Forum Theatre, Melbourne
Melbourne has long been considered the cultural capital of Australia, and the Forum Theatre is one of the city’s best known cultural landmarks. Formerly known as the “State Theatre”, it was originally built as a movie palace. When the theatre opened in 1929, it had the largest seating capacity in the country with space for 3371 people. The building was designed by John Eberson, an American architect, who was well known around the world for his theatres. The exterior was in the Moorish revival style, with decadent minarets, cupola and an attention grabbing clock tower. The interior was done in an ornate Greco-Roman style and the ceiling was peppered with stars to emulate the twinkling night sky.
Today the theatre is no longer a cinema, but has for many years been used for a wide variety of theatrical, musical and cultural performances. Entertainers such as Oasis, Katy Perry and Ozzy Osborne have performed there and it is a regular venue for the Melbourne International Film Festival and Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The Forum Theatre has been on the Victorian Heritage Register since 1981.
Today the theatre is no longer a cinema, but has for many years been used for a wide variety of theatrical, musical and cultural performances. Entertainers such as Oasis, Katy Perry and Ozzy Osborne have performed there and it is a regular venue for the Melbourne International Film Festival and Melbourne International Comedy Festival. The Forum Theatre has been on the Victorian Heritage Register since 1981.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Melbourne. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The GPSmyCity App
Forum Theatre on Map
Sight Name: Forum Theatre
Sight Location: Melbourne, Australia (See walking tours in Melbourne)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Melbourne, Australia (See walking tours in Melbourne)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Melbourne, Australia
Create Your Own Walk in Melbourne
Creating your own self-guided walk in Melbourne is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
St. Kilda District Walking Tour
A cosmopolitan seaside suburb of Melbourne overlooking Port Phillip Bay, Saint Kilda District is a charming and culturally rich neighborhood graced with a blend of historical landmarks and contemporary attractions.
One of its prominent sites is the Saint Kilda Town Hall, an imposing municipal building that serves as a hub for various community events and gatherings.
Eildon Mansion, another... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles
One of its prominent sites is the Saint Kilda Town Hall, an imposing municipal building that serves as a hub for various community events and gatherings.
Eildon Mansion, another... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles
Laneways and Arcades Walking Tour
Melbourne’s laneways and arcades form a defining part of the city’s urban identity. With more than forty of them weaving through the Central Business District, they are the city’s unofficial alternate transport system, allowing visitors to wander half the downtown without ever stepping onto a main street.
Many of these passages began life in the Victorian era during Melbourne’s rapid... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Many of these passages began life in the Victorian era during Melbourne’s rapid... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Melbourne Food Tour
Relatively small compared to the likes of New York City and London, Melbourne consistently punches above its weight as a food destination. Built on successive waves of European and Southeast Asian migration, a love of culinary innovation, and a strong sentiment that eating out counts as a hobby, the city offers a dining scene that feels both approachable and globally attuned. These days, you’ll... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
Melbourne Introduction Walking Tour
Melbourne likes to present itself as a city of cool cafés and clever ideas, but its story reaches far deeper than flat whites and laneways. Long before colonial maps appeared, the lands around Port Phillip Bay belonged to the indigenous Kulin Nation, including the Wurundjeri people, who shaped the region with sophisticated social systems, spiritual connections to country, and land-care practices... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.5 Km or 2.2 Miles
Historical Buildings Walking Tour
Melbourne's architecture is a rich cocktail of styles ranging from those practiced in the early years of European settlement of Australia to the more modern ones. Among the historical buildings particularly noticeable here are those from the Victorian era, forming an essential part of the city's heritage.
The Old Melbourne Gaol once served as a prison, from 1842 to 1929, and is... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
The Old Melbourne Gaol once served as a prison, from 1842 to 1929, and is... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
Chocolate Indulgence Tour of Melbourne
Melbourne has a reputation for cafés and fine restaurants, and lately a chocolate fever has taken over the city. This tour takes you through the alleyways and arcades of the city center whilst stopping at selected chocolate indulgence points. Take your senses on a unique experience through six of...