Sidney Myer Music Bowl facts for kids
Sidney Myer Music Bowl in September 2017
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| Address | Kings Domain Melbourne Australia |
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| Coordinates | 37°49′24″S 144°58′29″E / 37.8233149°S 144.9746821°E |
| Owner | Government of Victoria |
| Operator | The Arts Centre |
| Capacity | Up to 10,000 (2,030 fixed seats) |
| Surface | Concrete, grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1958 |
| Opened | 1959 |
| Architect | Barry Patten |
| General contractor | John Holland |
| Tenants | |
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| Type | Historic |
| Criteria | b, d, f, g, h |
| Designated | 21 September 2005 |
| Reference no. | 105743 |
| Official name | Sidney Myer Music Bowl |
| Type | State Registered Place |
| Designated | 19 April 2001 |
| Reference no. | H1772 |
| Heritage Overlay number | HO908 |
The Sidney Myer Music Bowl is a famous outdoor concert place in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It's like a big shell-shaped stage where people can enjoy music and shows. You can find it in the beautiful gardens of Kings Domain. It's also near the Arts Centre and the fun Southbank area. The Music Bowl was officially opened on February 12, 1959, by Australia's Prime Minister at the time, Robert Menzies.
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History of the Music Bowl
The idea for the Sidney Myer Music Bowl came from a businessman named Sidney Myer. He loved music and was inspired after visiting the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. In 1929, Sidney Myer started free outdoor concerts with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. These concerts were very popular with people in Melbourne.
When Sidney Myer passed away in 1934, a special fund was created in his name. This fund helped continue his good work, including the free concerts. The fund decided to build a permanent music bowl for the people of Melbourne. This is how the Sidney Myer Music Bowl came to be.
Opening Day and Big Crowds
The Music Bowl officially opened on February 12, 1959. About 30,000 people came to the opening event. Later that month, an amazing 70,000 people gathered to hear the American speaker Billy Graham.
One of the biggest crowds ever for a concert in Australia happened at the Music Bowl. In 1967, an estimated 200,000 people came to see The Seekers perform. This event is even listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest concert attendance in the Southern Hemisphere. Many people were also celebrating the Moomba Festival that day.
Famous Performers at the Bowl
Over the years, many famous artists from around the world have performed here. These include: ABBA, AC/DC, Metallica, Wings, Blondie, the Beach Boys, Crowded House, Dire Straits, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam, Paul McCartney, Midnight Oil, INXS, R.E.M., Daft Punk, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bon Jovi, Guns N' Roses, Kanye West, Paramore, Neil Young, Lenny Kravitz, Swedish House Mafia, Blink-182, The Black Keys, Lorde, Afrojack, and The Chainsmokers.
Updates and Renovations
In 1980, the Arts Centre Melbourne took over running the Music Bowl. In 1984, a temporary ice-skating rink was even set up on the stage during winter! The venue closed for a big renovation in 2000 to make it more modern. It reopened in 2002 at the annual Carols by Candlelight event. Recent changes, like adding a fence, mean the bowl can now hold a little over 12,000 people.
Celebrating 50 Years
In 2009, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl celebrated its 50th birthday! The Arts Centre held a four-day party with free events. These included concerts by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, a rock and roll show from RocKwiz, and a family picnic. There was also an exhibition about the bowl's history.
How the Music Bowl Was Built
The roof of the Music Bowl is very special. It's a thin, strong cover made of plywood with aluminum on both sides. This cover is held up by a network of steel cables and tall poles that are 21.3 meters (about 70 feet) high. The entire roof covers a huge area of 4055 square meters (about 43,648 square feet). The main cables holding the roof are very thick and are anchored deep into the ground.
The design for the Music Bowl was created in 1956 by Yuncken Freeman and Griffiths and Simpson. The main architect was Barry Patten. Construction started in 1958. The builders, John Holland, used new ways to connect the cables and cover them with special panels. They had to make sure the roof was waterproof, strong against wind, and flexible. They also worked to make sure the sound inside the bowl was perfect for concerts. Many experts helped with the design and building, including scientists.
A Unique Design
Unlike the Hollywood Bowl, which is made of concrete, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl has a unique "tensile" design. This means its roof is held up by tension from cables, making it lightweight and flexible. This type of design was quite new at the time. In fact, it influenced later famous architects and engineers, like Frei Otto, who designed parts of the 1972 Olympic Park in Munich.
Awards for Design
The Sidney Myer Music Bowl has won several awards for its design.
- In 1959, it won the R.S. Reynolds Memorial Prize for its use of aluminum in architecture.
- In 2002, the building's renovation won the Melbourne Prize.
- In 2009, it received the Enduring Architecture Award, which means it's a design that has stood the test of time.
How Many People Can Fit?
The Music Bowl has a fixed seating area with 2,030 seats. Behind these seats are grassy slopes where up to 10,000 more people can sit or stand. The stage itself is quite large, measuring 27.4 meters wide by 19.5 meters deep.
Major Events Held Here
The Music Bowl hosts many important events. One of the most famous is Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight, which happens every year on Christmas Eve. This event is shown on TV across Australia. Other big events include Piknic Electronik, Music from the Home Front, and the Midsummer Festival.
Awards and Nominations
The Sidney Myer Music Bowl has been recognized at the Music Victoria Awards, which celebrate music in Victoria.
- In 2021, it was nominated for Best Venue (Over 500 Capacity).
- In 2022, it was nominated for Best Large Venue (Metro).
See also
- List of contemporary amphitheatres
- Make Poverty History Concert
