The Drunken Poet

The Drunken Poet One of Melbourne's finest small venues, hosting live, original music Tuesday through Sunday. Sign up is from 5pm on the night, Open Mic begins at 7pm.
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The Drunken Poet is a cozy, authentic Irish pub, situated just near the Victoria Markets, at 65 Peel St, West Melbourne. Out of more than 1,500 pubs from 41 countries, The Drunken Poet was voted into the 10 Best Irish Pubs In The World (Outside Ireland) by The Irish Times... the only venue in Australia to make the list! As our reviews will tell you, The Drunken Poet is a real locals' pub: cute, cozy and friendly. That's what makes it authentically Irish - it's not a twee or clichéd theme-pub... we have portraits of poets from Ireland and around the world on our walls, we serve great Guinness, and we have one of the finest selections of Irish whiskey in Australia. We do free live music six nights a week, and feature Tribute Tuesdays, Wine Whiskey Women on Wednesdays, Open Mic Nights on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month, and Irish Music Sessions on Fridays. For band bookings please email [email protected]
For general enquiries please email [email protected]

Open Mic nights on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month.

Open Mic night returns to The Poet this eve, welcoming all kinds of performers to sign up at the bar (anytime from 5pm) ...
01/10/2026

Open Mic night returns to The Poet this eve, welcoming all kinds of performers to sign up at the bar (anytime from 5pm) showtime from 7pm.

First in best dressed!

W**e, Wh***ey, Women tonight at The Poet, welcoming special guests Kate Lucetta and Maja!8pm: If you don’t know Kate Luc...
30/09/2026

W**e, Wh***ey, Women tonight at The Poet, welcoming special guests Kate Lucetta and Maja!

8pm:
If you don’t know Kate Lucetta yet, you’ll feel like old friends after catching her play.

Armed with a guitar, a banjo, collection of original soulful pop tunes & plenty of stories she’ll make you smile, might make you cry & hopefully garner a chuckle or 2.

Kate & Maja have been besties for years so a collab or 2 is also highly possible :-)

9pm:
Thought- provoking and deeply-personal, Maja's songs are vulnerable and relatable, displaying a depth and maturity far beyond her age. Looking to the past for inspiration, her songs possess a sound quality and nostalgia that her audiences know so well, echoing soul, blues and folk music.

Her diverse ranges of styles come to highlight her fierce vocal performance and direct song-writing style, channeling the likes of Otis Redding, Clairy Browne and the Banging Rackettes, Laura Marling and Fiona Apple.

Tribute Tuesday tonight! Thomas Kendall plays the songs of Dick Gaughan, a Scottish singer-songwriter known for his soci...
29/09/2026

Tribute Tuesday tonight!

Thomas Kendall plays the songs of Dick Gaughan, a Scottish singer-songwriter known for his social protest songs and contributions to Scotland's folk music tradition.

Dick Gaughan’s impact on folk musicians the world over cannot be overstated. While it might be pure fantasy to suggest that anyone other than Dick himself can do these songs as well as he can, what can be learnt by trying, is a flatpick driven hybrid of Scots-irish balladry with the alternate tunings that were widely adopted by Celtic guitarists of the period (and still to this day).

Beyond what he can impart as a guitarist are some of the most impassioned and brilliant vocal performances yet committed to tape. For a bluegrasser like myself, knowing that Dick had a brief foray into bluegrass himself is a reminder that this heritage of song connects us the world over. When a scene starts to ossify, that’s when the wildfire comes through, tosses out the old growth and gives us something new.

Forever regenerative, he remains a beacon of singular expressive brilliance to me and many other folkies. I hope to bring some level of justice to these songs, knowing it to be a sysyphean task.

It's Friday night - where are you? Jump The Shark kick off from 8.30pm tonight! Jump The Shark play Jump Blues and Blues...
25/09/2026

It's Friday night - where are you? Jump The Shark kick off from 8.30pm tonight!

Jump The Shark play Jump Blues and Blues dance music. They feature songs by The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Duke Robillard, Robben Ford, Big Joe and the Dynaflows, Albert Collins, Colin James, Hollywood Fats and many others.

Bring on the weekend at The Poet! Fri 25th September Traditional Irish Music Session at 6pm (pictured)Jump The...
25/09/2026

Bring on the weekend at The Poet!

