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Melbourne · Venue

Max Watt's

A former cinema turned 850-capacity basement band room on Swanston Street, with a stepped floor and mezzanine viewing level.

Upcoming shows
31
Capacity
850
Address
125 Swanston Street, 3000 Melbourne
Phone
1300 762 545
Next show
Fri, 9 Oct 2026
Official siteDirections
Max Watt's in Melbourne

About Max Watt's

Max Watt’s is an 850-capacity, below-street-level live-music room on Swanston Street in central Melbourne, built into the Century Building’s basement. Its particular draw is a gig in a former cinema: the stage faces a sloping, stepped floor, with a mezzanine above. City of Melbourne also uses the room as the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Festival Club, extending the program beyond bands.

A cinema, a close call, a new name

The space opened in 1940 as the Century Theatre cinema. Its film program moved through newsreels and European titles before the cinema closed in 1985; the Hi-Fi Bar & Ballroom opened in the former theatre in 1998. That conversion gave Melbourne a sizable underground room built for standing crowds and amplified music.

Its defining business turn arrived in February 2015, when the Hi-Fi group entered administration after an unresolved dispute with a major creditor. A buyer, Max Watt’s Operating Pty Ltd, secured the Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane venues in March; on March 30, the incoming operators announced the Max Watt’s name and appointed The Venue Collective for future live-music bookings. Existing tickets and bookings carried through the transition, keeping the room active as its signage changed.

The floor and the balcony

Booking runs broad: singer-songwriters, heavy metal and comedy all appear in the venue’s documented mix, matching a calendar geared to touring acts and promoter-presented bills. Expect general-admission standing shows, with limited seating available for patrons who need it. The lower room has a bar, while the mezzanine has its own bar and an elevated view; tiered steps around the dance floor create useful sightlines away from the pit. Entry involves a long stair run, and staff can provide lift access to the band room.

Sources

  1. Max Watt's — What’s On Melbourne
  2. Max Watt's House of Music (Melbourne) — Wikipedia
  3. The Hi-Fi Venues Have A New Australian-Based Owner — Music Feeds
  4. The Hi-Fi Venues Have A New Name And New Bookers — Music Feeds
  5. Frequently Asked Questions — Max Watt's
  6. Max Watt’s — Beat Magazine

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