CrowdMateMelbourne · Venue
Palais Theatre
A vast, seated St Kilda room where touring concerts meet picture-palace scale and an unusually layered history.
- Upcoming shows
- 15
- Capacity
- 2,888
- Address
- Lower Esplanade, 3182 St Kilda
- Phone
- (03) 8537 7677
- Next show
- Sat, 5 Dec 2026
About Palais Theatre
Palais Theatre is a 2,888-seat St Kilda, Melbourne theatre whose scale comes in a picture-palace frame: its atmospheric auditorium mixes Gothic, French and Moroccan influences. Four seating areas span Orchestra and Stalls on level one, plus Lounge and Dress Circle on level two. The result suits full-theatre shows—music, comedy, ballet and opera—with the architecture contributing as much character as the bill.
A cinema remade by fire
The story begins in 1913, when Luna Park’s owners opened the Palais de Danse. During the opening period of World War I, that hall became a silent-film cinema with a live orchestra; Walter and Marion Burley Griffin designed a neighbouring Palais Pictures building in 1920. Their 1925 façade scheme ended in a fire before patrons entered, and Henry E. White designed the replacement. The present Palais opened in 1927 as Australia’s largest cinema, holding 3,000 people. As television cut cinema attendance during the 1950s, the house shifted toward live concerts, with Louis Armstrong, the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones among the major acts cited by Heritage Council Victoria. Since April 2017, Live Nation Australia Venues has overseen operations and a long-term restoration program, including work on the façade, auditorium ceiling domes, foyers and stage.
The room today
Palais books commercial live entertainment through direct venue hire, while City of Port Phillip schools and community groups receive separate hire arrangements. Its programming runs across touring music and comedy, ballet, opera and family shows, so the room works best for audiences comfortable with a formal seated theatre experience. A large raked stage, spacious foyers and strong acoustics serve the scale; recent works added a central bar, an enclosed Winter Garden Balcony, upgraded accessible seating and restored Orchestra and Stall seats.
Sources
- Palais Theatre | Venue History — Palais Theatre
- A short history of the Palais Theatre — Heritage Council Victoria
- Palais Theatre | Venue Hire — Palais Theatre
- Palais Theatre — City of Port Phillip
Next 15 shows
- Sat, 5 Dec 2026 · 14:00 The Christmas Spectacular View in the CrowdMate app
- Sat, 5 Dec 2026 · 18:30 The Christmas Spectacular View in the CrowdMate app
- Sat, 12 Dec 2026 · 19:30 Aaron Chen 'Technology' View in the CrowdMate app
- Sat, 16 Jan 2027 · 16:00 Matt Mathews View in the CrowdMate app
- Sat, 16 Jan 2027 · 20:00 Matt Mathews View in the CrowdMate app
- Wed, 3 Feb 2027 · 14:00 Iolanthe View in the CrowdMate app
- Wed, 3 Feb 2027 · 19:30 Iolanthe View in the CrowdMate app
- Thu, 1 Apr 2027 · 19:00 Urzila Carlson That's Enough Already View in the CrowdMate app
- Fri, 2 Apr 2027 · 19:00 Urzila Carlson That's Enough Already View in the CrowdMate app
- Sat, 3 Apr 2027 · 19:00 Urzila Carlson That's Enough Already View in the CrowdMate app
- Sun, 4 Apr 2027 · 18:00 Urzila Carlson That's Enough Already View in the CrowdMate app
- Tue, 6 Apr 2027 · 19:00 Urzila Carlson That's Enough Already View in the CrowdMate app
- Wed, 7 Apr 2027 · 19:00 Urzila Carlson That's Enough Already View in the CrowdMate app
- Thu, 8 Apr 2027 · 19:00 Urzila Carlson That's Enough Alreadyjust announced View in the CrowdMate app
- Fri, 9 Apr 2027 · 19:00 Urzila Carlson That's Enough Alreadyjust announced View in the CrowdMate app
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