It is mandatory for every Victorian business to have a COVIDSafe Plan for each worksite. The Arts Centre Melbourne COVIDSafe & Wellbeing Plan outlines the COVID-19 safety precautions we have in place throughout the opening up of our venues and facilities. This will ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone who visits us, including our customers, presenters, hirers and team members.
We can’t wait to welcome you to Arts Centre Melbourne again. However your time with us will look and feel different. We want to you be confident that we have your safety and wellbeing in mind every step of the way, so below we have detailed what you can expect when visiting us.
Regular cleaning
Physical distancing and signage
Hand hygiene
Cashless venue
Mask wearing
Contact tracing
In line with our standard conditions of entry, we will implement additional health and safety measures to ensure your safety and wellbeing. Please note that these additional conditions of entry apply to everyone attending all areas of our site (indoor and outdoor) and are subject to change without notice at the discretion of Arts Centre Melbourne.
We ask that you and each member of your booking party make a reasonable assessment of your health status before attending our venue or the event. If you or someone you have been in contact with are displaying symptoms of COVID-19 please contact us at tickets@artscentremelbourne.com.au to request a refund.
If you have the following symptoms, however mild, you must not enter our site: fever, chills or sweats, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, and loss of sense of smell or taste.
If you are concerned about your symptoms, please contact your doctor or the Victorian Government’s 24/7 Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398 for advice on testing. Get tested and quarantine at home until you receive your test results.
If you start to feel unwell while visiting us at Arts Centre Melbourne, you should advise a member of our team and then leave site immediately. If you find at a later date you have tested positive for COVID-19 please call our Safety and Security team on 9281 8316, who will treat your call with strict confidence.
Arts Centre Melbourne is opening up under a safe and stepped program.
Our outdoor café Protagonist, The Barre bar and eatery and Sunday Market are now open. The Australian Music Vault exhibition is open and remains free for all visitors.
The Live at the Bowl festival is now on the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Learn about the festival COVIDSafe measures.
Select events are now performing on stage in the Theatres Building (under the Spire) and Hamer Hall. Please see our homepage for details. Entry to all venues is limited to valid ticketholders only.
Building access will not be available as a public thoroughfare to the surrounding Melbourne Arts Precinct or our car park. Access is limited to valid ticketholders only.
Toilets will be accessible on Level 6 (St Kilda Road level) from the exterior of the building.
Car park access is via the stairs near the fountain where NGV meets St Kilda Road. Car park access for people who cannot use stairs is via Southbank Boulevard or by calling Arts Centre Melbourne Security on 9281 8316.
Yes. QR code registration via a mobile device is required for all guests on arrival. We encourage you to download the Service Victoria app prior to your visit to ensure a faster check-in time.
For safety and convenience, our car park is now a cash-free facility. Please ensure you have a valid credit or debit card to pay for your parking. We also offer contactless payment and access to the Car park. Download the Ubipark app for convenient and contactless access to our car park via your mobile phone.
Parking is available on the lower level only, with entry from Sturt Street. All cars exit the Arts Centre Melbourne car park onto Southbank Boulevard and must turn left. The exit onto Sturt Street is currently closed.
Valet Parking is not currently available.
Cloakroom services are currently unavailable. Please note only items smaller than A4 size will be permitted inside the venue.
Hamer Hall foyer bars are now open for beverage service before all performances, however will be closed during intervals.
The Playhouse and Fairfax Studio foyer bars are open, alongside Allegro bar in the Smorgon Plaza – serving up a new light food menu.
Our outdoor café Protagonist will be open before events, but no open food or drink will be permitted into the Theatres Building (under the Spire) or into Hamer Hall. Personal water bottles will be permitted inside the venue and filtered tap water will be available for self-service at the foyer bars.
Please note Arts Centre Melbourne is a cashless venue accepting credit or debit card payments.
Due to current government guidelines, our Box Offices are only open pre-show. The Theatres Building Box Office opens 90 minutes before the show and the Hamer Hall Box Office opens 45 minutes before a show. You can buy your tickets on our website (www.artscentremelbourne.com.au) or contact us on 1300 182 183.
Our website is the quickest and easiest way to secure tickets for all events. Paperless mobile tickets will be emailed to your inbox to access straight from your mobile device, to be scanned upon entry at your event or performance.
