Festival Hall

This place is just the best for music events. I’ve been here only a few times myself, but wow it is good. I was here last night in fact for Tame Impala. They played for about 1hr and 20mins and it was jus awesome. So many stoners around and the air had a suspicious scent to it if you catch my drift. Nice and easy to get to from Southern Cross Station, I’m going to be coming here over and over and over and over again.

I don’t get this venue. Not having gone the GA route on a recent visit, I ended up in the stands to the side of and far away from the stage. The experience is akin to watching other people watch a concert: you’re so far removed from the action that the band isn’t even trying to pretend that you’re there. I’m way beyond the age of running the General Admission gauntlet so I’ll save my money for venues that have respect for a larger chunk of the audience.

This is probably my least favourite rock venue in Melbourne. The best view is in the balcony, but the seats are so cramped that sometimes its easier to jump over the seat behind you than try to get through the isles.
There are no passouts, so the toilets end up becoming full of smoke. I’m a non smoker and walked out of the toilets blowing smoke out of my mouth.
Also, if you sit in the balcony, say goodbye to the chance of getting good merch. They wont let you into the merch area until after the concert is over. By this stage, many of the tshirts are sold out. I tried leaving a little early one day at a multiple band event and they wouldn’t let me down there at all. So I had the choice of missing out on merch completely or watching a band that I had no interest in and waiting another hour.
The general admission area is ok, but steer clear of the side seating.
So basically your choice is «if you want merch, go in general admission and hope that no tall person ruins your view», or «sit in the seats on the balcony with no room to move and risk the chance of not getting merch»

The gig shed. I reckon it depends where you sit (or stand) in Festy Hall whether it’s a good venue. The best place for sitting is absolutely the balcony directly facing the stage, which is where me and a mate were for The Wombats’ show the weekend just gone. The sound there is perfect and you can see everything. It is a bit far away, though, so if it’s close-​up action you want, definitely go for General Admission tickets and be willing to weasel your way through the crowd to the front. The worst place to sit is the stands on either side of the venue as it feels like you’re watching the gig from the other side of the road or something — no atmosphere at all.
There are plenty of bars and a can of Coopers Lager will set you back a pretty reasonable $ 6 (reasonable for a venue like this) and you can drink them in your seats or on the floor. The gigs usually start early and finish by 11pm, so make sure you check start times too!

i saw Cold Chisel here with my Dad a few years back, and I ve gotta say, this is a great venue for rock music, and for the fans. The space is large, unpretentious, and perfect for rocking out.
The show we saw was held on a stage in the centre of the room, with rows of chairs on all sides. Once the show started though, we rushed to the front of the stage and stayed there for the next three hours. dancing and sweating with all the other fans and having a great time.
Festival Hall is licensed, and most shows held here are for over 18’s only. They serve spirits as well as beer and of course soft drinks too — drinks are more expensive than in a pub, but cheaper than in a nightclub.
I would love to go to more concerts at festival hall. Heavy metal is not my thing, but any other shows that rely on the music rather than flashy show productions would be awesome to see here. Think I’ll have to check out their future line ups!