In a devastating blow to arts exhibitions and immersive experiences around Melbourne, digital art gallery THE LUME Melbourne will close its doors earlier than anticipated. Instead of its original closing date in 2026, the venue will now shut its doors permanently on Sunday June 1, 2025.
“As we look to the future, we see an opportunity to once again redefine immersive storytelling,” said Bruce Peterson, Founder and Chair of Grande Experiences and CEO of THE LUME Melbourne. “Rather than simply continuing, we are choosing to evolve – embracing new technologies that will take cultural experiences to even greater heights.”
THE LUME Melbourne will officially close on June 1, 2025
THE LUME Melbourne has played a massive role in the city’s arts and culture scene, drawing 1.5 million visitors and generating an estimated $180 million to the Victorian economy. In its five years of operation, it has put on stunning exhibitions such as Monet & Friends, Connection and Leonardo da Vinci: 500 Years of Genius. It’s also hosted unique wellness experiences and other special events.
If you haven’t seen it yet, this is your last chance to check out the current exhibition about Vincent Van Gogh. This is the same exhibition that THE LUME opened with when it first began in Melbourne. However, there are some new things for you to enjoy, such as the world-first VR experience, ‘Finding Vincent‘, which allows you to fully immerse and step into Van Gogh’s world.
On Sundays, kids can also visit for free, so the whole family can get a dose of art and culture.
What’s next?
In a statement to the media, Grande Experiences, the company behind THE LUME Melbourne, have said that they would embark on a new chapter by “harnessing new technologies to redefine the future of cultural storytelling on a global scale”.
Meanwhile, Grande Experiences will continue on with THE LUME Indianapolis in the United States, as well as eight other permanent and temporary cultural experiences around the while. While other Australian states have indicated an interest in hosting THE LUME, no commitments have been made just yet.
“This was not a decision we made lightly, but one rooted in our ambition to push the boundaries of cultural storytelling even further,” said Peterson. “The landscape of immersive experiences is evolving rapidly, and we are seizing this moment to lead that evolution on a global scale. Our focus is now on creating even more groundbreaking, transformative stories through innovative new technology.”
To see more about what’s happening at THE LUME before it closes, click here.