CAPITAL WORKS

When Bendigo’s new 1000-seat Ulumbarra Theatre opened in 2015, everyone thought it would simply spread the gig load. Up until then, the 480-seat Capital Theatre had been doing it all — music, events, theatre — you name it. By the seat allocations alone, Ulumbarra should have cannibalised at least two-thirds of the Capital’s shows, but head technician Mickey Levis said the Capital is still as busy as ever. There’s just more gigs happening in Bendigo.

Two hours north-northwest of Melbourne, Bendigo has carved out a place for itself as the centre of a regional tour catchment. If a tour is hitting Bendigo,