When the Spotted Mallard went up for sale in 2020 it felt like another blow to Melbourne's music industry. But the fates have been kind to the industry, and the venue reopened as Brunswick Ballroom – a refurbished space hosting music gigs plus cabaret and comedy shows.
The updated space was inspired by the Continental Café that stood as a pillar of Melbourne's music scene in Prahran in the 1990s. Head up the staircase and into a ballroom crowned by stained glass domes and an adjacent outdoor balcony overlooking the heart of the city's inner north. The venue has the capacity to seat 290 guests in a space that allows you to grab dinner and drinks, in addition to seeing a show.
Brunswick Ballroom comes courtesy of theatre producer and concert promoter Andrew Kay, as well as actor and musician Will Ewing (who's also the venue director). Kay says: "The Brunswick Ballroom will be a venue which celebrates the best of live music, cabaret and comedy plus of course, wonderful food and wine. This distinctive venue will present the best Melbourne, Australia and the world has to offer across the full range of live performance genres."
