Melbourne Arts and Culture Guide: NGV, the Arts Centre, Laneways and Live Music

Melbourne's claim to be Australia's arts capital rests on a remarkable combination: the National Gallery of Victoria (the oldest and most visited art museum in Australia), the Arts Centre Melbourne (home to the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia's Melbourne season, and the Australian Ballet), the world's most active live music scene per capita, the extraordinary laneway street art culture, and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival (both among the world's largest events in their categories). The city's arts ecosystem is genuinely world-class and accessible across all income levels.

National Gallery of Victoria — Australia's oldest and most visited art museum (founded 1861) operates across two buildings: the NGV International on St Kilda Road (the permanent international collection, including the Ian Potter Centre for Australian Art at Federation Square) and the Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square (Australian art from colonial period to contemporary). The NGV International's Great Hall, with its remarkable water-wall entrance and the ceiling commissioned by Leonard French, is one of Melbourne's architectural treasures. Entry to the permanent collection is free.

Arts Centre Melbourne — the distinctive Hamer Hall (2,660-seat concert hall, completely rebuilt 2012), the State Theatre (2,078-seat opera and ballet theatre), the Playhouse, and the Fairfax Studio form the Arts Centre Melbourne performing arts campus on St Kilda Road. The landmark spire above the main building is Melbourne's most recognisable skyline feature. The Arts Centre is the home of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Ballet's Melbourne season.

Melbourne laneways and street art — Hosier Lane (the most photographed laneway in Australia), AC/DC Lane, Duckboard Place, and Union Lane provide the extraordinary rotating street art canvas that has defined Melbourne's visual culture internationally. The laneways are also the location of many of Melbourne's finest bars, restaurants, and boutiques, creating a cultural and culinary concentration unique in Australia.

Live music — Melbourne's live music scene (the world's most active per capita) is anchored by the Corner Hotel (Richmond), the Palais Theatre (St Kilda), the Forum Melbourne, the 170 Russell Street venue, and hundreds of smaller pub venues across the inner suburbs. The Melbourne venue scene has produced more Australian musicians of international stature than any other city in the country.

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