What's On in Melbourne This Weekend: Tribute Shows, Dinner Shows & Live Music Worth Going Out For

This edition covers Thursday 8 to Wednesday 14 October 2026. Checked Tuesday 6 October 2026, 8:55 am AEDT. All times are local Melbourne/Victorian time. These are selected shows, not a complete events directory. The Adele Show publishes this guide and has played some of these rooms; inclusion is an editorial choice, not paid placement. We have no Adele Show date inside this week’s window.

Use each official venue or ticket page before leaving home: prices, running times and allocations can change. A venue’s event listing time is not necessarily the moment the band starts. Where the page does not say, we do not guess.

At a glance

Thursday 8 October

• The Syncopators — Frankston — jazz matinee at 10:30 am or 1:30 pm, $27 full.
• Australian INXS Tribute Show — St Kilda — 7:30 pm show, advertised tiers $55–75 + fee.
• SINGSONGS — Heatherton — hosted singalong from 8 pm, $25 + fee.

Friday 9 October

• Pete Thackrah — Heatherton — free live music, 5–7:30 pm.
• Music of the Night — Bendigo — musical-theatre songbook at 7 pm, $79.95 adult.
• Countdown 80’s Live — Fawkner — covers from 8:30 pm; door price not published on the checked page.

Saturday 10 October

• Marty Rose Band — Heatherton — 8 pm dinner-and-show option, $30 + fee, food extra.
• Queen Rhapsody and Kiss Thiss — Fawkner — two rock tributes, music from 8:30 pm.
• Melbourne Kathak Festival — Doncaster East — classical dance and music, 5–7:30 pm, $35.
• Asola Allure — Fawkner — original music at 8 pm; confirm admission with the venue.
• Martin Nievera — CBD — Filipino pop concert, main show 7:45 pm, from $125 + fee.

Sunday 11 October

• Peter Sullivan & Family Combo — Heatherton — free soul, swing and jazz from 1–3:30 pm.
• Ruth Moody — St Kilda — 3 pm folk/Americana matinee, advertised tiers $45–55 + fee.
• Conrad Sewell — Bendigo — stripped-back acoustic tour, support from 7 pm, $49.90.

Monday 12 October

• Transients — Brunswick — guitar, drums and piano at 7:30 pm, $25–30 + fee.

Tuesday 13 October

• James Shortland’s Emergence — Brunswick — bass-led jazz quartet at 7:30 pm, $25–30 + fee.

Wednesday 14 October

• Anton Delecca Quartet — Brunswick — sax-led jazz at 7:30 pm, $25–30 + fee.
• Graeme Connors — Bendigo — country songwriting at 7:30 pm, $79 adult.

Details and official links

The Syncopators at Frankston Arts Centre

• Thursday 8 October: 10:30–11:40 am or 1:30–2:40 pm performance
• Where: Frankston Arts Centre Theatre, Frankston
• Admission: $27 full; $24 member or group of ten or more. Optional lunch is separately priced.
• Official details: Venue or organiser event page

A daytime jazz tribute to British trad-jazz players Barber, Ball and Bilk. Two sessions make this the practical choice if a late show is not your idea of a night out.

Australian INXS Tribute Show at MEMO

• Thursday 8 October: doors 6:30 pm; show 7:30 pm
• Where: MEMO Music Hall, St Kilda
• Admission: MEMO advertises $55, $60, $70 and $75 tiers plus booking fee; check which seats remain.
• Official details and tickets: Venue or organiser event page

Dellacoma Rio fronts a six-piece band through the INXS catalogue. Choose this for a full tribute concert in a seated music room, not background covers over dinner. The calendar’s earlier time is doors, not showtime.

SINGSONGS at Arcobar

• Thursday 8 October: access 6:30 pm; show 8–10 pm
• Where: Arcobar, Heatherton
• Admission: $25 per person plus $3.50 booking fee; dinner and drinks extra.
• Official details: Venue or organiser event page

A hosted, pianist-and-guitarist-led audience singalong rather than a conventional band gig. It suits a table of friends who would rather join in than sit through another standard set.

Pete Thackrah at Arcobar

• Friday 9 October: live music 5–7:30 pm
• Where: Arcobar, Heatherton
• Admission: free, walk-ins; no booking required for the music.
• Official details: Venue or organiser event page

One of the useful low-commitment Friday choices: real music straight after work, without treating a dinner booking as the price of admission.

Music of the Night at The Capital

• Friday 9 October: 7 pm event listing
• Where: The Capital, Bendigo
• Admission: adult $79.95; concession or group of eight $74.95; member $72.95; child under 18 $54.95.
• Official details: Venue or organiser event page

A theatre-sized West End and Andrew Lloyd Webber songbook, with singers, Joey Fimmano and guest violinist Katrina Papallo. Worth the Bendigo trip if musical-theatre vocals are your lane.

Countdown 80’s Live at Musicland

• Friday 9 October: doors 7:30 pm; show 8:30 pm
• Where: Musicland Main Stage, Fawkner
• Admission: at the door; the checked venue detail does not state an amount.
• Official details: Venue or organiser event page

A straightforward dance-floor set of familiar eighties songs in a suburban live-band room. Check the venue’s current door terms before setting out.

Marty Rose Band at Arcobar

• Saturday 10 October: access 6:30 pm; show 8–10 pm
• Where: Arcobar, Heatherton
• Admission: $30 per person plus $3.50 booking fee; food and drinks extra; optional front-row upgrade $10.
• Official details: Venue or organiser event page

A band-led Saturday with a proper table option, for anyone who wants familiar songs without a standing-room rock show. The venue’s past sell-out claims do not establish this date’s remaining tickets.

