The Esplanade Alliance

The Esplanade Hotel Foundation

Since its construction in 1878, the Esplanade Hotel has been hosting regular live music performances.
In the 1920s and ‘30s it developed a reputation for nurturing and supporting independent, Australian musicians.
For the last 20 years the hotel has played music 7 nights a week, held regular comedy performing arts and art exhibitions and continued to support independent Australian musicians.

It is proposed that a company limited by guarantee will be formed to own and operate The Esplanade Hotel. The company will be charitable and it will apply to be entered on the register of cultural organisations. If entered on the register, this will enable the public fund to be endorsed as a deductible gift recipient.
The company’s objectives will be to encourage and promote music, performing arts, visual arts, crafts, design, film, video, television, radio and other cultural activities as the directors decide at The Esplanade Hotel. The current emphasis on supporting alternative and fringe music, performing arts and visual arts will continue.
It is intended that the operation of the food and beverage activities will be licensed to another organisation. The payments received from licensing the food and beverage operations will go towards the costs of supporting and promoting the cultural activities, and repaying any financing required for the purchase and refurbishment of The Esplanade Hotel.
During the transition phase and repayment phase at least the current schedule of music and performing arts will be maintained and it is the intention that these activities will be increased.

The Esplanade Hotel is an icon of constantly evolving cultural and fringe arts and alternative music.
The front lounge or Nimrod Room is used for music 7 nights a week. There are generally 2 or 3 bands playing per night, with up to 4 bands on Saturday night.
The Gershwin Room is used for music, with 2 or 3 bands playing 5 nights a week and stand up comedy is performed 1 night and 1 afternoon a week.
The Esplanade Hotel is a venue for the Melbourne Fringe Festival and the St Kilda Festival during which the forecourt is also used for music.
The hotel is used for photography and art exhibitions, poetry readings and displays of the works of various poets. It hosts performance artists, theatre and an evening of competitive writing as part of the Melbourne Writer’s Festival.
Regular radio broadcasts are made from The Esplanade Hotel. The Melbourne radio station 3PBS-FM has broadcast regularly from The Esplanade Hotel since 1991. Other radio broadcasters such as Triple M, 3RRR and Triple J have produced shows or music broadcasts from The Esplanade Hotel.
The Esplanade Hotel also permits and encourages film, video and TV filming by established producers, TV networks as well as new film makers and students.
Since 1994, a room at the back of The Esplanade Hotel has been used for live recording. The recording studio is known as Espy Recorders Pty Ltd and has recorded over 250 artists.

The upstairs levels of The Esplanade Hotel are currently closed. It is intended that these will be refurbished and used as:

(a) studios for visual artists (including craft and design) and performing artists;
(b) visual art, craft, photography and design exhibitions;
(c) new performance space;
(d) offices and studio for community radio;
(e) further recording studio areas.

This webpage is maintained by Cyndy Vogelsang on behalf of the Esplanade Alliance