Seven Summery Pop-Up Bars to Visit on a Balmy Melbourne Afternoon

When the warm weather rolls around each year, Melburnians usually have multiple reasons to head to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. For those feeling festive, it’s where Carols by Candlelight is held. And for anyone keen on catching orchestral shows under the evening sky, it’s where the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has held its free summer series for decades.

Come 2021, the iconic venue will also play host to a new event: Live at the Bowl. It’s a response to this past chaotic year, with holding a COVID-safe summer festival its number-one aim. Well, that and giving the city’s residents something fun to add to their calendars after 2020’s struggles.

Live at the Bowl will run from Friday, January 8–Sunday, March 21 and will feature more than 40 performances. The eclectic lineup is stacked with local talent from different eras and genres including Missy Higgins, Lime Cordiale, Daryl Braithwaite, Sampa the Great and Birds of Tokyo performing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. If you’re looking to laugh, Emmy Award-winner Hannah Gadsby is also heading up a night of comedy alongside Zoë Coombs Marr.

It’ll be a socially distanced affair, obviously, which the renders of the event illustrate — including separate platforms that split the audience up into groups, as festivals overseas have already been using.

Tickets are on sale Wednesday, December 16 via Ticketek. Check out the full program below and find out more via Live at the Bowl.

LIVE AT THE BOWL LINEUP

Spinifex Gum — Friday, January 8
Human Nature — Saturday, January 9
Piknic Électronik — Sunday, January 10
A Symphonic Celebration — Thursday, January 14
Soju Gang presents SorBaes — Friday, January 15
Mo’Ju with Orchestra Victoria — Saturday, January 16
Teeny Tiny Stevies — Sunday, January 17
Ocean Alley — Thursday, January 21
Birds of Tokyo with the MSO — Friday, January 22
Share the Spirit 2021 — Tuesday, January 26
Missy Higgins — Wednesday, January 27
2021 Sidney Myer Free Concerts — Friday, January 29, Saturday, February 6 and Wednesday, February 10
Sun Cycle — Saturday, January 30
Lime Cordiale — Thursday, February 4
Running Touch — Friday, February 5
Rock the Bowl with Jon Stevens, Daryl Braithwaite and The Black Sorrows — Friday, February 12
Chinese New Year — Saturday, February 13
Vika & Linda — Sunday, February 14
Hannah Gadsby — Wednesday, February 17
Sampa the Great — Saturday, March 13
No Friend But the Mountains — Sunday, March 21

Top Image: Piknic Électronik by Wade Malligan

Craving some more holiday time already? Venture up to the State of Grace rooftop and you’ll find yourself transported to a balmy Italian summer oasis, thanks to a blissed-out pop-up that’s taken over the space for the rest of the season. Summer in Italy promises to add a touch of Euro-chic flair to your warm weather wanderings, with a classic aperitivo offering, sunny weekend feasts and spritzes aplenty.

The aperitivo menu kicks off at noon daily, with Aperol, limoncello and Malfy Gin spritzes on offer by the glass ($15) or in share-friendly carafes for $40. They’re backed by an array of snack deals — maybe a carafe teamed with the week’s pizza special for $50, or a solo spritz paired with a tiramisu ice cream sandwich for $20.

But on Saturdays, it’s all about the long, bottomless spritz lunches. For $60 per person, you and your crew tuck into a shared Italian feast complete with salads and pizza, matched with two hours of free-flowing spritz cocktails. You can nab a booking between noon and 2pm each week. State of Grace’s rooftop is open from noon every day except Sunday.

Arbory Afloat, which made its debut in 2015, has reclaimed its prime position in front of on-shore sister venue Arbory Bar & Eatery on the Yarra. As part of its annual revamp, the temporary bar and restaurant has taken inspiration from Miami — which means palm trees, pastel blue and pink hues, art-deco touches and a 70s vibe.

Chef Nick Bennett has again designed the menu, which is inspired by all things Latin American, including the Caribbean, Cuba and Mexico. You’ll also be able to tuck into grilled meats, empanadas and lots of seafood — think oysters, ceviche and anchovies. Would it be a visit to Miami without cocktails? We think not. Luckily, there’ll be plenty. Patrons will also be able to sip their way through an extended rum menu, peruse a curated gin offering or opt for one of the many spritzes on offer.

