In The Hanging Garden

In The Hanging Garden is at 112 Murray Street in Hobart, Australia, on a site bounded by Liverpool, Bathurst, Murray and Watchorn streets that covers almost a city block. Laneways link the precinct’s spaces, and Watchorn Street provides access to its upper garden. It opened during Dark Mofo in 2019 as a temporary cultural activation developed by DarkLab and property developer Riverlee.

The name refers both to the wider precinct and to the venue made up of The Garden and Cathedral. Other spaces include Altar Bar, Odeon Theatre and Blackstar, as well as Wellington House, the former Tattersalls Hotel and Mona Lisa Restaurant, Hobart’s first licensed venue. Built in 1916, Odeon Theatre has two floors and a listed capacity of up to 1,350 people in seated or standing configurations.

The Garden and Cathedral have upper and lower levels, each with beer gardens, bars and seating. SLOW and Anju run kitchens upstairs, while a pizzeria operates downstairs in Cathedral. On Friday and Saturday nights, Cathedral hosts late-night DJ dance parties. Its outdoor structure stands 18 metres high above a lawn and has a listed capacity of up to 500 guests. Blackstar is a hi-fi bar with a custom sound system and vinyl collection. DarkLab has promoted events at the precinct, where Caucasian Opportunities, X-Coast and Roska have performed.