at Hamer Hall for those with a Disability pass. To reserve one, call (03) 9281 8248 from 8am, three days prior to the event.
To obtain further assistance during your visit, let us know you're coming on (03) 9281 8000.
What other services are available to assist visual or hearing impaired visitors?
If you experience difficulty hearing, assisted listening devices are available for use in all seats of Arts Centre Melbourne venues, as well as for Guided Tours and meetings. The units are available free of charge from venue staff, and either use standard headphones or connect with your hearing aid via a neck loop.
Vision Australia provides Audio Description and Tactile Tours of selected performances. For details, visit Vision Australia or contact Janene Morrison Sadhu (03) 9864 9384, Tuesdays to Thursdays, for details.
Braille is used in the lifts, as well as other areas of Arts Centre Melbourne. Other services including Captioning, Tactile Tours and AUSLAN interpretation are available for selected performances. Please enquire when making your booking.
Companion Card
The Companion Card has been developed by the Victorian Network on Recreation and Disability (VICNORD) and admits carers to shows as complimentary guests. Arts Centre Melbourne welcomes holders of this card to attend the many events on offer.
I have another question regarding accessibility
If your questions are not answered above please contact Arts Centre Melbourne's Access Manager on 03 9281 8503.
How do I find out what’s on at Arts Centre Melbourne?
View the What's On section of our website to search Arts Centre Melbourne's events, by date, keyword or genre. To stay informed of future events and special offers subscribe to eNews, our regular email updates.
Does the show start right on the advertised time?
Yes, unlike the cinema, shows begin at the advertised time and we recommend arriving at the venue no later than 15 minutes prior to the advertised start time to ensure you have time to get to your seats. Latecomers will only be admitted to the venue during a suitable break in the performance.
How do I find out the running time of an event, or if the event has an interval?
Running times and interval information for each performance is published online on the event details page (see What's On section); this information is subject to change and is often not available until full schedules have been confirmed which may be after tickets have been released for sale.
What is the difference between a preview and a normal show in the season?
Previews take place prior to the official opening night and prior to press reviews being published.
Please Note: Whilst extremely rare, directors reserve the right to stop a preview performance if absolutely required.
Can I get casting details for a performance?
Casting information is published online where known, but is subject to change.
How do I know if I’m seeing an understudy?
All companies make every effort to go on with their advertised cast. However, for many reasons, a cast member may occasionally be unable to perform. In most such cases, the cast change will either be announced prior to the commencement of the performance, or will be indicated by cast notices either slipped into programs or distributed at the venue doors.
Do you have a dress code?
No, whatever you feel comfortable in is fine.
How early should I get there?
Many shows at Arts Centre Melbourne sell-out, so on a busy night there can be as many as 5000 people in the Centre. Be sure to allow enough time to find parking, collect your tickets, cloak your larger items, make your way to the venue, buy a program, order your interval drinks and find your seat.
As a rough guide, try to be at the venue at least half an hour before the advertised starting time. It’s better to be too early and still have time for a drink, than to be late and be locked out of the theatre.
What happens if I’m late for the show?
Due to the nature of live entertainment, trying to find your way to your seat once a show has started can seriously disrupt both the audience and the performers on stage.
Most performances have a lockout which restricts anybody from entering the auditorium until a suitable break in the performance. For some productions the lockout can be until interval; for others, the entire show.
The best advice: arrive early.
Can I use my phone in the theatre?
While you’re welcome to keep your phone with you, it is a requirement of your entry into the theatres that you turn your mobile off completely.
Switching a phone to silent may eliminate sound issues, but the radio frequencies used by your network are the same as those used by our technical equipment, so any phone left on may cause serious problems within the performance.
Can I take photos of the performance?
No, you cannot. All shows you see at Arts Centre Melbourne are protected by copyright laws and taking unauthorised still photos, video and audio recordings is a violation of these.
Also, a single flash from the auditorium can be enough to seriously distract a performer which can cause major safety issues.
Can I bring food and drinks into the theatre?
