Top Function Rooms Melbourne for Hire

Packed with award-winning restaurants, art galleries and charming function rooms, the vibrant city of Melbourne has no shortage of beautiful venues for event planners. Whether you're looking to party by the Yarra River, dine in the suburbs, or admire the glistening city from high altitude, there are a whole bunch of beautiful event spaces across Melbourne just waiting to be discovered. Our Melbourne Function Venue Guide will lead you through Melbourne's best suburbs for holding events, some tips and tricks on how to plan and manage an event, and will help you to find the perfect venue in Melbourne.

Unique Melbourne function venues

Whether you want to indulge your inner child or wow your guests, Melbourne has tons of awe-inspiring event spaces that won’t let you down.

Take a look at this sampling of the unique function rooms Melbourne has to offer:

StoryVille - Inspired by well-loved tales like The Hobbit and The Chronicles of Narnia, this fantasy-themed bar located in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD is your best bet for a whimsical New Year’s Eve bash, birthday party or engagement so.

Pins Royale - This exclusive function venue comes with a luxury pool table, private karaoke, mahogany bowling lanes, gold bowling balls and a butler to greet you at the private VIP street entrance — what more could you want? It’s a high-end space perfect for an indulgent hens night, bucks night or company Christmas party.

SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium - Celebrate your milestones surrounded by sharks, stingrays and gorgeous marine life! This striking venue accommodates both small and large gatherings and can be transformed into a memorable setting for a wedding reception, corporate function or private party.

Adelphi Pool Deck - Famous for its cantilevering, glass-bottomed rooftop pool, this function venue in the Melbourne CBD makes an impeccable setting for birthday parties, corporate retreats, baby showers and more. Whether you’re hosting a bridal shower or planning a product launch, you can bring your vision to life at this picture-perfect spot.

How to book Melbourne function rooms on a budget

Host the celebration of your dreams without putting a hole in your pocket. Here’s how to snag exceptional function rooms on a tight budget.

Schedule your event outside of peak season

Hosting your event in the off-season is a tried-and-tested way of saving on venue hire cost. For instance, some couples choose to get hitched in winter, when many venues and suppliers offer winter specials. Weekends are by far the busiest time for weddings, engagement parties and other social events, so you might consider celebrating on a Wednesday or Thursday.

Think outside the box

Instead of booking a hotel in the Melbourne CBD for your next conference, why not go for a roomy cafe or restaurant? Nowadays, whether you’re planning an intimate wedding or an end-of-financial-year bash, there are plenty of unexpected venues to help you keep your event budget on track.

Bring your own bottle

Look for function rooms with a BYO beverage policy. This allows you to choose your drinks based on what you can afford, helping you cut costs significantly. If you can find venues that allow external catering, that will help you save even more! VenueNow allows you to filter your search results by both of these perks.

Best neighbourhoods in Melbourne for function venue hire

From uber-cool North Melbourne to bustling South Yarra and all the eclectic neighbourhoods throughout, there are hundreds of function rooms to discover in Melbourne. But what are the best neighbourhoods for function venue hire?

Melbourne CBD

Home to Federation Square, Eureka Tower and other renowned sights, the Central Business District is filled with chic high-rise venues and sprawling laneways dotted with world-class food spots and trendy cafes, bars and galleries. The Central Business District is filled with chic high-rise venues and sprawling laneways dotted with world-class food spots and trendy cafes, bars and galleries.

Brighton

Brighton is an affluent coastal suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia that is 11 km south-east of Melbourne’s central business district and is one of the most popular locations for Melbourne function venues due to its coastal views.

Prahran

Named after Parson James Fuller who arrived in Melbourne from Cornwall in 1837 with his wife Anna Maria (née Frost), Prahran has long been associated with its strong English roots — it was once known by locals as "The little England beyond Wales". It features some of Melbourne's best antique shops and high street shopping outlets like Myers Corner which offers everything from one-off pieces to custom tailoring.

Fitzroy

Known as Melbourne’s “Bohemian Quarter,” the inner-city suburb of Fitzroy is home to buzzy nightclubs, popular eateries, modern function rooms, artist-run spaces and heaps of unexpected venue hire options for any function or special event.

St. Kilda

Located south-east of the CBD, St. Kilda has some of Melbourne’s most visited attractions and hosts many of its biggest events and festivals. This gives your guests plenty to see and experience before and after your event!

