Melbourne’s government funds surprise concerts in newly reopened City Square, timed with the Metro Tunnel’s completion.

The Victorian government is funding surprise pop-up concerts in Melbourne’s CBD, starting with Jimmy Barnes, Kate Ceberano, and Ian Moss at City Square—reopened after eight years of Metro Tunnel construction. The free gigs, planned for December and January, will be announced with little notice and may occur in unexpected locations to boost public interest. While officials deny the events promote the Metro Tunnel’s November 30 launch, the timing aligns with the project’s completion and the permanent reopening of City Square with a new station entrance and retail space. The total cost is undisclosed. Critics, including hospitality leaders, say the concerts are insufficient to address deeper issues like safety and stability that have hurt the city’s business sector. City Square now features a digital wall sculpture replacing the former water feature, and the first concert had a 1,500-person limit following a prior cancellation over safety concerns.