Correction (9 October 2026): an earlier version of this page listed places and details we could not stand behind. It has been rewritten from scratch: every place below was confirmed at two independent sources between 5 October 2026 and 9 October 2026, and every price was copied from the page it was published on.
This page answers where to find live music in and around St Kilda, using what each venue says on its own site. It covers six places: four in St Kilda and two in Windsor, made up of five pubs and one theatre.
Each place was checked against two independent sources. We quote each venue’s own words on live music, note the trading hours it publishes, and print a price only where one is printed. We have not listed any gig, residency or set time that a venue’s page did not name, so read each venue’s site for the current program.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Order this | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| A pub that calls itself a music venue | Esplanade Hotel (The Espy) | see below | not printed here |
| Live music in the events list | Village Belle Hotel | see below | not printed here |
| Scottish-themed live entertainment | The Cross Hotel | Aperol Spritz | $18.00 |
| Ticketed shows on the foreshore | Palais Theatre | see below | not printed here |
| Pub classics with live music | The Windsor Alehouse | see below | not printed here |
| Live music, DJs and set-price nights | Union Hotel Windsor | Rump steak night (Monday, available from 5:00PM) | $24 |
Esplanade Hotel (The Espy) — 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda VIC 3182
The Espy’s own site calls it a leading live music venue in Melbourne. The Esplanade Hotel lists its trading hours as 12:00pm to 11:00pm from Sunday to Thursday. For Friday and Saturday, the Esplanade Hotel’s site lists 12:00pm to 3:00am. The site also carries separate Ghost Hours for a themed event, which are not the pub’s trading hours.
Capacity / stage: We could not find a published capacity or gig night in what we checked, so the hotel’s site is the place to read the current program.
Village Belle Hotel — 202 Barkly Street, St Kilda VIC 3182
Village Belle Hotel, on Barkly Street, lists Live Music on its site under events and specials, next to a Sunday Roast, Guinness Sundays and Happy Hour. Its site describes a restaurant, public bar and cocktail lounge. The pub hours list Friday and Saturday from 10am to late.
Gig nights: The Village Belle events page names live music but we could not find which nights, so check it before you plan around a set.
The Cross Hotel — 14 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda VIC 3182
The Cross Hotel, on Fitzroy Street, says on its site that it offers live entertainment that celebrates the best of both Scottish and Australian culture. It also lists themed nights like whisky tastings and trivia. Its trading hours list Monday to Thursday from 4pm till late, Friday from 12pm till late, and Saturday and Sunday from 11am till late. The Cross Hotel’s drinks page prints an Aperol Spritz at $18.00.
On the menu (copied from thecross-stkilda.com.au/drink on 5 October 2026):
- Aperol Spritz: $18.00
Catch: We could not find dates attached to the live entertainment or the themed nights, so confirm the night with the pub.
Palais Theatre — Lower Esplanade (corner Cavell Street), St Kilda VIC 3182
The Palais Theatre’s own site places it next to Luna Park, on Lower Esplanade and Cavell Street. Its event listings show Suzi Quatro on 3 December 2026, and The Dandy Warhols are listed with a Book Now button. This is a ticketed theatre rather than a pub, so the format differs from the other five places.
History on record: Wikipedia describes the Palais Theatre, formerly known as Palais Pictures, as a historic picture palace located in St Kilda.
The Windsor Alehouse — 42 Punt Road, Windsor VIC 3181
The Windsor Alehouse is on Punt Road in Windsor, on the St Kilda Junction edge rather than in St Kilda proper. Its site describes a traditional pub classics food menu, live music and cracking hospitality. It also lists trivia, happy hour and Christmas in July. The site lists hours as Monday to Sunday, 12pm till late.
Gig nights: The Alehouse’s site names live music without a night, so we could not find a set day to point you to.
