Brunswick is dedicated to bringing quality live music to the stage. By supporting local artists and bands, venues are able to bring raw talent from all walks of life into the heart of Brunswick. With plenty of booze and banter to go around, there’s really no venue we wouldn’t recommend but there’s definitely a few worth the hype.
We’ve created a list of our top (6) favourite music venues, keep reading to find out what our top suggestions are:
The Bergy Seltzer
From former owners of the late Brunswick Hotel, The Bergy Seltzer is a hole in the wall style dive bar and beer garden catering to all different musical tastes, and being a favourite to those locals in the know.
The Bergy Bandbox hosts everything from rock/punk bands, acoustic folk soloists, jazz, DJs and live comedy. Closed only on Tuesdays, the venue is committed to being welcoming to all comers till the wee hours in the morning, spinning the best in local music with the bartender on shift bringing their own musical style to the playlist.
The venue itself has a myriad of different spaces, with an upstairs lounge capable of hosting art launches and private parties and a beer garden with a retractable roof that caters to all that Melbourne weather can throw at you. There are also tasty homemade pies from Naro Baked Goods on offer to help soak up the delicious variety of cocktails, spirits, and craft beers you can find behind the bar.
The Retreat Hotel
The Retreat Hotel pride themselves on being Brusnwick’s home for Live music. With gigs and live entertainment offered 7 days a week in both the front and back, this popular destination is full almost every night. As you step through the doors the venue takes you back in time with the original styling and decor from when it was built in 1915.
The menu is an unusual but delightful mix of much loved pub food and mexican cuisine that makes for an interesting selection of delicious food to choose from. The drinks flow freely from 12pm to late every day and the impressive beer garden out the back accommodates for groups big and small.
The beer garden presents an impressive amount of space, with an overhanging tree that encapsulates the area, making it the perfect destination for a night with friends or family.
No matter what genre of music you’re into, The Retreat Hotel has something for you. Check out their complete live music list and be sure to get your tickets FAST.
Howler Melbourne
Howler features some of the most eclectic musicians and artists in Melbourne and they are looking forward to being able to welcome local artists and talent back to their stage. Their performance acts vary greatly in terms of genre – creating a sense of community that appreciates and celebrates every music style.
Howler holds nights for lovers of jazz, rock, soul, disco and even gospel grime (among others). So, if you’re after a venue that has it all, Howler has a lineup ready to impress.
Did you know their theatre has been used to host live comedy, poetry and readings too? If that excites you, wait until you hear about what’s coming in March. More artists, more announcements and even a night (or three!) of hosting live performances from the Brunswick Musical Festival lineup. Want to find out more about their upcoming artists? Check out their lineup for more information and the opportunity to book your tickets! Spots are selling out fast.
Edinburgh Castle
The Edinburgh Castle Hotel is among one of the most popular venues to hang out in Brunswick. The hotel is known as being a community-first venue, where families can feel at ease with a complete list of kids meals on offer, as well as high chairs and even a ping pong table.
The building has been around since 1854, making it one of the oldest pubs still in business in Brunswick. Known for their stunning beer and innovative cuisine, The Edinburgh Castle Hotel is popular for more than just their great music selection.
But more on that. The venue is often booked out with talented local artists playing all year long, as well as Mrs Smith’s Trivia held every Wednesday night from 8pm, best known for being one of the best trivia nights in Melbourne.
Edinburgh has a really diverse patronage so mixing it up is essential, featuring everything from blues, country, folk all the way through to soft pop and even showcasing a large amount of singer-songwriters. There’s also DJs in on the weekend evenings if you’re looking for a place to boogie over the weekend!
Take a look into their gig guide to find your perfect fit.
Whole Lotta Love Bar
Known as one of Melbourne’s premier small dive bars and live music venues, Whole Lotta Love Bar is a weekend party like no other. Named after the iconic song by rock and roll legends Led Zeppelin, Whole Lotta Love is definitely worth checking out if you’re after a night of cheap beers and rock and roll.
The owners strive to support local bands and artists holding regular gigs almost every night (Wednesday through to Sunday) to do so. They’ve even gone as far as hosting small festivals and parties in the past as well and are looking forward to hosting events like these again soon.
If you love listening to rock music at night in a bar inspired by the world’s greatest rock band (Led Zeppelin) with a fine selection of whiskey or local brews in hand, then this is the place for you. Whole Lotta Love offers great banter, plenty of laughter and a guarantee of a good time!
Be sure to head to their website to find out more about their music lineup.
The Jazzlab
Michael Tortoni was the former founder of Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, nicknamed by Lonely Planet as “the world’s best jazz club.” Continuing on from his budding success, Michael opened another venue on April 7th 2017, known as The Jazzlab.
Michael has had an impressive past of his own in the musical world and is currently the artist director of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and has been on the board since 2001.
Quote from The Jazzlab: “Michael based ‘The Jazzlab’ design and sound on Bennetts Lane’s original room which had great natural acoustics and had been host to a number of world famous performers including Prince, Maceo Parker, Kenny Kirkland, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Harry Connick Jnr., Paul Grabowsky, Barney McAll and Leroy Jones to name just a few.”
A few well-known artists featuring at Jazzlab soon are Rai Thistlewayte (Thirsty Merc), Thando and Barney McAll (Sia) along with so many more. Hit up the Jazzlab website to find out about more gigs playing and be sure to grab a ticket, spots will fill up fast.
With so many venues to choose from, finding quality live music won’t be hard to find in Brunswick. No matter the genre of music there’s something for everyone – we’re excited to be amongst it and even more excited to see live music venues flourishing once more.
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We wanted to put East Brunswick Village (EBV) to the task and have had our sales team answer these ‘six essential questions you should ask when buying an apartment’, and we think we shape up pretty well!
We wanted to put East Brunswick Village (EBV) to the task and have had our sales team answer these ‘six essential questions you should ask when buying an apartment’, and we think we shape up pretty well!
We wanted to put East Brunswick Village (EBV) to the task and have had our sales team answer these ‘six essential questions you should ask when buying an apartment’, and we think we shape up pretty well!