The best events at Now or Never

Spanning 1.2 kilometres along the Docklands promenade, this free outdoor gallery will blur the boundaries between our physical and digital worlds. Curated by Experimenta, the featured works from visionary Australian and international artists along the meandering trail have been designed to spark curiosity and connection.

You can expect a parade of AI-generated monsters, an epic light beam that reaches towards eternity and an audio-visual journey that asks visitors to contemplate our place in the future. 

There will also be food trucks and beverages served on-site from the Moon Dog Craft Brewery. To see the Art Trail map and learn more, visit the link here.

Situated in the Melbourne Museum Plaza, Neversphere is Now or Never’s portal of time and space. Experience a 360-degree screen wrapped around the curved interior walls of this pop-up planetarium. Grab some popcorn and recline on the beanbags while you gaze at a larger-than-life program of films curated by the Melbourne Planetarium.

Different sessions screen at different times each day; you can visit the online program here for the full schedule.

Be part of history as five huge DJs and producers from around the world come together to transform the Royal Exhibition Building into a dance hub. On Saturday, August 26, German techno/house producer Âme will perform a live techno set while UK electronic musician George Fitzgerald serves up some R&B-influenced electronic sounds. CC:DISCO! is also set to make a homecoming alongside Ayebatonye and one of Brisbane’s finest selectors and DJs, dameeeela. 

Tickets range between $88 and $110; you can get them here.

Experience two nights of venue hopping and genre-bending music from midday to midnight with a NONSTOP WKND pass. Six late-night venues will spring to life with 13 unique shows featuring music, cutting-edge audio-visuals, talks and performances.

From September 1-2, reclaim the corporate presentation from capitalist overlords with Queer PowerPoint at the Toff, head to Miscellania to experience a multidisciplinary club experience with Powetrip or explore the intersection of sound, AI and ecology with Planetary Auditions at RMIT – and so much more.

A one or two-day pass will grant you access to events across all NONSTOP WKND venues, including the Toff, Miscellania, Max Watts, Sub Club, John Curtin and Section 8. Buy a pass here.

“The future of nature is the future of everything,” states Dr David Suzuki. “To understand where we’re headed, let’s recognise where we are.” To commemorate National Science Week at Museums Victoria, the revered environmentalist and scientist will appear in conversation with the award-winning ABC journalist Natasha Mitchell in an exclusive event.

Dr Suzuki will be beamed via video link onto the enormous IMAX screen live from Canada, where he will deliver a keynote address highlighting the profound importance of this moment for the future of life on Earth, discussing the current state of our planet and importance of human intelligence in shaping the future.

Audience members will be able to participate in a live Q&A session at the end. Tickets range from $12-$60, and you can get them on the Now or Never website here.