Fri 25th September
Traditional Irish Music Session at 6pm (pictured)
Jump The Shark at 8.30pm

Sat 26th September
AFL Grand Final Day - Open at 5pm
Roy Darby & The Dial-Ups at 9pm

Sun 27th September
Crescent Moon at 4pm
The Tipplers at 6.30pm

Tonight from 8pm: Shaky Stills!Melbourne’s own original country western, tex mex, trucker and western swing band play on...
24/09/2026

Tonight from 8pm: Shaky Stills!

Melbourne’s own original country western, tex mex, trucker and western swing band play only the best dancing & drinking songs. They deliver the prime cuts and take no detours performing with their incredibly tight sound, three part harmonies, classic 7″ singles arrangements and big-hearted honesty.

Poet legends Elly Mck & The Unbelievers are back for W**e, Wh***ey, Women tonight from 8pm! Elly McK & The Unbelievers a...
23/09/2026

Poet legends Elly Mck & The Unbelievers are back for W**e, Wh***ey, Women tonight from 8pm!

Elly McK & The Unbelievers are an Australian alt-country and Americana powerhouse, shaking up the scene with their genre-defying sound.

Tonight! Tribute Tuesday welcomes XYLA playing the songs of Fleetwood Mac from 8pm. XYLA is an indie singer/songwriter a...
22/09/2026

Tonight! Tribute Tuesday welcomes XYLA playing the songs of Fleetwood Mac from 8pm.

XYLA is an indie singer/songwriter and powerhouse vocalist known for her soulful voice and captivating live performances. She brings authenticity, warmth and energy to a room and for this special Fleetwood Mac tribute, she puts her unique spin on the timeless songs of one of world’s most iconic bands.

From the dreamy melodies in Landslide to the raw energy of Go Your Own Way and The Chain, expect big vocals, acoustic soul and plenty of Fleetwood Mac magic.

Coming up this week at The Drunken Poet! Tue 22nd September Tribute Tuesdays at 8pm: XYLA plays the songs of Fle...
21/09/2026

Coming up this week at The Drunken Poet!

Tue 22nd September
Tribute Tuesdays at 8pm:
XYLA plays the songs of Fleetwood Mac

Wed 23rd September
W**e, Wh***ey, Women: Elly McK & The Unbelievers at 8pm

Thu 24th September
Shaky Stills at 8pm

Fri 25th September
Traditional Irish Music Session at 6pm
Jump The Shark at 8.30pm

Sat 26th September
AFL Grand Final Day - Open at 5pm
Roy Darby & The Dial-Ups at 9pm

Sun 27th September
Crescent Moon at 4pm (pictured)
The Tipplers at 6.30pm

We're open - and it's PARTY TIME! Live music from 2pm!
20/09/2026

We're open - and it's PARTY TIME!

Live music from 2pm!

THE DRUNKEN POET’S 20th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS! We're open from midday with live music from: Van Walker Maggie Carty Adam...
20/09/2026

THE DRUNKEN POET’S 20th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS!

We're open from midday with live music from:
Van Walker
Maggie Carty
Adam Waldron Trio
Pheasantry
& The Get Down Gang!

THE DRUNKEN POET’S 20th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS! 🥳🖤 🎉🖤 🥳 🖤 🎉 JOIN US ALL WEEKEND! 🥳🖤 🎉🖤 🥳 🖤 🎉
18/09/2026

THE DRUNKEN POET’S 20th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS!
🥳🖤 🎉🖤 🥳 🖤 🎉 JOIN US ALL WEEKEND! 🥳🖤 🎉🖤 🥳 🖤 🎉

Open Mic Night at The Poet tonight where legends are made! Register at the bar anytime from 5pm. Music from 7pm - first ...
17/09/2026

Open Mic Night at The Poet tonight where legends are made!

Register at the bar anytime from 5pm.

Music from 7pm - first in best dressed.

Address

65 Peel Street
West Melbourne, VIC
3003

Opening Hours

Tuesday 3pm - 1am
Wednesday 3pm - 1am
Thursday 3pm - 1am
Friday 3pm - 1am
Saturday 12pm - 1am
Sunday 12am - 11pm

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