Karaoke has been popular in Australia ever since Robin Hemmings introduced it commercially in 1989. After all, who doesn’t love the opportunity to unleash their inner Madonna, Axl Rose or Drake?
For many Aussies, karaoke is a very popular thing to do on a night out with their mates. Not to forget an integral part of a bachelor or bachelorette party, corporate team-building exercise or work’s Christmas do.
If you fancy a bit of a sing-song, thankfully Melbourne has plenty of places where you can showcase your (lack of) talent.
So whether you want to impress them with your rendition of ‘Love Shack’ by the B-52s or make a complete fool of yourself whilst you attempt Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’, here are 8 of the best karaoke bars in Melbourne to belt out a tune.
1. Blue Moon Karaoke Bar
Nestled on Russell Street, within the heart of the CBD you’ll find the Blue Moon Karaoke Bar.
A great venue to unwind and let off a bit of steam after a hard day in the office, it boasts one of the best karaoke setups in the city.
Big enough to facilitate choir-sized groups, this sleek bar has a state-of-the-art audio system and a library of over 30,000.
To get you in the mood to belt out ‘I Will Survive’ or ‘Sweet Caroline’ they also offer plenty of drink deals every night and a very good selection of bar food.
If you are looking for a night of fun and laughter, this is a terrific place to go.
Address: 380 Russell St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9639 5875
Trading hours: Wed 5 pm – 12 am, Thu – Sun 5 pm – 1 am
2. Strike Bowling
Obviously best known as a bowling alley, Strike Bowling also gives you the opportunity to break out into song too.
Their private rooms are perfect for those who are a little self-conscious. Allowing them to embarrass themselves in front of their friends and family only, as opposed to a whole group of strangers.
If you need to wet your whistle before you begin your crooning, drinks can be delivered straight to
your room.
They also offer affordable hourly rates, which makes a nice change from the much dearer per person charges you find at other venues.
For a night of knocking down pins and singing till your voice begins to croak, head on over to Little Lonsdale Street in the Melbourne CBD.
Address: 245 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: 1300 787 453
Trading hours: Mon – Thu 5 pm – 10 pm, Fri 5 pm – 11 pm, Sat midday – midnight, Sun midday – 10 pm
3. Rice Queen
Over in Fitzroy, Rice Queen is equally well known for its food as it is its top-notch karaoke area.
Set within a cool space that features plenty of bright lanterns, plastic cherry blossoms and vaulted ceilings, it has a fabulous karaoke in which to steal the limelight.
Accompanying a capacity of 30 people, the private karaoke room has a terrific sound system and a good library of songs.
On the food side of things, their menu displays an excellent range of pan-Asian dishes, which include a nice selection of vegan options. They also present a lovely range of Asian-inspired cocktails for you to enjoy.
Address: 389-391 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Phone: (03) 9419 6624
Trading hours: Tue – Fri 5 pm – late, Sat 12 pm – late
4. KBOX Karaoke
Should the thought of performing in a censorious room of intoxicated strangers fill you with dread, then you may consider a visit to KBOX Karaoke instead.
Situated in La Trobe Street in the heart of the CBD, they offer private rooms which enable you and your mates to make complete fools of yourself.
Within their space, they have everything you would imagine a karaoke bar to possess including carpeted walls, deluxe couches and disco glitter balls.
Their music repertoire incorporates several decades and genres, so you should have no trouble finding a song to honour or butcher depending on your level of singing ability.
Address: 52 La Trobe Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9663 9663
Trading hours: Wed – Thu 6 pm – 2 am, Fri 5 pm – 3:30 am, Sat 2 pm – 3:30 am, Sun 2 pm – 2 am
5. Heroes Karaoke & Rooftop Bar
An institution in the CBD, Heroes Karaoke and Rooftop Bar is championed by many as being one of Melbourne’s best places to unleash your inner rock or pop star.
Presenting not one, or two, but four different floors, their Bourke Street location provides plenty of space to sing, drink and eat. This can be done in public or private rooms to satisfy all levels of showmanship.
Open mic Karaoke kicks off at 8 pm every night, allowing would-be singers more than 200,000 songs to choose from. So whether you want to bash out a rendition of AC/DC, Tears for Fears, Boyzone or the Lambada, there will be a suitable tune for you.
When not singing you can enjoy a delicious meal from their Asian BBQ kitchen or enjoy a drink on their awesome rooftop bar.
Address: 188 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 8639 0630
Trading hours: Wed & Sun 4 pm – 12 am, Thu – Sat 4 pm – 1 am
6. F.M. Karaoke
F.M. Karaoke is a popular CBD venue on Bourke Street that does things a little bit differently than other venues.
To add an extra spice to their proceedings, each of their private karaoke rooms is themed. Therefore you can sing ‘Walk Like an Egyptian’ by the Bangles in their Egyptian-themed room or Bananarama’s ‘Venus’ in their Roman-themed room.
Alternatively, you can have a go on the free, open mic if you have enough confidence to do so.
A great place for a buck’s night or hen do, they offer a fabulous selection of songs in several different languages that incorporate both modern-day songs and classics your parents used to dance to when they were teenagers.
Address: Shop 2, 146 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9663 0013
Trading hours: Sun – Thu 7 pm – 1 am, Fri – Sat 6 pm – 3 am
7. Partyworld Karaoke
You will get an idea of what Partyworld Karaoke is like just from its name.
Tucked away in the Melbourne Central Shopping Centre, this fantastic karaoke bar offers the funnest night in town.
All up it has 44 well-furnished rooms, that come with top-of-the-line equipment, comfortable sofas and plenty of privacy for those who are mic-shy.
Catering to all budgets, their database of songs is very extensive. They also offer a fantastic selection of local and imported beers, as well as a huge variety of spirits and wines to get you in the mood to hit the mic.
Address: Shop 301, Level 3, Melbourne Central Shopping Centre, 211 La Trobe Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9938 8888
Trading hours: Mon – Sun 7 pm – 3 am
8. Jankara Karaoke
If the thought of paying to showcase your terrible singing skills doesn’t exactly fill you with excitement, then would it help if you were able to sing for free?
That is exactly what you can do at Jankara Karaoke on Russell Street within the CBD.
Providing access to over 5,000 songs that can be sung in English, Chinese, Filipino or Japanese, this venue is known for being inclusive and having a fun party atmosphere.
It also offers a great range of international beers including the likes of Hoegaarden from Belgium and Kirin and Asahi from Japan.
Address: 300 Russell Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9662 4042
Trading hours: Sun – Thu 7 pm – 1 am, Fri – Sat 5 pm – 5 am