[category]
[title]
Melbourne’s winter festival of art, ideas, sound and technology is back, and this year's program is genuinely world-class. The boundary-pushing Now or Never will officially return to the city from August 19 to 30, lighting up the city with a bold program of works by local and international artists.
At the heart of the festival is a next-level reimagining of the Royal Exhibition Building. The heritage icon will host some of the program’s most ambitious experiences, led by SOMNIA – an overnight sleep concert beneath the dome from ambient pioneer William Basinski and Norwegian saxophonist Bendik Giske. Equal parts performance and dreamscape, it’s a rare chance to drift off inside one of Melbourne’s most famous public spaces.
The venue will also stage a major tribute to minimalist legend Philip Glass, with Orchestra Victoria performing In the Upper Room alongside a rare presentation of his Piano Etudes by acclaimed pianist Maki Namekawa. Also on the bill is The Breath Haus collaboration, a meditative fusion of breathwork and sound bath featuring First Nations artists David and Daniel Wilfred of Hand to Earth.
The Yarra River will play host to a series of free, large-scale light installations. Standouts include Multimmersion Upside Down V2 by Taiwanese artist AKA Chang, a monumental laser work that will transform the river into a glowing canvas; and The Falls Before Us by Melbourne artist Emily Parsons-Lord, which will make Evan Walker Bridge seemingly vanish into mist (a sort of had-to-be-there experience, we reckon).
Melbourne Town Hall will once again become a major festival hub, hosting a line-up of high-impact works. Chunky Move will premiere Time Remaining, a hypnotic dance piece blending bodies, lasers and light, while audiovisual artist Robin Fox will take over the Main Hall with PRESENCE, an all-encompassing laser and sound experience. Meanwhile, Revivification will push boundaries even further, attempting to extend the life of experimental composer Alvin Lucier through sound and biological material. Outside, installations from Korean artists Jung Haejung and HKASON will electrify the forecourt with video and kinetic sculpture.
After dark, the energy will ramp up with a three-night late-night music program (also hosted at Melbourne Town Hall). Featuring international acts like A.Chal, Slim Soledad and Octave One alongside local favourites Sleep D, JNETT and MY DISCO, it's expected to span everything from experimental electronica to full-throttle club sets.
The ideas program is equally stacked. Highlights will include A Sexual History of the Internet, a lecture performance from historian Mindy Seu, and Enshittification, where tech critic Cory Doctorow will explore the decline of online platforms. There’s also Derrick Gee’s live Radio Hour, featuring Julia Jacklin and Michael Kucyk, plus First Nations Futures, a powerful conversation on storytelling and creative resistance.
Returning favourites round out the program, including collaborations with ACMI, the XR partnership with MIFF, Library Up Late and Queer PowerPoint.
All of it sits under this year’s theme, ‘A Whole New World’, with the festival exploring the intersections of art, AI and digital storytelling. Across 12 days and more than 150 events, Now or Never is looking set to confirm what we already knew – Melbourne really knows how to turn winter into something worth stepping out for.
Check out the full program and grab tickets over here.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.