Queen and KISS tributes at Musicland

• Saturday 10 October: dinner from 6:30 pm, doors 7:30 pm, live music from 8:30 pm
• Where: Musicland Main Stage, Fawkner
• Admission: linked ticket listing advertises a $25–35 range; tiers, fees and current availability need checking.
• Official details: Venue or organiser event page

Two big-catalogue rock tributes on one bill. The venue uses both “Queen Rhapsody” and “Queen Rocks” in its copy and “Kiss Thiss” in the billing; use its ticket link to confirm the final bill before booking. The page also retains an old “tickets on sale soon” line despite a ticket link, so we have not claimed a particular allocation is available.

Melbourne Kathak Festival at Doncaster East

• Saturday 10 October: doors 4:30 pm; programme 5–7:30 pm
• Where: Performing Arts Centre, East Doncaster Secondary College, Doncaster East
• Admission: $35 general admission, unallocated seating.
• Official tickets and details: Venue or organiser event page

Rang-e-Sangeet puts Indian classical Kathak, rhythm, melody and storytelling at the centre of the evening. A culturally specific stage show to broaden the week’s choices beyond covers and jazz; it is dance-led, not a standalone band concert.

Asola Allure at Musicland

• Saturday 10 October: doors 7:30 pm; show 8 pm
• Where: Musicland Bebe’s Bar, Fawkner
• Admission: not stated on the checked event page; confirm with venue.
• Official details: Venue or organiser event page

Original music in the smaller Musicland room if your Saturday needs something other than another familiar-song tribute. This is a different room from the Main Stage’s double bill.

Martin Nievera at Melbourne Town Hall

• Saturday 10 October: general doors 6 pm, pre-show 7 pm; main concert 7:45 pm
• Where: Melbourne Town Hall, CBD
• Admission: Bronze $125, Gold $200, Platinum $260, VIP $290; booking fees apply. Check current tiers.
• Official promoter: EPIC event details · Tickets: Eventbrite booking page

Filipino pop singer Martin Nievera brings the Good Day, Mart! concert to a landmark city room. A grown-up night of OPM ballads and showmanship, with the promoter and ticket page agreeing on the date, venue and ticket tiers.

Peter Sullivan at Arcobar

• Sunday 11 October: live music 1–3:30 pm
• Where: Arcobar, Heatherton
• Admission: free, walk-ins; no booking for the music.
• Official details: Venue or organiser event page

Piano-led soul, swing, jazz and blues with bass and drums, at an hour that leaves the evening free. This is the 11 October session, not last Sunday’s listing.

Ruth Moody at MEMO

• Sunday 11 October: doors 2 pm; show 3 pm
• Where: MEMO Music Hall, St Kilda
• Admission: advertised $45, $50 and $55 tiers plus online booking fee; door prices if available differ.
• Official details and tickets: Venue or organiser event page

Canadian folk and roots songwriter Ruth Moody brings The Wanderer Returns with Alice Hurwood. An afternoon listening-room show with more space for harmonies and stories than the usual pub set.

Conrad Sewell at The Capital

• Sunday 11 October: support 7 pm; Conrad 7:50 pm, subject to change
• Where: The Capital, Bendigo
• Admission: $49.90 all tickets advertised.
• Official details: Venue or organiser event page

This tour pares the songs back for an intimate theatre. The venue gives separate support and headline times, so there is no need to call 7 pm Conrad’s own start.

Transients at The JazzLab

• Monday 12 October: doors 7 pm; show 7:30 pm
• Where: The JazzLab, Brunswick
• Admission: $25 concession or $30 general admission, plus booking fee.
• Official details: Venue or organiser event page

Stephen Magnusson on guitar, Ben Vanderwal on drums and Andrea Keller on piano: three strong improvisers, in a room built for listening rather than talking over the band.

James Shortland at The JazzLab

• Tuesday 13 October: doors 7 pm; show 7:30 pm
• Where: The JazzLab, Brunswick
• Admission: $25 concession or $30 general admission, plus booking fee.
• Official details: Venue or organiser event page

Emergence combines Shortland’s new bass-led compositions, piano-trio playing and Tiana Young’s vocals. A useful midweek option beyond the tribute circuit.

Anton Delecca at The JazzLab

• Wednesday 14 October: doors 7 pm; show 7:30 pm
• Where: The JazzLab, Brunswick
• Admission: $25–30, plus booking fee.
• Official details: Venue or organiser event page

Delecca’s saxophone draws on spiritual jazz, gospel and fusion. The current event heading bills a Quartet even though the legacy URL says “quintet”; follow the current venue page rather than an old slug.

Graeme Connors at The Capital

• Wednesday 14 October: 7:30 pm event listing
• Where: The Capital, Bendigo
• Admission: adult $79; concession or group of eight $74; child under 15 $45.
• Official details: Venue or organiser event page

Fifty years and twenty albums give Connors a deep country-songwriting set, with new material alongside the well-known songs. A different midweek theatre outing from the Brunswick jazz room.

Book ahead

• Thursday 22 October: Gabriella Cilmi at Arcobar, Heatherton. Access 6:30 pm, show 8–10 pm; $99.50 plus $3.50 booking fee advertised. An intimate original-artist dinner show; check the current ticket package details before booking.

A musician’s note

A calendar card often shows doors, dinner access or an unlabelled event time. We have labelled those separately above, and left unpublished ticket amounts blank rather than inventing a bargain. For venues rather than dates, see our Melbourne suburban live-music venues guide and tribute and concept-show overview. The Adele Show’s own upcoming dates are at the end here if you came looking for us.