Best entertainers in Richmond
This is Richmond on the Yarra in Melbourne, a few minutes east of the city, not the Richmond up the Hawkesbury in New South Wales, which has a page of its own. Its bookings come from three places: the pub rooms along Swan Street and Bridge Road, the converted warehouses that now host weddings and birthdays, and the function spaces around the sports precinct that fill up on a match day. That's a live-band suburb if ever there was one, and the list below leans that way, mostly cover bands with a jazz outfit and a couple of duos.
One thing to be straight about: the acts here are pinned to the city centre rather than to Richmond itself, so the short distances on the cards mean an easy drive, not a local. That matters less than usual in this part of town, because the drive is genuinely nothing. What matters more is whether the act has worked a room like yours.
Top picks in Richmond
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 Richmond. Ask each act whether they travel to your venue and what that costs.
Questions people ask about entertainers in Richmond
Is this Richmond in Melbourne or Richmond in New South Wales?
This page is the Melbourne one, the inner-eastern suburb between the city and Hawthorn. The Hawkesbury town of the same name, out past Windsor in New South Wales, has its own page with a completely different set of acts. If you're planning something on the river flats north-west of Sydney, that's the page you want.
How much does a cover band cost for a warehouse party in Richmond?
Band size, set length and who supplies the sound are the three things that move it. A four-piece playing two sets into the venue's own system is one number; the same band bringing a PA big enough to fill a warehouse and staying for three sets is another. Look at the from-prices on the band cards above, then tell the act the room's size so the quote reflects the gear it actually needs.
Can a band play at a Richmond pub function room?
Most will, and they know these rooms well. The things to confirm are the finish time, whether the stage area is really a stage or just a corner, and how the act gets gear up if the room is on the first floor. Give the act the venue's address and let them tell you what they need, because they've probably loaded in there before.
Booking tips
Warehouse rooms are loud and bare
Concrete, high ceilings and no soft furnishings make a five-piece sound like a ten-piece and a speech impossible to follow. Ask the act what they do about a reverberant room, and budget for someone to run the sound rather than leaving it to the band.
Check the footy and cricket calendar
A home game changes parking, traffic and your load-in window for the whole suburb. Look up the fixture before you lock a date, and if you can't move it, tell the act early so they can plan their arrival.
Pub rooms often come with a PA
Plenty of the rooms above pubs along Swan Street already have sound and lights installed. Find out what's there and pass the details on, because an act that can turn up with instruments only will usually quote lower than one bringing a full rig.