Melbourne will be transformed with art trails, sculptural illuminations and projections, a 360° pop-up dome cinema and a non-stop weekend of gigs, as the City of Melbourne debuts its spectacular new festival, Now or Never.
Now or Never is a 17-day festival taking place from August 17 - September 2 - co-presented by PBS. Set to invigorate the city and boosting the local economy, the event will bring together more than 300 local and internationally-renowned artists, composers, change makers and innovators with a vibrant program of events, featuring 18 Australian premieres and 20 festival-exclusive commissions.
With more than 70 groundbreaking music performances, immersive digital art installations and daytime talks, Now or Never’s cutting-edge program will explore possibilities found where art and technology converge.
Program highlights include:
- NONSTOP WKND, which will bring audiences two days of leftfield music, cutting-edge audio-visuals and boundary-pushing performances.
- A giant pop-up dome coined the Neversphere will immerse audiences in a bustling program of film, projected across a 360° screen in the Melbourne Museum forecourt.
- The return of large-scale live music to the historic Royal Exhibition Building for the first time in 20 years, with a cutting-edge line-up of local artists and international headliners, including Kelela, a club night co-hosted by Untitled Group, plusperformances by internationally renowned Axel Boman, PBS Alumn CC:Disco!, rising star Ayebatonye, and Brisbane mainstay and Yuggera woman, dameeeela.
- A unique sensory experience by English electronic duo Autechre, who will headline a night of live electronic music in complete darkness – enhanced with a psychedelic 3D audio-visual experience by British artist Max Cooper
- A hypnotising electronic show from Bristol duo Giant Swan and a thumping live set by UK based artist Actress
- Orchestra Victoria’s take on US composer Steve Reich’s iconic Music for 18 Musicians, accompanied by a 16-metre-high commissioned video work by multimedia artist Jesse Woolston
And much more.
Find the full program at nowornever.melbourne.vic.gov.au.
Now or Never - Art. Ideas. Sound. Technology - Melbourne/Narrm
August 17 - September 2, 2023.