South Melbourne

Located on the north bank of the Yarra River, this neighbourhood is a sought-after destination for foodies and those looking for an active night out. Here you’ll find Melbourne's top pubs and bars as well as boutique hotels, restaurants, cafés, galleries and function rooms. South Melbourne has a distinctly European feel and is home to some of Melbourne’s most popular restaurants and thriving café culture. It’s also close to Melbourne Park, Melbourne Convention Centre and the city centre making it an ideal location for your next event!

South Yarra

South Yarra is home to some of Melbourne's best bars, restaurants, cafes and galleries as well as excellent venues right in its backyard. With plenty of room for events, South Yarra is Melbourne’s ultimate function destination.

Richmond

Richmond offers a mix of Victorian charm and modern Melbourne with its vibrant café culture and outdoor spaces perfect for your event in Melbourne's Inner East!

Northcote

Super trendy Northcote is a great option if you want to impress your guests with an energetic, lively and upbeat event space. In such close proximity to Flinders Street Station, this hip suburb has it all — from café culture and buzzing laneways to creative galleries and boutiques galore.

Rosanna

This leafy eastern suburb of Melbourne offers elegant function rooms in some of its stately historic homes. Rosanna has a small-town feel with winding tree lined streets and relaxed café culture.

Top function venues and event spaces in Melbourne

Melbourne is teeming with one-of-a-kind function rooms for almost any purpose and capacity. Whether you’re looking for a contemporary event space for a workshop, a venue with scenic views of the Yarra River or a private lounge for an intimate engagement party, you’ll find your perfect function room on VenueNow.

Here are our top picks for Melbourne function rooms:

Glasshouse - Located in the heart of the famous Olympic Parks Precinct, this picturesque space features interior design by award-winning architects Hecker Guthrie and boasts the latest in audiovisual technology. No wonder it’s popular with both the wedding crowd and corporate event planners!

Eureka 89 - With its custom-designed showpiece bar and sweeping views of Port Phillip Bay and the Botanical Gardens, this elegant venue just south of Melbourne’s CBD is perfectly suited for wedding receptions, gala dinners and cocktail events.

XO STUDIOS - Located in Brunswick East, this event space is a blank canvas waiting for your creative touch. Looking for an upscale warehouse space to transform into a boho-chic birthday party setting? Or as a modern backdrop for your next photoshoot? This venue hire in Melbourne has everything, including vehicle access, a kitchen and free all-day parking.

Higher Ground - Converted from a former power station built in the 1890s, this gorgeous function space has a warehouse vibe complemented by lush greenery and modern minimalist finishes. With an award-winning menu, signature cocktails and six levels that can host up to 300 guests, it’s the perfect Melbourne venue for your next event.

We’ve collected heaps of function rooms for just about any type of event you can think of hosting. Best of all, we’ve made it as easy as possible to select and book your perfect venue hire in Melbourne. So whether you’re booking an event space for your boss or planning a surprise bridal shower for your best mate, we’re here for you!

Popular event types for function venues in Melbourne

Corporate function

Corporate events range from training workshops to conferences where people come together for a shared goal or purpose. These meetings often take place over an extended period of time so it’s important that your venue is comfortable enough to keep participants engaged for long periods of time with amenities like wifi access, ample space for breakout sessions as well as catering services available throughout the day. It also helps if you have meeting rooms away from each other so there's separation between break out session topics and discussions happening at once which can be overheard by others not participating in that particular discussion.

Engagement party

Engaged couples who want to throw the ultimate celebration for their big day without breaking the bank often turn to venues in Melbourne’s Inner East, such as Richmond where they can find function rooms that offer a mix of Victorian charm and modern Melbourne with its vibrant café culture and outdoor spaces perfect for your event!

Wedding

As the most significant event in many people’s lives, weddings are often planned over a long period of time and require an extensive amount of planning. When looking for function venues in Melbourne it's important to consider what your guests will need during their stay with things like ample parking available nearby, food options that suit every taste profile, wifi access so they can quickly upload photos from the day as well as entertainment options such as live music or DJ sets after dinner.

Birthday party

From children’s outdoor birthday parties to lavish affairs for adults, venues in Melbourne are perfect for throwing the most memorable bash. You might be looking for a function space that caters specifically to kids with a party room full of bright colours and an inflatable slide or you could go all out at an event space like Higher Ground where there's acres of green open spaces, sleek minimalist design and award-winning food!

Award Ceremony

If you're hosting your next awards ceremony in Melbourne, it can feel daunting trying to navigate which venue is best suited as they each offer their own unique benefits. Your decision will depend on many factors such as budget restrictions or if you require any special amenities (e.g., live music). However, investing in a venue space that can successfully cater to your needs for whatever the event is will make it easier on you and those helping organise!