Get ready — Melbourne will soon be transformed with dazzling projections, dreamy art trails, a 360° pop-up dome cinema and more as part of Now or Never. This inaugural festival will explore the intersection of art, ideas, sound and technology, combining the success and resources of both Melbourne Music Week and Melbourne Knowledge Week. It’ll take over venues and precincts all around Melbourne, from the Royal Exhibition Building to the Docklands foreshore. Over 200,000 people are expected to attend and admire everything from live music gigs to immersive installations. The festival will run over 17 days, from Thursday August 17 to Saturday September 2.
Now or Never
Feel a sense of curiosity and wonder as you explore the city. The festival will bring together over 300 local and internationally-renowned artists, composers, change makers and innovators. The extensive program features 18 Australian premieres and 20 festival exclusive commissions.
“This inaugural festival will showcase Melbourne as a place to discover, learn and play – with daytime programming seeping into late-night culture, digital musings, adventurous performances, one-of-a-kind culinary experiences and more,” said Lord Mayor Sally Capp.
The full program for Now or Never has been released.
Look forward to events like:
- Art Trail – journey along a 1.2 kilometre promenade in Docklands, and see works from seven leading contemporary artists. This experience is curated by art and technology organisation Experimenta.
- Neversphere – this giant pop-up dome will completely immerse you in a story. Check out a vibrant program of film, projected across a 360° screen in the Melbourne Museum forecourt.
- 360° Dining with Supernormal – inside the Neverphere, you’ll find a unique and multi-sensory dining experience. Feast on a menu of delectable dishes with matched Mitchelton Wines, as well as a welcome cocktail from Four Pillars Gin. As you dine, immerse yourself multimedia artistic works by Ryoichi Kurokawa, Pantha du Prince and Natalia Stuyk.
- Laszlo Bordos and the Shrine of Remembrance – Laszlo Bordos is a Hungarian artist and 3D-mapping pioneer. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Shrine’s design competition, Bordos will bring the building to life with a series of sculptural illuminations and projections. This work will highlight the Shrine’s architecture and significance, alongside a sonic landscape by Czech composer Ondřej Skál.
- NONSTOP WKND – six iconic Melbourne venues, including Max Watts, The Toff and Section 8, will have a curated series of back-to-back performances. See 70 industry leading artists perform 12 unique shows, with music, audio-visuals and boundary-pushing performances.
- A conversation with Dr David Suzuki – in celebration of National Science Week, Melbourne Museum’s IMAX will hold an exclusive event. Renowned environmentalist Dr David Suzuki will be live streamed from Canada, in conversation with ABC journalist Natasha Mitchell. They will discuss the planet and human intelligence.
- Live music at the Royal Exhibition Building – for the first time in 20 years, this historic venue will host large-scale live music events. Listen to local artists and international headliners, like Âme, Autechre, Max Cooper and more.
- Never Permanent – presented by the internationally acclaimed design festival, Semi Permanent, this event will be a series of talks and panels, celebrating and exploring the intersection of creativity and technology in the modern world. It will be headlined by director, writer and producer Roman Coppola.
For more information and details, click here.