Melbourne’s Palace Theatre has been in operation since 1860. Originally known as the Douglas Theatre, it was destroyed by fire in 1911 and then later reopened in 1912. For over the past hundred years it has been a Melbourne city staple, having being utilised as a theatre, cinema and more recently as a live performance venue for a variety of musical acts.
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At present, there are plans in the works to demolish this well known site to make way for hotel suites. This will leave Melbourne with one less live performance venue at which to host music tours for thousands of patrons to enjoy.
The removal of The Palace as a live music location will leave a measurable gap for mid-sized artists touring Melbourne. With a capacity of approximately 1850 people, The Palace provides a home for mid-size tours exceeding the Billboards venue capacity of 1050 people, while also meeting onsite needs for those not requiring the 5445 person capacity capabilities of Festival Hall. Without The Palace, there is high risk of Melbourne being bypassed on tour routes, thus negatively affecting its thriving music scene. Melbourne’s exposure to international tours and the budding local acts that support them stands to suffer significantly under the proposed hotel apartment property development.
Partially heritage listed and situated within Melbourne’s urban landscape, The Palace Theatre is an iconic building which is held in high regard by patrons and performers alike. Its removal would prove a devastating loss to all of those involved in the Melbourne live music experience. As a town known for its rich nightlife and cultural saturation, this demolition cannot be allowed to move forward.
We must all band together and make a stand to save and protect a structure that holds so much historical and cultural significance.
Save The Palace has been working tirelessly since 2013 towards preserving the Palace Theatre as an unparalleled live music and entertainment venue.
‘Gentrification, although shiny and glitzy, leaves a city hollow and without substance. We are very much a risk of our city’s culture becoming manicured and its very soul being cut out.’
MEET THE TEAM!
Rebecca Leslie (Co-Chair)
Rebecca works as a Team Manager for a general insurance company. She joined the mission to save the Palace Theatre with the greater vision of preserving Melbourne live music culture from the ongoing threats of developer versus punters. Her connection and passion for the Palace Theatre evolved from her love of live music and in particular that special experience of attending gigs at our world renowned Palace Theatre.
Michael Raymond (Co-Chair)
Michael graduated in architecture and is currently working as a designer in Melbourne. His association with the Palace Theatre stems from his many visits as an audience member. As a lover of dance music, Michael has attended hundreds of musical events in Australia and around the world and considers the Palace Theatre one of the best music and entertainment venues in the world on par with the . “The Palace is unrivaled in Melbourne thanks to its vistas throughout the building which allow patrons to get a clear view of the stage from just about anywhere within”.
SAVE THE PALACE ‘WARRIORS’
Michael and Rebecca lead a team of volunteers from many walks of life. Some are regulars while others are limited in what they can commit. Nevertheless, the Save the Palace Team is constantly growing and striving towards positive outcomes. We are always looking for additional support so if you have something to offer or you want to get involved do not hesitate to contact us.
