With F1 season right around the corner, The Espy is back with a high-speed lineup of talent – all for free!
If you’re not on the grid, you should be at The Espy. The St Kilda venue becomes an entertainment hotspot during the F1, providing all of your afterparty needs just a short walk away from the racetrack.
But the fun doesn’t stop there. With even more free gigs, Melbourne International Comedy Festival showcases and Grammy Award-winning talent on the lineup for the rest of the month, The Espy is red hot. Here’s what’s going down.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
Comedy at The Espy
View this post on Instagram
- 4 and 18 March
- Free entry
Live stand-up is back in the basement, baby. Head downstairs at The Espy for a stacked lineup of Melbourne’s sharpest emerging comics alongside a few seasoned ringers from around the country, all ready to test your laugh reflexes. It’s totally free (yes, actually free), but you’ll need to RSVP to lock in your spot.
Jack’s Garage: The Presets
View this post on Instagram
- 5 March
- Free entry
Kick off race week with one of Australia’s biggest electronic duos, The Presets, as the Espy transforms into the wildest Jack Daniel’s-powered party pit stop. This one’ll be a high-energy free gig that’ll have you swinging by for whiskey cocktails and big beats right into the night.
Jack’s Garage: Slowly Slowly
View this post on Instagram
- 6 March
- Free entry
Melbourne’s own pop punk pioneers Slowly Slowly bring their heartfelt indie-rock vibes to The Espy’s Gershwin Room in this second night of Jack’s Garage. It’s free entry, first-in-best-dressed, and perfect for anyone who loves melodic hooks as part of their race-week thrills.
Sundown on Eden
View this post on Instagram
- 6 March
- Tickets here
Straight from LA, Sundown on Eden are touching down in the Espy Basement for their first Melbourne headline in a long while, and they’re not arriving quietly. Prepare for beloved covers, pop polish and jazz flair delivered with the kind of chemistry you only get from a duo who’ve been making music together since they were 13, with support from Juliette Miot and Midnight Violet.
Jack’s Garage: Anna Lunoe
View this post on Instagram
- 7 March
- Free entry
Electronic dance pioneer Anna Lunoe spins her boundary-pushing beats at The Espy, turning Jack’s Garage into a dancefloor frenzy. The Australian-born DJ, producer, and vocalist will bring that big stage festival energy to St Kilda, so make sure you arrive early to secure your spot.
Jack’s Garage: Keli Holiday
View this post on Instagram
- 8 March
- Free entry
Finishing off race week is Keli Holiday, the Aussie electro-pop project of Adam Hyde (one half of Peking Duck) that’s rife with shimmering synths, catchy riffs and emotive grooves. It’ll be an all-out party, and we guarantee you’ll be dancing too!
Liquid Zoo
View this post on Instagram
- 12 March
- Free entry
Liquid Zoo have been tearing up the east coast and are now crashing into the Espy Basement with filthy riffs, oversized hooks and absolutely zero intention of behaving themselves. They’re giving 100% full-send energy, so RSVP, lace up your dancing shoes, and prepare to be unleashed.
The Groove Vultures
View this post on Instagram
- 13 March
- Tickets here
The Vultures are swooping back into the Espy Basement for another sweaty, riff-heavy session, and you’re invited to the carnage. Featuring groove-laced rock and all the good vibes you’ve come to love, the band will bring The Moops and Perish to Bloom along for the ride.
2016 Party
- 13 March
- Tickets here
2016 is back in a big way, and this nostalgic throwback party promises all the tunes and vibes you remember from the iconic year. Think unforgettable hits, big energy, and a dancefloor that refuses to cool down, perfect for a weekend wind-up.
Outloved
View this post on Instagram
- 14 March
- Tickets here
Victorian heavy rock force Outloved are storming back onto home turf joined by Headstrong and Totalbuzzkille. With over seven million streams under their belt and a fresh signing to European label Out Of Line, the band come armed with unreleased cuts from their upcoming debut album.
Gypsy King Jones
View this post on Instagram
- 15 March
- Free entry
If your Sunday plans involve groove-heavy riffs and a bit of hip-swaying, Gypsy King Jones has you sorted. Drawing on Texas country blues, Mississippi Delta grit and New Orleans street soul with a distinctly Aussie twist, GKJ brings raw energy, slick guitar work and storytelling that feels straight out of a dusty juke joint.
Fantastic Negrito
View this post on Instagram
- 15 March
- Tickets here
Blues, roots and rock come together as three-time Grammy Award winner Fantastic Negrito hits St Kilda for a one-night stand that’s equal parts soulful swagger and foot-stomping groove. After surviving a car accident that damaged his guitar-playing hand, he came back stronger than ever. Fans of genre-bending guitar and gritty vocals won’t want to miss this.
Hannah Montana: 20th Anniversary Party
View this post on Instagram
- 20 March
- Tickets here
Whether you grew up with the Hannah craze or just love a theme party, this is the throwdown celebrating 20 years of pop-icon magic. Get ready for singalongs, costumes, glitter and all the nostalgia you can handle.
Moses Jones & Love in Vain
- 22 March
- Free entry
Moses Jones and Love in Vain bring their soulful blend of americana, Tex-Mex, country blues and roots to the Espy Basement, mixing original penmanship from Moses Jones with a well-chosen spread of covers spanning the 1920s to today. Expect dynamic vocals from Moses Jones and Kamala Aberhart, backed by the ever-versatile Love in Vain.
Comedy at The Espy | Melbourne International Comedy Festival
View this post on Instagram
The laughs are getting festival-sized as the Melbourne International Comedy Festival rolls into the Espy Basement. Zachary James and Jordan Turner are taking over Wednesday (and Thursday) nights, bringing a rotating lineup of razor-sharp special guests to keep things fresh, chaotic and very, very funny.
Disco Revolution + DJ Diggz
View this post on Instagram
- 27 March
- Tickets here
Round out March with a full-on disco dance explosion. Disco Revolution and DJ Diggz bring funk, glitter, classic grooves and modern party energy to The Espy’s Gershwin Room for a night you’ll remember all weekend.
Keep up with everything happening at The Espy here.
This article was made in partnership with The Espy.
