Sidney Myer Music Bowl facts for kids
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| Address | Kings Domain Melbourne Australia |
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| Coordinates | 37°49′24″S 144°58′28″E / 37.82329°S 144.974454°E |
| Owner | Victoria State Government |
| 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 |
| 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 venue in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It's like a giant outdoor stage with a special roof. You can find it in the beautiful Kings Domain gardens, near the Arts Centre.
This amazing place was officially opened on 12 February 1959. The Prime Minister of Australia, Robert Menzies, was there for the big day. About 30,000 people came to the opening! The Music Bowl is also listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, which means it's an important historical site.
Contents
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. Sidney Myer started free outdoor concerts with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra way back in 1929. People in Melbourne loved these concerts, and many would come to enjoy the music.
Sidney Myer passed away in 1934. But his good work continued through the Sidney Myer Fund. This fund was set up to keep his tradition of helping the community alive. The fund decided to build a special music bowl for the people of Melbourne. They also provided the money for its design and construction.
The venue officially opened on 12 February 1959. As mentioned, the Australian Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, was there. An amazing 30,000 people attended the opening. Later that same month, over 70,000 people came to hear the American speaker Billy Graham.
One of the biggest concerts ever in Australia happened here. In 1967, The Seekers had a homecoming concert at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. An estimated 200,000 people attended! The Guinness Book of World Records in 2007 listed it as the largest concert attendance in the Southern Hemisphere. This record is also in The Australian Book of Records. Many people were celebrating the Moomba Festival that day.
Many famous international artists have performed at the Bowl. These include ABBA, AC/DC, Metallica, Wings, Blondie, the Beach Boys, Crowded House, Dire Straits, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Midnight Oil, INXS, R.E.M., Daft Punk, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bon Jovi, Guns N' Roses, Kanye West, Paramore, Neil Young, Lorde, and The Chainsmokers.
In 1980, the Victorian Arts Centre took over managing the Bowl. This was done by Ken Myer, Sidney Myer's son. In 1984, a temporary ice-skating rink was even set up on the stage during winter!
The venue closed for a big update in 2000. It reopened on Christmas Eve 2002, with the popular Carols by Candlelight event. The Premier of Victoria, Steve Bracks, reopened it. Recent changes to the lawns and adding a fence have made the total capacity around 12,000 people.
50th Anniversary Celebrations
In 2009, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl celebrated its 50th birthday! The Arts Centre planned a four-day party with free events. From February 12 to 15, there were two concerts by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. One concert was a recreation of their very first performance at the Bowl in 1959. There was also a special Valentine's Day show.
The celebrations also included a rock and roll tribute from RocKwiz. Families enjoyed an afternoon picnic with entertainment. There was even an exhibition at the Arts Centre. A special website was created to show 50 years of the Bowl's history.
Design and How It Was Built
The Bowl's unique roof, called a canopy, is very special. It's made of thin, weather-proof plywood. This plywood is covered on both sides with aluminium. It's held up by a network of steel cables. These cables are supported by tall masts, about 21.3 metres high, that pivot into the ground.
The entire canopy covers a huge area of 4055 square metres. The main cable around the edge of the canopy is made of seven ropes. Each rope is about 9 cm thick and 173 metres long. These cables are anchored deep into the ground with concrete blocks. Other cables hold the roof up and down, making it very stable.
The design for the Bowl was created in 1956 by Yuncken Freeman and Griffiths and Simpson. The main architect was Barry Patten. Construction started in 1958. They used a new system of cables woven together. These were then covered with special plywood panels that had aluminium on both sides.
New building methods were developed to make sure the roof was waterproof. It also needed to be strong in the wind and flexible. The ground anchors had to resist rust. The design also had to make sure the sound was perfect for concerts. Many experts helped, including scientists from the Aeronautical Research Laboratories and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
Special Design Features
Unlike the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, which is made of concrete, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl uses a special "tensile" structure. This means it uses cables and membranes that are stretched tight. This design was created almost 10 years before famous architect Frei Otto became known for similar lightweight structures. Otto's designs for the 1972 Olympics in Munich were influenced by Patten's work on the Myer Music Bowl.
Heritage Status
The Sidney Myer Music Bowl is listed on the Victorian Heritage list. This is because it's very important to Victoria's culture. It's also recognized for its architecture as the largest outdoor performance venue in Australia. Its innovative use of stretched membranes and cables for its structure also makes it special.
Awards for Design
The building's renovation in 2002 won the Melbourne Prize. In 2009, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl received the Enduring Architecture Award. Later that year, it also won the 2009 National Award for Enduring Architecture. These awards show how important and well-designed the building is.
How Many People Can Fit?
The 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. The stage itself is quite large, measuring 27.4 metres wide by 19.5 metres deep.
Major Events Held Here
The Bowl hosts many big events. One of the most famous is Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight. This event happens every year on Christmas Eve and is shown on the Nine Network TV channel.
Other major events held at The Bowl include Piknic Electronik, Music from the Home Front, and the Midsummer Festival.
Awards and Nominations
Music Victoria Awards
The Music Victoria Awards are a yearly event that celebrates music from Victoria. They started in 2006. The "Best Venue" award was first given in 2016.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
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| 2021 Music Victoria Awards | Sidney Myer Music Bowl | Best Venue (Over 500 Capacity) | Nominated | |
| 2022 Music Victoria Awards | Sidney Myer Music Bowl | Best Large Venue (Metro) | Nominated |
See also
- List of contemporary amphitheatres
- Make Poverty History Concert
