Before attending please take note of the following measures in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

• It’s recommended that you wear a fitted face mask when visiting the Centre unless a valid medical exemption applies.
• Please maintain physical distancing where possible and follow Centre team members directions for your safety and the safety of others.

If you, or someone you have been in contact with, are displaying symptoms of  COVID-19 please contact us to request a refund or exchange prior to the event.

Click here to read our COVIDSafe plan.

Melbourne Recital Centre is committed to the safety of our artists, staff and patrons. A range of public health and hygiene measures have been put in place:

• It’s recommended that you wear a fitted face mask when visiting the Centre unless a valid medical exemption applies.
• So that we can welcome back as many patrons as possible, seating is not physically distanced in our venues. Clear signage is in place to help our patrons safely move through our spaces.
• Regular cleaning and sanitisation of our venues and high touch areas with approved disinfectant products throughout the day.
• Optimised fresh airflow through our air-conditioning system.
• Hand sanitiser stations around our spaces and maintaining handwash in bathrooms. In addition, perspex screens have been placed in some public areas.
• All transactions at our Box Office are now card only and cash is not accepted.

Before you arrive, please familiarise yourself with our Conditions of Entry. As this information is subject to change, please ensure you are reading the most up to date advice.

Being COVID Safe is a shared responsibility and we ask that you make a reasonable assessment of your health before attending the Centre. Please do not attend the venue if you feel unwell and/or you have any of the following COVID-19 symptoms:

• Fever
• Chills or sweats
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Shortness of breath
• Runny nose
• Loss of sense of smell

If you are concerned about your symptoms, please contact your doctor or the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) coronavirus (COVID-19) hotline on 1800 675 398 for advice on testing.

Click here to read more

Click here to read our Conditions of Entry.

• All visitors to Melbourne Recital Centre must practice physical distancing and follow all instructions provided by staff.
• When attending an event please arrive early as there may be new entry procedures in place.
• It’s recommended that you wear a fitted face mask when visiting the Centre unless a valid medical exemption applies.
• Practice good hand hygiene. Make use of hand sanitisers and wash your hands frequently while on site.
• Follow signage and directions given to address physical distancing requirements, including in corridors, bathrooms, lifts and all interior spaces.
• Please respect the directions of our staff while they seek to make your visit safe.

Our Box Office is open for ticket collection from 1 hour before a ticketed event. Please bring your order confirmation, credit card and concession card/s with you. Only the credit card holder can collect tickets unless we’ve received prior approval. eTickets can be loaded on your smart phone for scanning or printed at home. If you can’t locate your tickets, call 03 9699 3333 or email us here.

For the safety and comfort of audience members, please ensure items A3 and larger in size (this includes bags, backpacks, laptops, briefcases, umbrellas, instruments) are cloaked in our complimentary cloakroom located on the ground floor and staffed for the duration of the concert. If you are unsure if your item/s require cloaking, please ask a member of our friendly Front of House team before entering the venue

For some shows, there are no expectations on when to applaud. Performers greatly value the applause of an audience and it is never unappreciated. However, for chamber music and symphony performances, there are some generally accepted conventions on when to do so. If in doubt, wait to see when the rest of the audience applauds and follow their lead.

SYMPHONY

Just before the performance begins, all members of the Orchestra except the Concertmaster will be seated on stage. The Concertmaster is the violinist who sits in the first chair of the first row of the Orchestra. The audience will greet the Concertmaster with applause when he or she enters the stage. A few moments later, the Conductor will follow and the audience will applaud again. Should there be a soloist or soloists performing, they will enter with the Conductor and should also be applauded. Once the performance commences, you will notice that symphonic works are often composed of several movements or sections with short pauses between each movement. It is customary to sit quietly during these pauses and save your applause for the end of the final movement.

CHAMBER MUSIC

Like symphonies, chamber music pieces are often made up of several movements with short pauses between each movement. Audience members are encouraged to hold their applause until the end of the piece. Melbourne Recital Centre provides free program sheets for each performance, available from stewards in the foyer, which will outline the movements for each piece.

Unless specified, there is no formal dress code at Melbourne Recital Centre, although shoes must be worn at all times. If in doubt, smart casual is always a good choice.

We encourage children of all ages to learn and discover more about music by attending our events. We also encourage parents and guardians to be aware of their children’s behaviour whilst at the Centre and ensure that this doesn’t negatively impact on others enjoyment of an event. Our Box Office can provide further support and advise on age suitability for each event. Unless advised on an events webpage, every person must have a valid entry ticket, regardless of age.

A limited number of booster cushions are available from the cloakroom upon request for use within our building as long as they do not obstruct the view of people seated behind them.

Due to Victoria’s everchanging COVID-19 environment, concert dates and seating allocations may change. All tickets for postponed or cancelled concerts are fully refundable. If your circumstances change due to COVID-19, please contact our friendly Box Office team for more information and to discuss your options in more detail.