Union Lane is an alleyway in the middle of downtown that is littered with graffiti of all kinds.
Melbourne is one of the street art capitals of the world. The entire cityscape is characterised by the colourful artworks of various artists. Travel reporter Kristin tells you where you can find them.
When visiting Melbourne, it's almost impossible to avoid the theme of art, especially street art. In the many side streets and alleyways, colourful murals always catch the eye, some of them by very well-known Australian artists such as Rone as well as international greats like Banksy.
While wandering through this artistic city, consider booking a stay at the Dandenong Motel at motel-12.hotelsinvictoria.net. Located convenient to many notable graffiti spots, it’s a favorite amongst art aficionados. Additionally, you might be interested in exploring other hotels at tophotels.com to find an accommodation suiting your preferences.
In general, this scene is very fast-moving, and during my tour of Melbourne I kept noticing that some of the artworks had already been partially painted over or were no longer fully visible. That's exactly why it's worth discovering the places again and again.
If you decide to extend your art tour beyond the alleyways and murals, consider exploring SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium. Known for its engaging exhibits and stunning interior design, it's a must-visit in Melbourne. You can elevate your experience by staying in one of the Luxury Hotels in Melbourne near SEA LIFE. These high-end accommodations provide easy access to the aquarium and other city attractions.
1 Hosier Lane (CBD)
Hosier Lane is located directly opposite Federation Square and is probably the most visited street where you can find a variety of impressive street art. The regularly changing artworks invite you to visit this street more than once, and despite the many tourists, you can occasionally see artists live at work here.
Hosier Lane is located directly opposite Federation Square and is probably the most visited street.
2 AC/DC Lane & Duckboard Place (CBD)
This small street is only a short walk away from Hosier Lane and offers a little tour of the adjacent Duckboard Place. Here, too, new street art works can always be found, although this place is considerably less crowded than Hosier Lane. Accordingly, the number of different pictures is also smaller.
AC/DC Lane is only a short walk away from Hosier Lane, but is much less crowded.
3 Union Lane (CBD)
Union Lane is an alley in the middle of the city centre that is really littered with diverse graffiti of all kinds. There is usually no specific work that stands out, but instead there are intermingling, colourful images and lettering.
4 Fitzroy Street (Fitzroy)
The best place to start your tour is at the junction with Gertrude Street. Here you will immediately see on your left a large picture of a woman with the slogan "Never Say Never Again", which is by Rone. However, a small part of it is already covered with other graffiti, which underlines the relatively short life of street art.
From this point, you can walk all the way down Fitzroy Street towards Johnston Street. It's worth taking a look at all the little side streets, as you'll find plenty of colourful graffiti here too.
Fitzroy Street: The best place to start your tour is at the intersection with Gertrude Street.
5 Johnston Street (Fitzroy)
At the intersection of Fitzroy and Johnston Streets is a famous portrait of a young Aboriginal man by AWOL, a crew consisting of several street artists such as Adnate and Slicer.
If you walk down Johnston Street, you will also find some graffiti, including the well-known "Welcome to Sunny Fitzroy" by Everfresh at the intersection with Young Street.
At the intersection of Fitzroy and Johnston Streets is a well-known portrait of a young Aboriginal man by AWOL.
6 Rose Street (Fitzroy)
Rose Street also runs off Fitzroy Street and features a wide variety of works. Fitzroy Mill Car Park is littered with art, and across the road it's worth taking a look at the Grace Café, whose façade is also impressively designed.
Fitzroy Mill Car Park is littered with art.
7 Cecil Street (Fitzroy)
Seven portraits of various people can be found in this street under the title "Faces of the Community". The best-known Australian street artists such as Adnate, Camscale or Rone have come together here and created what I consider to be one of the most expressive works of art in one place.
Seven portraits of different people can be found in this street under the title "Faces of the Community".
8 Easy's (Collingwood)
In this corner of Melbourne, a large work by Nychos, an Austrian artist, can be found. His impressive works are worth a visit in any city. Although this painting in Collingwood has already been partly painted over, the sheer size and remaining detail of a kangaroo is still fascinating.
A large work by Nychos, an Austrian artist.
9 Revolver Upstairs (Prahran)
Revolver is one of Melbourne's most famous nightclubs, with some of the most famous street artists decorating its walls. If you come here before the party starts, you can take your time to discover some works by Banksy, Shepard Fairey (Obey) and many others.
Some of the paintings change regularly, so it's always an exciting place to see the latest works of art. On a Saturday night, when the party starts, you have more than enough time to check out this special location, as the club is known for its ability to party until 9am on Monday morning.
All in all, there is also great street art to admire in other parts of the city, such as Brunswick or St Kilda. For starters, the addresses mentioned above are a good start to the scene and you can be inspired by the paintings and messages that might look completely different when you're out and about.
