Smith’s Alternative

76 Alinga Street, Civic. A community-minded bar and gig room with something on almost every night, from jazz jams to touring songwriters.

About Smith’s Alternative

Smith's Alternative is a small creative venue and bar on the ground floor of the Melbourne Building on Alinga Street. The downstairs room is intimate, with a stage and a bar, and a 2013 review put comfortable capacity around 50. In July 2024 it added McGregor Hall, an upstairs room reached from the main foyer, holding 50 to 90 depending on layout, with a baby grand piano, a screen and a bar open during shows.

The program is open-ended: cabaret, performance art, drag, poetry, theatre, folk concerts, classical recitals and musicians of all kinds. The Canberra Musicians Club has run regular Wednesday spots there. Gigs are listed into September 2026, including an afternoon show on 5 September.

Owners Nigel McRae and Beth Tully run it. McGregor Hall is named after a 1960s fibro community hall later used by the Canberra Musicians Club.

Written by LateOne.au, checked 13 October 2026. Sources: region.com.au, region.com.au, musick.com.au. Hours and door policies change, so check with the venue.

Area: Civic
Music: Folk, jazz jams, singer-songwriters, indie bands
Best nights: Gigs most nights; check the program
Address: 76 Alinga Street, Canberra City (ground floor, Melbourne Building)
Capacity: McGregor Hall 50-90 depending on layout
Rooms: Downstairs venue and bar; upstairs McGregor Hall
Hours: Reported July 2024: Sun-Thu 12pm-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 12pm-11:30pm (may have changed)

Good to know

Many shows are ticketed and small, so book ahead.
Hours are from a 2024 report; check before heading in.

Getting there

Light rail ends at Alinga Street, in the middle of Civic, and City Interchange (the bus station) is a short walk away. Late rideshare pick-up zones are on London Circuit, Genge Street and Alinga Street.

Last services and walking times change: use the live public transport directions or Transport Canberra on the night, and see getting home for late rides.

Official site & what’s on ↗Directions by public transport ↗Getting home

Check the venue’s own listings for tonight’s program, hours and door policy.

Map & Street View

Open in Google Maps ↗Directions ↗Street View ↗

Pin from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Street View opens the nearest street photo; entrances can be round the corner, so check the venue’s own directions.

Nearest stops

Tram or light rail: Alinga Street, about 100 m, roughly 1 min on foot

Stops are the closest by straight line; real walks can be longer. Check times with Transport Canberra ↗. From OpenStreetMap contributors.

Around Smith’s Alternative

Within a ten-minute walk: Highball (1 min, rooftop bar), Molly (1 min, late cocktail bar), Bar Rochford (2 min, late cocktail bar), ChiChiz Bar (2 min, lgbtqia+ bar), Fiction (4 min, club) and King O'Malley's (4 min, pub & live music). Plus 4 more nearby.

Walking times are estimates from the map, not routes.