The Palace (entertainment complex)

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The Palace was an entertainment complex located in St. Kilda, Victoria, Australia. It was built in 1972 on the site of the former Palais de Danse, which had burned down in 1968. It played host to many local and international bands and performances over the next thirty-five years, before its closure on June 12, 2007 after a lengthy legal battle between the Victorian state government and The Palace's former operators, Bradto Pty. Ltd. The building is set to be redeveloped into a new entertainment district, with several new clubs and shops.

Less than a month after its closure, on July 11, 2007, the building was badly damaged by a fire. Half of the former nightclub was destroyed. Seventy firefighters fought the blaze which brought Jacka Boulevard to a standstill. They were forced to fight the fire from outside the building as vandalism to the dancefloor had made it too dangerous to fight from the inside. It took an hour and a half to control the blaze. The fire was fuelled by rolled up carpet and chipboard which had been pulled from the roof and ceiling. The arson squad are investigating how the fire started.^[1]

The building has subsequently been completely demolished.