Overview
After the hard fought battle and eventual closure of the Palace in May, Melbourne has been crying out for a replacement venue. Thankfully, Melbourne music fans could have a solution to this problem sooner than anticipated. The Melbourne Pavilion in Flemington will undergo a major refit and find new life under the name Pavilion Live.
While Melbourne has plenty of top notch smaller venues, bandrooms and bars in the CBD, the need for larger venues for touring international and prominent Australian musicians is undeniable. "Melbourne is well served by a brilliant collection of well-operated small venues and venues of the 900-1500 capacity," says spokesperson for the Pavilion Live, Andrew Watt. "But there is a definite need for a venue that is the next step up from there – a venue that is large enough to accommodate national level touring bands but still offers a more intimate experience than a stadium-type venue."
Patrick Donovan, CEO of Music Victoria, also sees the Pavilion Live as a necessity. "While Melbourne has a rich tradition of live music venues we cannot afford to take that for granted," he says. "It’s great news when a venue decides to open its doors to live music — especially one the size of Melbourne Pavilion, which will fill a gaping hole left by the closure of the much loved Palace. I’m sure the industry and Melbourne’s legions of music lovers will embrace the venue with open arms."
The Melbourne Pavilion is a heritage-listed art-deco building currently used for weddings and corporate events, with a capacity of up to 1500. The owners are looking to increase the capacity to 2250, hoping to relaunch the venue as Pavilion Live by the end of September. The first bands to be booked to play the revamped venue could be as early as late October, with the first shows likely to begin early 2015.
The opening of a new medium-sized venue is great news for lovers of live music in Melbourne. The announcement has timed itself alongside the Melbourne City Council’s approval of the Melbourne Music Strategy. It’s very possible this is just the first step of many to improve Melbourne’s live music scene and strengthen the reputation of Melbourne as Australia’s music capital. Or it could just be a new place to party. Either way, it’s a win for touring musicians and fans alike.