Bendigo Hotel

The Bendigo Hotel is set to reopen in late August after The Mill Brewery revealed its plans to relocate and take over the iconic venue on Johnston Street.

It comes after the Bendigo Hotel announced its closure earlier this year in March, prompting heartbreak among the live music scene in Melbourne. The brewery will adopt the Bendigo Hotel name, continuing the venue’s valuable 113-year-old legacy, while closing the doors at its Sackville Street location.

The Bendigo Hotel has been a haven for metalheads, punks, emos and goths, hosting everything metal-related. Whether bands were well-established in the metal scene or starting out fresh, the Bendigo Hotel always ensured there was a place for metal amid the diverse music scene of Melbourne.

Joining the new team will be local booking agent Kit Atkinson from Social State Entertainment, leading the live music revival and liaising with local acts to bring the best music to The Bendi once it reopens.

 The team will collaborate with Technical Audio Group (TAG) and Pink Noise to implement a state-of-the-art QSC L-Class Line Array PA in the venue, ensuring that live gigs will sound unreal at all volumes. The Mill Brewery aims to install its 600-litre pilot brewery inside The Bendi’s garage, transforming the already iconic venue into a true brewpub.

The Bendigo Hotel will be reimagined to offer more than just a late-night bandroom. With several inviting spaces to choose from, such as a cosy front bar, a lounge with a fireplace and a pool table and an Altered Beast arcade machine, there’ll be plenty of options to choose from, if being minced in the mosh isn’t your thing. In a celebration of a new era for The Bendigo Hotel, the team are holding a party for the reopening on August 31. It’s sure to be an absolute rager.

Address: 125 Johnston St, Collingwood