Following a hugely successful 2023 event with more than 200,000 attendees, the City of Melbourne‘s Now or Never festival is back this August with a ten-day program featuring over 100 live music and art events.
Running under the theme “Look through the image,” the eclectic celebration of both culture and technology promises to justify leaving the comfort of your homes in the dead of winter.
Last year’s edition saw the transformation of the Royal Exhibition Building into a music festival main stage for four nights of parties; and this year, the event’s schedule is hoping to take it to another level.
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Currently, the lineup includes American artist Eartheater, UK techno collective Sandwell District, Portuguese Danish singer-songwriter Erika de Casier, and French producer-singer Coucou Chloe making her Australian debut.
Beyond the music, there’ll be plenty of art installations coming to life for Now or Never 2024, including the large-scale celestial work Constellations by French artist Joanie Lemercier hovering above the Yarra River. An augmented reality experience dubbed Slow Walker will also create the illusion of a colossal figure towering above the Melbourne Museum Plaza.
The Melbourne Recital Centre, on the other hand, is hosting an exclusive performance by local band HTRK and UK electronic musician Actressl while Nant Studios in Docklands will host Marco Fusinato’s DESASTRES — an experimental performance that premiered at the 2022 Venice Biennale.
Those with an appetite for thought-provoking discussion will be glad to hear bestselling author Roxane Gay is joining Jan Fran on stage to discuss her latest book, Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People’s Business.
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Beyond this handful of highlights, expect dozens of other performances involving contemporary dance, jazz, and celebrations of queer culture; locking in what promises to be one of the city’s biggest events for the year.
Melbourne’s Now or Never festival will run from August 22nd to 31st. Tickets are now on sale.