Union Hotel Windsor — 90 Chapel Street, Windsor VIC 3181
Union Hotel Windsor is on Chapel Street, and its site says to enjoy live music, DJs and a pool table. Its trading hours list Monday to Thursday and Sunday from 12PM to 11PM, with Friday and Saturday running from 12PM till late. The Union Hotel’s What’s On page prints a Rump steak night on Monday from 5:00PM at $24. It also prints a weekday happy hour from 3PM to 6PM with Basic Spirits at $8.
On the menu (copied from unionhotelwindsor.com.au/whats-on on 5 October 2026):
- Rump steak night (Monday, available from 5:00PM): $24
- Parma night (Tuesday, available from 5:00PM): $20
- Porterhouse steak night (Wednesday, available from 5:00PM): $25
- Basic Spirits (weekday happy hour, 3-6PM): $8
Door: We could not find a door charge or a named band night on the Union Hotel’s pages, so ask the pub before heading in.
Quick answers
Which pubs in St Kilda have live music?
The Esplanade Hotel’s site calls it a leading live music venue in Melbourne, and Village Belle Hotel lists Live Music among its events and specials. The Cross Hotel says it offers live entertainment that celebrates both Scottish and Australian culture. In Windsor, The Windsor Alehouse mentions live music on its site, and Union Hotel Windsor lists live music and DJs.
Is there a theatre for bigger shows near St Kilda?
The Palais Theatre sits next to Luna Park on Lower Esplanade and Cavell Street, according to its own site. Its event listings show Suzi Quatro on 3 December 2026, plus The Dandy Warhols with a Book Now button.
What time do the live music pubs in St Kilda open?
The Esplanade Hotel’s site lists 12:00pm to 11:00pm from Sunday to Thursday, and 12:00pm to 3:00am on Friday and Saturday. The Cross Hotel’s site lists Monday to Thursday from 4pm till late. Village Belle Hotel lists its pub hours as Friday and Saturday from 10am to late.
Are there set-price deals at the live music pubs?
Union Hotel Windsor prints a Parma night on Tuesday from 5:00PM at $20. Its What’s On page also lists a Porterhouse steak night on Wednesday at $25. The Cross Hotel’s drinks page prints an Aperol Spritz at $18.00, and the other four places had no price we copied.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources between 5 October 2026 and 9 October 2026: OpenStreetMap, the places’ own websites, the Australian Good Food Guide, villagebelle.com.au and en.wikipedia.org. Every price is copied exactly as printed on the page linked under Sources, on 5 October 2026. Menus, prices and opening hours change, so check with the venue before you go. The cover photo is illustrative, from Unsplash, and does not show any place on this page.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Esplanade Hotel (The Espy): openstreetmap.org/302753749, hotelesplanade.com.au, agfg.com.au/hotel-esplanade-espy-kitchen-73742, hotelesplanade.com.au/contact
- Village Belle Hotel: openstreetmap.org/393758132, villagebelle.com.au, agfg.com.au/village-belle-hotel-69382, villagebelle.com.au/eat-drink
- The Cross Hotel: openstreetmap.org/2535972438, thecross-stkilda.com.au, agfg.com.au/the-cross-st-kilda-81239, thecross-stkilda.com.au/drink, thecross-stkilda.com.au/eat-drink-and-be-entertained
- Palais Theatre: openstreetmap.org/188795650, palaistheatre.com.au/getting-here, palaistheatre.com.au/contact-us, en.wikipedia.org/Palais_Theatre, palaistheatre.com.au, palaistheatre.com.au/faqs
- The Windsor Alehouse: openstreetmap.org/304150840, thewindsoralehouse.com.au, agfg.com.au/the-windsor-alehouse-58374, thewindsoralehouse.com.au/events
- Union Hotel Windsor: openstreetmap.org/576798699, unionhotelwindsor.com.au/contact, unionhotelwindsor.com.au/whats-on, unionhotelwindsor.com.au, unionhotelwindsor.com.au/our-menu
