A Once-Hidden Storage Room in Melbourne Recital Centre Is Now the City’s Newest Performance Venue

For two decades, the Melbourne Recital Centre’s upstairs storage room boasted one of the best, unseen views of the city. Now, the space atop the premier music hub in Southbank has transformed into The Beacon – a cabaret-style performance venue offering food, drinks and jazz, all with a panoramic skyline view. It’s the otherwise-refined Recital Centre’s looser little sibling, where live performance and dining sit snugly in an intimate setting, with up to only 100 seats.

The Beacon’s inaugural program kicks off on September 17, with weekly performances scheduled into November – and more to be announced soon for summer. Programming at the MRC is known for its breadth of genres, and at The Beacon you can expect everything from cabaret, musical theatre and jazz to First Nations-led performances and spotlights on emerging artists. Performance series include Skyline Jazz, showcasing traditional and new interpretations of the genre; Burrimul Songs, featuring First Nations performances of story and song; A Night With, where big names step out of the auditorium and into the cosy space; and many more.

Coming up this month, catch the darkly funny cabaret performer Meow Meow alongside pianist Iain Grandage from September 17 to 19; Tragic: A Song Cycle by Indy Angel bringing emotional indie-pop on September 28; classic jazz with Michelle Nicholle and Hugh Stuckey on October 2; and Fem Belling and Monique DiMattina will blend enchanting music and stories on November 6. Later on, there are also gigs from Kee’ahn and Holly Hebe, with more being added regularly.

While the main draw here is the music, The Beacon’s food and drinks are also worth taking the lift to the top floor. Starters include fluffy focaccia with smoked salt and house-made butter, and mushroom arancini. For larger plates, there’s barramundi with braised fennel and parsnip chips; a nutty 24-hour braised lamb shoulder; and mushroom ragu gnocchi freshened by thyme soffritto. The wine list is tight but still manages to lap the globe, with drops from France, Italy, New Zealand and across Australia. Otherwise, house cocktails lean towards the classics. And don’t miss the ultra-dark chocolate lava tortino for dessert.

As for what to expect inside The Beacon, the space doesn’t stray from the legacy of cabaret. The focal point is a grand piano, backdropped by the glittering Melbourne skyline, and dim lighting and deep jewel tones add to the theatrical experience. Wrapping the walls is a moody, ethereal artwork First Nations artist and musician Dr Lou Bennett AM, created as a visual representation of her music in collaboration with Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin AO. Make sure to look up to see how the hammered silver ceiling refracts movement and light.

Find out more and purchase tickets to a performance at melbournerecital.com.au/beacon.

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