The Prince of Wales Hotel is a hotel and music venue located at 29 Fitzroy Street in St Kilda, an inner bayside suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established as a two storey residential hotel in 1862, it was rebuilt in an Art Deco style in 1937 as a much larger venue, with two bars at ground level and three floors of residential hotel above. During World War II, the hotel housed an officers club for the United States military forces stationed in Melbourne under General Douglas MacArthur.Prince of Wales Hotel, St Kilda Historical Society. Retrieved 20 January 2024.

The smaller bar attracted a homosexual clientele possibly from its opening, and was Victoria's oldest surviving gay bar until a renovation in 2020. An extension in the 1970s added a carpark to the rear and an expanded first floor including a large function space, later known as the Bandroom.

From the late 1970s, alongside other St Kilda venues, namely the Crystal Ballroom and the Esplanade Hotel, the Prince Bandroom became a hub of punk rock and other forms of alternative music. In the same period, Sunday nights featured an elaborate drag show called Pokies, which ran until 1992. Sold in 1996, the exterior was renovated and the upper floors revamped as a boutique hotel and fine dining restaurant, while retaining the Bandroom. A new first floor verandah over the footpath was added to the 70s extension in 1999, and the bars were combined into one large space in 2020.

List of notable musical performances Well-known acts that have performed there include:

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead Animal Collective Aphex Twin Babes in Toyland Beasts of BourbonHeyman, Martin (28 March 2018). "Beasts of Bourbon, Scientists, reunite for Brian Hooper fund raiser", The Music Network. Retrieved 21 January 2024. Beck Behemoth The Black Keys Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Bored! The Breeders Bright Eyes Buzzcocks Celtic Frost Charli XCX Cosmic PsychosJohanson, Simon (30 October 2014). "Melbourne music lovers sound off as St Kilda's Prince of Wales Hotel goes on market", The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 January 2024. Cut Copy Current Joys"From the bedroom to the bandroom: Current Joys brings DIY legacy to Melbourne", Beat. Retrieved 27 April 2024. Death Grips"Death Grips pushed everyone to their limits when they stormed through Melbourne", Beat. Retrieved 21 January 2024. Die Antwoord The Dillinger Escape Plan"The Dillinger Escape Plan @ Prince Bandroom", Beat. Retrieved 21 January 2024. Dinosaur Jr. DJ Shadow"DJ Shadow @ Prince Bandroom", Beat. Retrieved 21 January 2024. Doja Cat Eddy Current Suppression Ring Elastica Fear Factory Fleet Foxes Four Tet Hatebreed Helmet Hole Rowland S. Howard Daniel Johnston Kaiser Chiefs King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Lubricated Goat The Mark of Cain Modest Mouse Mogwai My Bloody Valentine Napalm Death Nico NOFX Nomeansno Obituary Pavement Placebo Queens of the Stone Age Queensrÿche Rancid Refused Regurgitator RZA The Scientists Smashing Pumpkins Sonic Youth Spiderbait Spiritualized Stereolab Teenage Fanclub Tricky Tumbleweed Uriah Heep Vampire Weekend Veruca Salt"Back to the Basics with Veruca Salt", The Knockturnal. Retrieved 15 February 2026. Ween Yo La Tengo You Am I Yung Lean

See also Music of Melbourne

References

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