Melbourne Skydeck hosts cocktail-style events for up to 40 guests in two semi-private spaces on the 88th floor of Eureka Tower. Corporate drinks, client receptions, team outings and private celebrations are the main uses. The observation deck sits about 300 meters above Southbank in Melbourne, Australia, with 360-degree views over the city skyline and the surrounding land.
Seminars and company events
The format is a standing or perched reception, not a meeting with presentations. A group takes over one of the event spaces with a dedicated host and drinks served from Bar 88, and guests can step out onto the observation deck during the event. Events last up to three hours. Afternoon events start from noon and finish by 4 p.m.; evening events start from 6 p.m. and end at 9 or 10 p.m. depending on the season. Morning events can be arranged on request. Teams can add two experiences: the Voyager Theatre, a virtual reality journey through 16 Melbourne and Victorian sights that takes groups of up to 20 for about 15 minutes, and the Edge, a glass cube that projects from the building with groups of up to 12 for about six minutes, with a digital group photo.
Rooms and capacities
Event Space 1 takes up to 30 guests and Event Space 2 up to 40. Both sit against the glass facade on level 88, near Bar 88, and are furnished with high tables and stools. Because the observation deck stays open to the public, DJs and live performers are not allowed; background music plays across the floor. Candles and open flames are not permitted. Organizers get 30 minutes of set-up time before the start. There is no age limit for private events, and a date can be held for a few days while a group decides.
Catering
Food and drink are in-house, and outside caterers are not accepted except for strict kosher requirements. The canapé menu covers cold, hot and dessert items in selections of three, six or nine, with more substantial items such as sliders and gnocchi, and platters of cheese, charcuterie or fruit. Drinks come as alcoholic or alcohol-free packages of one to three hours, or as a bar tab that can include spirits, cocktails and Champagne. Signature cocktails and mocktails can be added. The chefs handle dietary requirements when told a week ahead. Outside alcohol is not allowed, and every event needs a drinks package or a bar tab.
History and setting
Eureka Tower stands in Southbank, on the south side of the Yarra River. The Skydeck presents itself as the highest observation deck in the Southern Hemisphere, and the Edge as the first attraction of its kind. Eureka 89, a dining room one floor up, is listed on the Skydeck website.
Getting there
The entrance is on the ground floor of Eureka Tower at Riverside Quay, Southbank, opposite the palm trees, and staff guide guests to the lifts. Flinders Street station is about five minutes on foot. Tram 58 stops at Casino East/Queens Bridge Street and bus 605 at City Road/Southbank Boulevard. The Wilson car park under the tower, entered from the corner of City Road and Southgate Avenue, offers a flat rate to Skydeck visitors, but spaces cannot be reserved. The venue is wheelchair accessible, with accessible toilets on the ground floor and on level 88.
