A sweeping new audit has counted every live music venue in Victoria, and the findings aren't exactly cause for celebration.
The 2025 Victorian Live Music Venue Audit, commissioned by Creative Victoria and delivered by Music Victoria, identified 2,441 live music venues across the state. That sounds like a lot — but dig into the data and the cracks are impossible to miss.
The number of regular presenters (venues hosting at least one gig per week) has dropped 19.4% since 2019, falling from 813 to 655. Metropolitan Melbourne took a 25.8% hit, regional Victoria lost 20.7%, and disaster-affected areas fared worst of all. The Grampians went from 29 regular presenters to just four — an 86.2% collapse. Gippsland dropped 47.6%.
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Then there’s the frequency problem. Of those 2,441 venues, 68.3% host less than one gig a month. Only 302 venues (12.4%) put on two or more shows a week — the kind of consistency that actually develops artists and builds local scenes. The audit defines a live music venue as any space hosting performances or holding a OneMusic licence for live or DJ events, which casts a wide net over everything from dedicated bandrooms to community halls running the occasional covers night.
Not all the news is grim, though. Outer-metropolitan Melbourne — council areas including Frankston, Wyndham, Casey and Yarra Ranges — grew its regular presenter count by 39%, jumping from 59 to 82 venues. The Great Ocean Road saw a similar bump, rising 30.4% from 23 to 30. While inner-city Melbourne and regional areas contracted, the outer suburbs quietly emerged as an unlikely growth corridor for live music.
The audit also mapped where Victoria’s songwriters are concentrated, using APRA AMCOS membership data. Brunswick leads the state with 785 registered writer members, followed by Coburg (732), Preston (713), Northcote (704) and Thornbury (557). Victoria accounts for 34% of all APRA AMCOS members nationally, with 75% of those based in metropolitan Melbourne. Every suburb in the top 11 saw membership growth between 2021 and 2023 — but the number of venues holding a OneMusic licence remains 13% below pre-pandemic levels. More songwriters, fewer stages.
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On the economic side, live performances in small venues, concerts and festivals generated an estimated $2.44 billion in 2023 — slightly under 2019’s $2.54 billion — while supporting 9,363 full-time equivalent jobs. Recovery remains uneven: major concerts and international tours are driving growth, but smaller venues continue to battle rising costs and reduced programming.
Music Victoria’s recommendations include establishing a clearer definition of live music venues, sustained government investment, longitudinal research into the sector’s impact, and exploring alternative business models to keep venues viable long-term.
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