Many productions at Arts Centre Melbourne, including all Melbourne Symphony Orchestra performances, allow you to bring cold drinks into the theatre with you. Be sure to get a plastic cup from the bar before making your way inside.
If in doubt, ask one of our staff.
When do I clap?
While it sounds like a basic concept - you clap at the end of a show or the end of a song - you might wonder why some people clap when they do and whether you should join them.
During an opera, people tend to applaud at the end of a scene (when the curtain comes down), or at the end of an impressive aria.
In dance, the applause is more frequent with many audience members choosing to applaud impressive choreography while it’s being performed. Often, a particular dancer might receive a small round of applause when they first enter the stage.
Symphonies are perhaps the trickiest. A piece will seem to have ended, and yet the audience sits quietly. Most pieces are made up of several ‘movements’, in between which the orchestra will wait for a few moments. It’s customary not to applaud until the end of the final movement. If you’re concerned, just follow everybody else's lead.
Musicals, on the other hand, are likely to leave your hands sore. As well as clapping after each song and at the end of each act, a well-regarded performer might receive applause when they first enter, as might an impressive dance routine or special effect in the middle of a song or scene. The band or orchestra might also be worthy of your applause after the overture or a big musical moment.
Applause is what performers live off and is never unappreciated, so applaud whenever you feel like you should. If you’re worried however, just wait until everybody else claps.
Why can’t I talk to my partner during the show?
To you, it might be a few whispered words. To the person beside, in front or behind you, it’s a major distraction from what’s happening on the stage.
Our venues are designed with perfect acoustics so you can hear every word that comes out of the actors' mouth. Unfortunately, this means that in most cases they can hear every word that comes out of yours. You'd be surprised how obvious even a whisper in the auditorium is to a performer.
What do I do with my bags and umbrella?
Keeping large items with you in the theatre can create enormous problems for anybody trying to get past you on their way to or from their seat. In the dark, this can be a serious safety hazard. We require you to cloak anything bigger than a large handbag. If in doubt, cloak it.
Cloak rooms are available in both the Theatres building and Hamer Hall and are a free service.
I came to the theatre and I lost something. Who do I call?
Call our Safety and Security department, available 24 hours a day, on (03) 9281 8316.
Can I hire opera glasses from the theatre?
Arts Centre Melbourne does not provide the facilities to hire opera glasses but we do sell them at the Information Desk on the ground floor.
Many regular theatre-goers own a pair of these small binoculars, to get a closer look at the intricate work on the costumes or the set, or to watch the performers more closely.
What can I bring into the Sidney Myer Music Bowl?
Items permitted in the Bowl change from event to event. Make sure you check the Conditions of Entry for your event.
Certain things, however, are never allowed into the venue. Breakable drinking glasses, elevated seating, hard-sided hampers, coolers and eskies, weapons and dangerous items, domestic animals and items which could impede other people's enjoyment are not permitted, and will be taken by staff before you enter the venue.
To check the conditions of entry view the more information about the event from the What's On section.
What happens if it rains on a Sidney Myer Music Bowl performance night?
Performances at the Bowl generally proceed regardless of the weather. These events carry a 'Proceed rain or shine' policy (as indicated on your ticket). If you hold lawn tickets, remember to bring your protective gear and to dress warmly.
Check the terms and conditions of entry for more information.
I want an autograph after the show. Where do I wait?
Most performers are completely drained after a show and look forward to resting at home. If you've enjoyed a show so much, you really want to catch a glimpse of the performer, then Stage Door is the place to go.
With multiple exits to all Arts Centre Melbourne buildings, however, there's no guarantee they'll cross your path.
Can I buy a program or merchandise?
Many performances have souvenir programs for sale, which can be purchased from staff in the foyers or in the auditorium. Program sellers take cash only, although most programs can be purchased from the Information Desk on the ground level using credit cards or EFTPOS.
Certain shows, including musicals, operas and many concerts, have additional merchandise on sale in the foyer areas, such as CDs, DVDs, T-shirts, etc.
