Melbourne listening bars hit play for winter solstice

Melbourne will mark the winter solstice this weekend with a city-wide celebration of vinyl, local music and listening bar culture.

On Sunday, June 21, nine venues across Melbourne will take part in a synchronised “pin drop” moment, hitting play at exactly 6.24pm — the official start of the longest night of the year.

The one-hour soundtrack will feature Victorian music on vinyl, curated by Chris Gill from Northside Records.

The event forms part of Visit Victoria’s Every bit different campaign, which encourages Australians to “Come Winter in Melbourne” by showcasing the city as a place where colder months are embraced through culture, hospitality and unique night-time experiences.

Listening bars have surged in popularity globally, and Melbourne has become one of Australia’s leading cities for the movement. The city is also regarded as a vinyl capital, with research by the Victorian Music Development Office showing Melbourne has more record stores per capita than any other city.

Participating venues include Baby Driver (pictured above), Common Cuts, Disuko, HER Music Room and LB’s Record Bar in the CBD, alongside Bahama Gold in Brunswick East, Bar Selecta in Hawthorn, Hope St Radio in Collingwood and Studio Amaro in Windsor.

Victorian vinyl played on the night will include music from Steady Weather, Bumpy, Glass Beams and Surprise Chef.

Visit Victoria CEO Brendan McClements said the collaboration highlighted Melbourne’s distinctive winter offering.

“As part of our Every bit different campaign, this collaboration showcases why Melbourne is unmatched in winter – where culture, music and hospitality come together to create moments that are hard to find anywhere else,” he said.

“This initiative will inspire people to head out and explore, driving visitation into hospitality venues, supporting local jobs and helping businesses thrive during the cooler months.”

Participating venues will also host special activations and giveaways, including tickets to winter experiences such as Lightscape at Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, NGV’s Cartier exhibition and ROME: Empire, Power, People at Melbourne Museum, as well as in-venue dining and beverage vouchers.

More information, including one-night venue offers, is available via Visit Victoria.