City Square opened to the public after eight years of Metro Tunnel construction with a free performance yesterday.
Melbourne’s City Square finally reopened yesterday after eight years behind Metro Tunnel construction hoarding. Jimmy Barnes, Kate Ceberano and Ian Moss christened the upgraded space with a free performance as part of the ALWAYS LIVE Melbourne Vibes series, bringing live music back to a precinct that previously hosted AC/DC, Crowded House, Kylie Minogue and Missy Higgins.
City Square has undergone a major transformation as part of the Metro Tunnel Project. A new Smoking Ceremony dish developed with Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Joy Wandin Murphy OAM forms the centrepiece, surrounded by 12,000 custom-laid pavers. Five escalators at the Collins Street end lead down into a two-tiered concourse that will host new retail offerings when it opens next year.
Metro Tunnel – City Square reopening concert
- Where: City Square, Swanston Street, Melbourne
- When: Sunday, 24 November, 1.30pm
- Artists: Jimmy Barnes, Kate Ceberano, Ian Moss
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ALWAYS LIVE Melbourne Vibes is a series of free, pop-up live music events running across the CBD this summer. The program aims to activate key precincts and laneways while supporting the creative and hospitality sectors. Yesterday’s performance marked the first in the series, which was shaped in response to consultation with Melbourne hotel and restaurant businesses.
City Square closed in 2017 to support construction of Town Hall Station, one of five new underground stations opening next Sunday as part of the Metro Tunnel. It served as one of three keyholes allowing crews to build the station deep beneath Swanston Street without disrupting the city above. Eight years later, the space has been transformed with new landscaping, artworks and infrastructure.
Metro Tunnel represents the biggest transformation of Victoria’s rail network in 40 years, doubling the size of Melbourne’s underground rail system and adding hundreds of new services each week. From next Sunday, public transport will be free every weekend for every Victorian until 1 February, when new Metro Tunnel stations integrate into the wider network as part of the Big Switch.
Yesterday’s concert followed a major events bonanza over the past month, with thousands attending Spring Racing Carnival and performances by Oasis, Metallica, AC/DC, Ricky Martin, Mariah Carey, Pitbull, Addison Rae, RÜFÜS DU SOL and Diljit Dosanjh. The ALWAYS LIVE Melbourne Vibes program continues that momentum with surprise pop-up performances designed to bring more people into the CBD throughout summer.
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