Best entertainers in Melbourne
Look at where Melbourne's acts say they live and you get a map of the inner city: Fitzroy and Brunswick to the north, Prahran, South Yarra and St Kilda to the south. That's the pub and bar circuit, and it shows in the list below. DJs are the biggest single group, but put the cover bands, wedding bands and jazz bands together and they outweigh the DJs comfortably, because this is still a town where people expect a band.
That changes how you use the page. Want a band? Melbourne gives you a choice of genre and size rather than just a choice of band, so settle on soul, rock, jazz or a wedding set before you start opening profiles, and enquire early for a spring or summer Saturday.
Top picks in Melbourne
Top picks are the nearby performers with the most visible reviews, then rating, then the closest; further afield the closest come first, and premium listings break remaining ties. Distances are straight-line from Melbourne. Ask each act whether they travel to your venue and what that costs.
Questions people ask about entertainers in Melbourne
How much does it cost to hire a band in Melbourne?
In Melbourne the size of the band is the main lever. A three-piece and a nine-piece with a horn section are different quotes for the same three sets, and a wedding set with a first dance learned to order costs more than a pub set. Public holidays bite here too, with the Friday before the Grand Final and Cup Day both on the books, so check your date against the Victorian calendar before you ask. The from-prices on this page show what Melbourne bands are quoting right now.
Do Melbourne bands play outside the city, like the Yarra Valley or the Mornington Peninsula?
Most will, and a lot of them spend their spring Saturdays doing exactly that. The Yarra Valley is an easy run out the Eastern Freeway, the Peninsula is longer, and a Fitzroy band packing down at midnight in Red Hill has a fair drive home. Say where the venue is and expect the travel to be either in the price or listed on the quote as its own line.
What happens if it rains on an outdoor Melbourne event?
Electrics and rain don't mix, so an act will stop playing an uncovered stage, and rightly so. Book a marquee or a covered deck for the band before you plan the ceremony arch, and tell the act what the wet plan is when you enquire. Melbourne's weather changes hourly, and a band that has already played through a cold change at a winery will have a view on what works.
Is it hard to find a jazz band in Melbourne?
No, it's one of the easier trades to find here. The city's bar and club circuit keeps a lot of jazz players working, so the choice is more about size and style: a piano trio for a dinner, a swing outfit with a singer for the dancing afterwards. Tell them the room and the number of guests and let them suggest how many players it needs.
Booking tips
Genre first, then size
A Melbourne cover band can be a three-piece or a nine-piece with horns. Say what the room is, a Fitzroy warehouse or a winery down at Mornington, and how many guests, and the quote will land closer to the mark.
Plan for the weather
Melbourne can throw four seasons at an outdoor wedding in one afternoon. If any part of the day is outside, ask the act what happens to their gear and their set when it rains, and where they'd move to.
Peninsula and Geelong venues
Frankston, Mornington and Geelong each have their own page, and plenty of Melbourne acts drive down for the day. Compare both lists, and ask any city act whether the run home after midnight is in the price.