Melbourne is set to gain a major new cultural destination with the opening of the Australian Museum of Performing Arts (AMPA) in December 2025, Arts Centre Melbourne announced today, 12 May.

The museum will be located on the upper terrace of Hamer Hall, overlooking the Birrarung (Yarra River), and will celebrate the rich history and global reach of Australia’s performing arts. AMPA will house exhibitions drawn from the Australian Performing Arts Collection — the country’s largest archive of performing arts material — alongside major international touring exhibitions.

Phase 1 of the project will see nearly 500 square metres of gallery space opened to the public. A second phase will expand the museum to approximately 800 square metres. The museum’s inaugural exhibition is due to be announced in September.

Shoes worn by Dame Nellie Melba. Photo @ AMPA

The Australian Performing Arts Collection includes more than 850,000 objects across theatre, music, dance, opera and circus. Highlights include Kylie Minogue’s gold hot pants from her Spinning Around video, Dame Nellie Melba’s 19th-century opera cloak, Hugh Jackman’s Boy from Oz costume and a leather jacket worn by AC/DC’s Bon Scott. Other notable figures represented include...