Nearly two decades ago Lounge opened, throwing a café, bar, club, performance space, art space, and live venue into the one room.

It is an entity that has purposefully brought together many subcultures within Melbourne and shifted consistently to accommodate new genres and trends. From alternative film nights to literary readings to plays and cabaret to regular live and recorded music nights, Lounge has worked to maintain a focus and support of these arts. It launched its own record label and has sponsored a literary journal for unpublished Australian writers called Vehicle.

Lounge has been home to a variety of long running club nights including Purveyors, Cocoa Butter, Soulaar, Loose Fit and the infamous Filter - arguably the worlds longest running techno club on Wednesday nights for eight years.

From queer friendly house nights to dark drum and bass, from uni students to CEO's Lounge has always provided a place for new and emerging ideas and art forms to have a forum in the heart of the city.

As well as functioning as a café/bar to a range of regular clients seven days and seven nights providing a consistent menu with changing specials, Lounge also offers an exhibition space with a new show opening each month, has a weekly film screening "Short Sighted" and seeks to profile new musical genres both locally and internationally, supporting underground movements not depicted in mainstream clubs.

We host five weekly club nights that present completely different styles of music, bringing people together from all corners of contemporary subculture.

We offer a relaxed, unpretentious environment that welcomes everyone from you and me to the likes of John Waters, Evan Dando, Kylie Minogue, Michael Hutchence, Sir Bob Geldof, The Cure, Nick Cave, Cypress Hill, Bjork, Penny Arcade, The Stone Roses, Tim Burton, The Jim Rose Sideshow Circus. Why? Because we leave punters alone to enjoy the space and just eat, drink and dance the night away in complete anonymity.

Lounge Upstairs
Open mid morning til late, seven days a week
1st Floor, 243 Swanston Street, Melbourne, VIC Australia 3000
p: (+61) 3 9663 2916 e: click here