The Metro Tunnel’s opening on Sunday (30 November) will mark the culmination of eight years of construction. Photo: Victoria’s Big Build.
The Victorian Labor Government will open the Metro Tunnel on Sunday (30 November), marking the completion of the biggest transformation of Victoria’s rail network in 40 years.
To celebrate the opening of the new and improved public transport space, there will be a free pop-up live music performance.
Minister for Transport Infrastructure Gabrielle Williams and Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos announced that Jimmy Barnes, Kate Ceberano and Ian Moss would start the ALWAYS LIVE Melbourne Vibes series at the new City Square, to celebrate the completion of eight years of construction as part of the Metro Tunnel Project.
“City Square has had a serious glow-up – it’s greener, more welcoming, a proud new gateway to the Metro Tunnel, and we’ve got some true Aussie legends to help us kick it off,” Ms Williams said.
The artists will perform from 1:30 pm to continue the square’s legacy of music, having previously hosted AC/DC, Crowded House, Missy Higgins and Kylie Minogue.
The government’s ALWAYS LIVE Melbourne Vibes program is a series of free, pop-up live music events running in summer across CBD precincts and laneways, bringing visitors to the city and bolstering the creative sectors, which are vital to Melbourne’s economy.
Surprise performances are supported by a recent surge in major events across the city in the past month, including the Spring Racing Carnival entertaining thousands, while acts such as Oasis, Metallica, AC/DC, Ricky Martin, Mariah Carey, Pitbull, Addison Rae, RÜFÜS DU SOL and Diljit Dosanjh have also performed.
The square itself has received a major update as part of the Metro Tunnel project, making it a space for events, hospitality and retail, with new landscaping and artworks.
Mr Dimopoulos said: “Melbourne is Australia’s cultural capital – open and bustling for everyone to enjoy this summer with these free pop-up events. I encourage people to come into the CBD and join the fun.”
Part of the revamp for the station is a new “square beneath a square” towards the Collins Street end, which will host a range of new retail offerings opening next year.
The square was shut down in 2017 to aid with the construction of Town Hall Station, one of five new underground stations.
The space’s centrepiece is a new Smoking Ceremony dish, developed with Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Joe Wandin Murphy OAM, surrounded by 12,000 custom pavers.
Melbourne’s new Metro Tunnel is the biggest transformation of the state’s rail network in 40 years, doubling the size of the underground rail system, adding hundreds of services a week, and setting the groundwork for more trains.
From opening day on 30 November, public transport will be free each weekend for all Victorians until 1 February, when the new Metro stations will be integrated into the wider network.