To complete the picture, the floating bar also has an upper deck complete with — wait for it — an onboard swimming pool. Sticking with the bar’s breezy Miami theme, the eight-metre-long pool is flanked by its own bar, sun lounges and five private cabanas, which can be booked out for your next poolside sojourn. Towels, hats and sunscreen are all available to purchase from the bar, and there’ll be a lifeguard on patrol whenever the pool’s open. The opening hours are set to vary depending on the weather, but you can jump over to Arbory Afloat’s Instagram to keep an eye on the schedule and plot your visit.

Image: Simon Shiff

Don’t dawdle — The Exchange Beach Club is only around for four weeks, from Friday, January 24 to Monday, February 24. The month-long pop-up will bring private cabanas, umbrella-covered outdoor seating, refreshments and entertainment right onto the sand of Port Melbourne Beach.

You can enjoy an ice-cold cocktail — think boozy iced tea, passionfruit caprioskas and slushies — while playing a spot of beach volleyball or totem tennis. Then you can tuck into fish and chips, a lobster roll or a burger as the sun goes down and a DJ plays summer beats. There’ll also be an ice cream cart on site for when those sweet cravings hit, and, on Thursdays, the club will be hosting bottomless cocktail sunset sessions with dinner for $59 per person.

Private cabanas will be available for hire across two five-hour sessions for up to four people. Oh, and puppies are welcome, too, with water bowls and free dog treats provided. The beach bar will be open from midday until 10pm each day. To make a booking, head this way.

Sure, Australia does summer pretty well. But one place that perhaps does warm weather better is Hawaii. Known for its surfing culture, laid-back pace and the origin of the beloved poke bowl, the tropical island nation is a pretty good place to kick back in the sun. So, to bring you a slice of paradise this summer, a Hawaiian-themed pop-up has landed at South Yarra’s Imperial.

If you can’t book a trip to Hawaii for whatever reason, then make tracks to the pub any day of the week until March. Here, you’ll find an oasis of over-the-top cocktails, tasty Hawaiian food and serious vacay vibes. With drinks such as the Tropical Breeze — a concoction of white rum, banana liqueur, raspberry, lychee, watermelon and citrus — and the Mermaid Lemonade, made with white rum, blue curacao, lemon and blueberry, you’ll be transported to Maui in no time. Food-wise, there’ll be huli huli chicken skewers, sliders, pork croquettes, salmon poke bowls and more.

This summer, you’ll have another excuse to enjoy a G&T as a heap of gin and tonic gardens pop up across the country. Settling into the outside areas at pubs and bars in Melbourne, the gardens will feature plenty of gin and tonic (obviously), as well as DIY garnish stations. The idea is that you can learn more about different botanicals, then mix, match and experiment to find your ideal G&T combination. That sounds like a task that we’d all gladly accept; however there’ll be tonic pairing menus on hand should you need some pointers.

At the time of writing, Melburnians can scratch their G&T itch at Ciao Cucina in Port Melbourne, as well as Richmond Social, the Notting Hill Hotel and the Lower Plenty Hotel in their respective suburbs. More locations will pop up across the country over the summer, with a handy interactive map tracking new venues.

St Kilda’s lavish beach spot Captain Baxter has teamed up with French vodka distiller Grey Goose to bring a bit of the French Riviera to Melbourne’s foreshore. The rooftop space is decked out with Riviera-inspired decor, creating a chic Euro-summer vibes — think cabanas, a petanque green and picnic tables. Plus, you’ll have panoramic views over St Kilda Beach, Port Phillip Bay and the city. So, be sure to head here for a sunset cocktail.

Drinks-wise, you’ll be sipping a range of speciality vodka cocktails. Whether you’re into the classic vodka, lime and soda, an orange-flavoured espresso martini, a Le Grand Fizz or a zesty Pear Gimlet, the pop-up will be sure to quench your thirst. If you want to take things up a notch, round up the crew and book one of the six picnic tables which are available for bookings of eight people for $160 and include cocktails on arrival.