Melbourne Recital Centre has officially opened The Peter and Ruth McMullin Beacon, transforming a previously disused storage space atop its Southbank home into an intimate new performance and events venue overlooking Melbourne’s Arts Precinct.

The Beacon will combine live music, dining and city views, offering a setting for public performances as well as private events. Its inaugural program begins on 17 September with a three-night run by international cabaret performer Meow Meow in Meow Meow & Friend.

Meow Meow and Beacon Director of Programming Iain Grandage. Photo supplied

The program, running through November, will showcase the breadth of Melbourne’s musical life, spanning cabaret, contemporary music, jazz, musical theatre and First Nations-led programming. Artists in the Beacon’s inaugural season include singer-songwriter and producer Jess Hitchcock (5 November), Fem Belling & Monique DiMattina (6 November), Kee’ahn (12 November) and Andrea Keller & Stephen Magnusson on 13 November.

Melbourne Recital Centre chief executive Sandra Willis said the Beacon grew from a desire to bring audiences closer to music while building on the centre’s established focus on artists and memorable experiences.

“Here you can gather around tables, share a meal, and experience Melbourne’s finest artists or world-class performers just metres away as the city lights up beyond you,” Willis said.

The centre’s original architects, ARM Architecture, returned to transform the upper level, retaining strong visual connections with the city while creating a flexible space suitable for solo piano and acoustic performances through to amplified contemporary music.

A reflective ceiling installation captures movement and light, while a large-scale spectrogram artwork translates Look Above, an original composition by First Nations artists Aunty Joy Murphy-Wandin and Dr Lou Bennett, into a visual work surrounding the interior.

The Beacon at Melbourne Recital Centre. Photo © Laura Manariti

Director of Programming Iain Grandage said the Beacon reflected Melbourne’s tradition of intimate spaces where music is experienced socially.

“The Beacon is our contribution to this tradition – a room in service of music, belonging and conviviality,” he said.

The $2 million project was funded through a $1 million Victorian Government investment matched by a $1 million philanthropic gift from Ruth and Peter McMullin.

Peter McMullin said the gift reflected the couple’s commitment to the role of music and cultural institutions in community life.

“We wanted to help Melbourne Recital Centre create more opportunities for artists and reach audiences in new ways,” he said.

The Beacon will open to the public on 17 September 2026. Tickets now available at melbournerecital.com.au/beacon