Where to Watch Arsenal in Melbourne
Short version: it is Hickens Hotel on Russell Street, the official Arsenal Australia venue in the CBD. If you have been searching for The Crafty Squire, that is the same building — same address, new name, $12 million richer after a 2025 refit. And if you are looking for Beer Deluxe at Fed Square, it is closed and being converted, so do not waste the trip.
When the match kicks off (Melbourne time)
This is the hard part. Melbourne runs about 9 to 11 hours ahead of the UK depending on daylight saving on both sides, and through the heart of the season (AEDT) it is 11 hours. That turns UK afternoons into the small hours.
- 3pm UK Saturday to roughly 2am Sunday (AEDT). The classic slot is a middle-of-the-night job here.
- 12:30pm UK Saturday to roughly 11:30pm. The kindest of the weekend kickoffs.
- 8pm UK midweek (Champions League) to roughly 7am. A breakfast European night.
Times shift by an hour or two around the daylight-saving changeovers, so always check the exact local kickoff. The point stands: watching Arsenal in Melbourne is a commitment, which is exactly why a venue that stays open for it matters.
The venue
Hickens Hotel
127 Russell St, CBD. Official Arsenal Australia venue, walkable from Flinders Street station. Four levels: a ground-floor pub, a Carlton Draught basement bar, Abe's Athletic Hall (the sports floor with big screens and arcade games), and a rooftop with CBD skyline views. Crucially, it is confirmed to stay open for 1:30am weeknight kickoffs — which is the whole game in this timezone. Reopened in 2025 under its original 1870s name after the big renovation.
Formerly The Crafty Squire — if that is what you are searching for, this is it, just fancier now.
Beer Deluxe (Fed Square)
Closed. Being converted to the Good Nature Hotel; unclear if the new venue will keep Arsenal screenings. Head to Hickens instead.
The honest take
Melbourne is a one-venue town for Arsenal in our data right now, and luckily it is a good one. If you know another Melbourne pub that opens up and puts the Gunners on at 2am with the sound up, add it — every Gooner staying up for it will thank you.
Sourced from fans via GoonerPubs and the Arsenal Australia setup. Late-night opening can change by fixture — check before you commit your night. Know another Melbourne spot? Add it on GoonerPubs.