Our Contact Centre (1300 182 183) is also available. Anyone calling will be placed in a queue for the next available customer service team member.
Arts Centre Melbourne is now cashless, so when we are able to reopen, we will only accept credit or debit cards or Arts Centre Melbourne gift vouchers for in-person sales.
When you purchase your tickets from Arts Centre Melbourne, our Terms & Conditions of Purchase will include accepting compliance with what is expected of you under this plan.
Restrictions and specific requirements in response to COVID-19 may change between the time you secure tickets and the time you attend. If you have purchased tickets through Arts Centre Melbourne we will email you with the most current information about your visit a few days prior to your event date. Current information is also always available in this section of our website.
Due to current government guidelines, our Box Offices are only open pre-show. The Theatres Building Box Office opens 90 minutes before the show and the Hamer Hall Box Office opens 45 minutes before a show.
Live at the Bowl events
The capacity of Live at the Bowl events at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl has been reduced to 25% as part of our COVIDSafe protocols. When attending a performance at the Bowl, patrons can select from three different seating types: Balcony seats (1 – 2 people), Stalls tables (2 – 4 people) and Private decks (4 – 6 people). Each of these seating types is a minimum of 1.5 meters apart from one another.
Theatres Building (under the Spire) and Hamer Hall
Venues are currently operating at up to 100% capacity under an approved COVIDSafe Plan. Under this plan you may be seated next to other patrons and distancing might not be possible. This applies to performances in the Fairfax Studio, Playhouse and State Theatre as well as Hamer Hall.
For these reasons it is strongly recommended that face masks are worn indoors at all times, including during the performance.
We are not currently offering our usual tixatsix offering.
We’re opening up our venues in accordance with current Victorian COVIDSafe guidelines and our own health and safety assessments of our individual venues.
This means that capacity in each venue is limited, and not all seats are available for purchase.
For these reasons it’s a requirement that face masks are worn indoors at Arts Centre Melbourne at all times, even during the performance. We do understand that some people have lawful exemptions for wearing masks and will respect this. Children under the age of 12 will also not be required to wear a face mask.
Events currently on sale at Arts Centre Melbourne are being sold according to current Victorian COVIDSafe guidelines. Changes to restrictions may result in changes to seating configurations in our venues. Should this happen, unfortunately we are unable to accommodate requests to change seating.
Purchasing a ticket early can give you the greatest chance of not being affected by any tightening of restrictions. In the event that our allowable capacity reduces, Arts Centre Melbourne will cancel and refund affected tickets. Affected ticketing holders will be contacted directly by our team.
All ticket holders will be contacted directly and notified if there are any changes to their upcoming shows.
Yes. Tickets for performances purchased through an authorised outlet will be fully refunded, including fees. For more information, visit Affected Performances.
If you, or someone you have been in contact with, are displaying symptoms of COVID-19 please contact us at tickets@artscentremelbourne.com.au to request a refund. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, chills or sweats, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose or loss of sense of smell.
We are working tirelessly to reschedule as many performances as possible. For more information, visit Affected Performances.
Our website provides the most up-to-date information about our reopening, upcoming shows and digital offerings. You can also follow Arts Centre Melbourne on Facebook and subscribe to our eNewsletter for timely updates.
All tours, parking and food and beverage bookings during the closure will be refunded automatically in line with how we process performance ticket refunds. You do not need to contact us for these refunds to be processed. Our car park is still open for standard parking, but Valet Parking will not be available.
Performing arts workers across the state are experiencing the immediate and devastating impact of event cancellations and venue closures due to COVID-19. We encourage you to help bring live performance back to our stages and kick-start Victoria’s creative recovery by donating to the Arts Centre Melbourne Recovery Fund. Alternatively, you may wish to consider these other tax-deductible charities that focus on the performing arts.
For ticketing enquiries, email tickets@artscentremelbourne.com.au
For membership enquiries, email membership@artscentremelbourne.com.au
For all other enquiries, email talkto@artscentremelbourne.com.au
We are working to be as responsive as possible during this busy time. We thank you for your patience and understanding.
Arts Centre Melbourne COVIDSafe & Wellbeing Guide
