Southbank

Southbank is an inner-city suburb and riverside precinct on the southern bank of the Yarra River, directly opposite Melbourne's central business district in Victoria, Australia. Developed from former industrial land into a major entertainment and arts district from the 1980s onward, it is notable for the Southbank Promenade, Crown Melbourne complex, Arts Centre Melbourne, National Gallery of Victoria and Eureka Tower. The area combines dining, shopping, cultural venues and riverfront public spaces.

Visitors can expect a paved riverside promenade along the Yarra River with views of the Melbourne skyline, lined with restaurants, cafes, bars and shops. The precinct includes major cultural venues such as Arts Centre Melbourne and the National Gallery of Victoria, the Crown Melbourne entertainment complex, Eureka Tower and Eureka Skydeck, public art, street performers and open plazas. Areas are walkable and connected by bridges to Flinders Street Station and Federation Square, with river cruises and pedestrian paths throughout.

Southbank was historically industrial land with factories, warehouses and wharves along the Yarra River. From the 1980s, the Victorian Government and City of Melbourne redeveloped the area as part of the Southbank Promenade and Southgate projects, transforming it into a commercial, residential and cultural precinct. The development included the creation of the promenade, Crown Melbourne (opened 1997) and expansion of the Arts Centre precinct.

Southbank forms Melbourne's primary arts and entertainment precinct, housing Arts Centre Melbourne, National Gallery of Victoria International, and the Melbourne Recital Centre nearby. It is a central dining, theatre and events area and a key public space for festivals, busking and riverfront leisure, reflecting Melbourne's contemporary cultural and tourism identity.