The popular NGV Friday Nights are back this summer, in celebration of the upcoming and much-hyped Yayoi Kusama exhibition, which will take over the gallery’s entire ground floor. Taking place every Friday night from December 20 until April 18, you can expect a massive line-up of pop-up performances, music residencies, food, and plenty of drinks. We’re pretty hyped for this one, and judging by NGV’s tagline in their Instagram announcement – “Brat summer might be over, but art summer is just beginning at NGV” – they’re pretty excited too.
NGV Friday Nights
The Friday night shindigs are a common feature at NGV, most recently seen over the winter in support of their Winter Masterpieces exhibition, Pharaoh, which concluded in October. NGV Friday Nights are one of the best late night activities around town when it’s on, and here’s what you can expect for the summer 2024/25 edition.
This summer, it’s all about Yayoi Kusama, possibly the most anticipated art exhibition hitting Melbourne this summer. The evening affairs give you the chance to explore Kusama’s hypnotic, colourful art after hours; upon reflection, Kusama might just be the perfect artist for the NGV Friday Nights treatment. Visit her trademark pumpkins, eye-catching paintings, immersive installations, and the social media-famous infinity rooms you’ll be seeing on your screens for a while. Your entry ticket allows you to explore the galleries until 10pm.
Who’s performing at NGV Friday Nights
Elsewhere at NGV Friday, pop into the Great Hall for a rotating program of live music and performances. Each week, you’ll go on a different journey inspired by the exhibition, with a range of Melbourne’s top DJs lined up to crank out the tunes into the night. The season kicks off with Tokyo-born multi-instrumentalist and DJ Elle Shimada bringing her female-powered playlists, before Jade Zoe ends the 2024 programme with a floor-filling mix of K-pop, rap, R&B, and more.
2025 begins with Tanzer‘s disco-infused sounds, ahead of an appearance by DJ Small Fry (host of Mooncake on Triple R), and sets from DJs Charlie Villas and Melbourne scene veteran JNETT. Further performances will feature DIJOK, Midsumma, D. Tyrone, Asia Topa, Yeo, Aqueerius, Rainbow Chan, and Shah Sarafi, so there’s a stacked lineup to enjoy whenever you visit.
Food and drink
NGV’s Great Hall and Gallery Kitchen will be curating a food menu to match the experience, with a Japanese-inspired lineup of street food dishes to enjoy. As for drinks, you’ll find champagne at the Moët & Chandon bar, G&Ts from the Four Pillars Gin bar, and Yarra Valley wines from the Yering Station Wine Bar. Last but not least, there’s a Häagen-Dazs ice-cream cart to be found on the gallery’s terrace, perfect for hot summer nights.
Bookings are now open for NGV Friday Nights, so reserve your spot and head down for an out-of-hours art party you won’t forget in a hurry!