The City of Melbourne’s newest major festival, Now Or Never returns this August for its third year, transforming Naarm/Melbourne with an exciting program exploring art, ideas, sound and technology.
From Thursday August 21 to Sunday August 31, the city will become a canvas for boundary-pushing artists, changemakers and innovators, each inviting audiences to experience Naarm/Melbourne in a different way.
From a never-before-seen transformation of the interior of Royal Exhibition Building to an epic musical takeover of Melbourne Town Hall, the 11-day city-wide festival will present a curated program of over 140 free and ticketed events. More than 285 local and international artists and creatives will take over iconic venues and public spaces, including 30 new commissions making their Naarm/Melbourne premiere.
Proudly Presented by PBS 106.7FM, this year's program highlights include:
- A takeover of Melbourne Town Hall with large-scale live music across four nights. The stellar lineup includes: Québécois artist and techno-pop icon Marie Davidson, the Australian premiere of ultratronics by Japanese visual and sound artist Ryoji Ikeda, New York-based musician DJ Python, Sydney-born and Berlin-based DJ Logic1000, Amsterdam’s Young Marco, and proud Murri woman and rising star Yarra.
- Barcelona-based Studio Penique will present MATRIA, a monumental installation inside the Royal Exhibition Building (REB), in partnership with Museums Victoria. MATRIA will also host a series of events, including morning breathwork sessions by The Breath Haus and a night-time performance program.
- Dutch artist and composer Boris Acket, renowned for his evocative installations will unveil Einder. Einder is 20-metre-long kinetic light and sound installation, featuring flowing textiles and immersive soundscapes in atmospheric dialogue with the historic grandeur of Melbourne Town Hall.
- Bidjara/Chinese-Australian contemporary artist Dr Christian Thompson AO will reimagine the Evan Walker Bridge with his largest outdoor installation to date. Burdi Burdi (Fire Fire) is a major sonic installation that will transform the pedestrian crossing into a space for quiet reflection.
- Exclusive performances will take place at Melbourne Recital Centre: legendary German electronic music producer Moritz von Oswald will perform his acclaimed album Silencio, featuring a 16-person choir; while celebrated composer and producer Laurel Halo will bring her enigmatic sound to the stage with new grand piano works, alongside Brooklyn-based cellist Leila Bordreuil.
And much more. To purchase tickets or explore the full program, visit nowornever.melbourne.vic.gov.au.
The festival is proud to return in 2025 as a certified carbon-neutral event under the Australian Government’s Climate Activate Program.
Subscriber pre-sales are open now, with general tickets on sale from 12pm Monday 23 June.