Where can I eat before the show?
Cento Espresso situation in the front forecourt serves some for Melbourne’s best coffee and other hot/cold drinks with a light snack prior to or after the show open from 7am until late every day. More about Cento Espresso
Curve Bar offers a range of stylish small platters beautifully matched with an excellent wine list and diverse cocktail menu pre or post show open from 4:00pm until late every day, a perfect complement to any show. More about Curve Bar
Café Vic, located on the ground floor of the Theatres Building is available for morning coffee, light lunch, afternoon tea, pre and post show dining.
Open: Monday to Saturday 10.30am to late
Sunday 11.00am to post show. More about Café Vic
Bar Mezz - hidden on the stairs that lead from ground floor to State Theatre, offers a selection of delicious tapas style dishes, inspired by flavours of the Mediterranean and served with our cocktail of the day or a glass of premium wine. More about Bar Mezz
Allegro can be found on Smorgan Plaza near the car park entrance and serves a selection of vibrant salads, mini hot items, delightful rolls and mouth watering sweet treats, complemented by a selection of Australian wines
Open one hour prior to performances in the Theatres Building. More about Allegro
Foyer Bars are a feature every theatre, whether you are in the State, Playhouse or Fairfax Studio you will find a great selection of Yering Station wines, tasty snacks or just a coffee. The bars open one hour prior to performance, so why not arrive early and pre-order your drinks for interval to avoid the queues.
Open one hour prior to performance in State Theatre. More about Foyer Bars
What can I do at Arts Centre Melbourne, other than see a show?
Heaps. While most people think of Arts Centre Melbourne as a place that only comes alive at night, the truth is there’s always something going on. Our gallery spaces, with exhibitions as varied as the history of circus, art inspired by jazz, and the hit Kylie exhibition, are open every day until late.
For a unique insight into one of Melbourne's iconic buildings, take a Guided Tour. Front of House tours take you through the foyers and into the auditoriums (where available) and explain the history, design and function of the buildings, as well as explaining the significance of the artwork that fills the walls of our foyers. They run Monday to Saturday at 11am (including public holidays).
For a completely different look at the centre, the Sunday Backstage tour, which leaves at 12.15pm, takes you behind the scenes to see the very different world that the actors and crews inhabit. Check out a dressing room, step onto a stage or wander through the orchestra pit.
If you're turning up in a group, why not make it a private tour? Your personal guide will cater the tour to what you want to see, and you can make it any time you want. And don’t forget, there’s plenty of places to grab a bite to eat or a drink!
More information on guided tours
For students or kids, there's the Alfred Brash SoundHouse, a state-of-the-art facility that specialises in teaching the latest in music and video technology. SoundHouse Birthday Parties are a great way of doing something fun, intelligent and completely different for a group of kids, with the guest of honour taking home a CD of their very own original composition.
Add our cafés, bars and restaurants and it makes Arts Centre Melbourne much more than a 'building with theatres in it'.
What if there’s an emergency?
All levels of each venue at Arts Centre Melbourne feature multiple exits. In the event of an emergency, follow the advice of staff and walk to your nearest exit.
Can I bring my children?
There are no age restrictions for entry to most shows at Arts Centre Melbourne, with the exception of a few over-18 shows at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. However, unless the show is a 'Designated Children's Performance', everyone in the auditorium must have a ticket, including a baby on your lap.
Wherever possible, we name a family show a 'Designated Children's Performances', in which any child one year or younger may join their family without a ticket, providing they don’t take up their own seat.
If you want to check whether a particular show is a Designated Children's Performance, call 1300 182 183.
Do you have booster seat cushions available for children?
No, we don’t supply them.
When you’re young, there's nothing worse than not being able to see something that everyone else can. While we don't supply them, we do let children sit on cushions in our theatres. Just make sure that while you're boosting, you're not obstructing the view of the person behind you.
Do you have baby-change facilities?
Yes, we provide full changing facilities. Just ask one of our staff to direct you.