Feeling the winter blues set in? Thankfully, Melbourne has a festival for that. Mark your calendars, because Now or Never, Australia’s newest major festival, is back for a second year after a spectacular 2023 debut. This August, the red-hot event returns with more than 100 free and ticketed sessions, from 250-plus local and international creatives.
This year’s festival theme is ‘Look Through the Image’. It’s supposed to encourage us all to explore the deeper meanings of what’s in front of us, whether that’s a thought-provoking talk or mind-bending visuals at a techno set. According to Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Sally Capp, Now or Never is set to bring more than 200,000 visitors to the city, welcoming them across “some of Melbourne’s most iconic venues”. With so many vibrant experiences on offer, here’s what you need to know
What is Now or Never festival?
Now or Never bills itself as a festival of art, sound, ideas and technology. What does that actually mean? It’s a choose-your-own-adventure kind of situation, consisting of everything from talks and dance performances to immersive installations and late-night DJ sets.
When is Now or Never happening in 2024?
Now or Never 2024 will heat up the city during the tail end of winter, across two weeks from Thursday, August 22 until Sunday, August 31.
Where is Now or Never being held?
Now or Never is a multi-venue festival taking place across the city, with key venues including Melbourne Town Hall, the Royal Exhibition Building, the State Library of Victoria and Melbourne Recital Centre.
What’s on the Now or Never line-up?
The program for this festival is absolutely packed, so here’s what’s caught our eye so far. Listen to writer, professor and cultural commentator Roxane Gay speak on the importance of holding complex views in complex times, or watch a giant ephemeral being move through the Melbourne Museum plaza with the aid of a free augmented reality app.
Head down to the Yarra to see 'Constellations', a celestial formation glowing above the water’s surface after dark, or catch 'Silent Symphony', where eight kinetic sculptures will cast light and sound throughout a darkened room. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when artificial intelligence calls the shots for a group of dancers, grab a ticket for Plagiary, a dance work that’s completely improvised according to computer-generated directions each night.
Last but not least, the Royal Exhibition Building will once again turn into arguably Melbourne’s coolest rave venue across four packed nights. Just like last year, you can expect epic large-scale visuals to accompany the banging tunes. Ferociously glamorous dance artist Coucou Chloe will make her Australian debut at the REB, with Italian techno DJ Donato Dozzy, dark electronica artist Naretha Williams and avant-pop romancer Eartheater all making appearances at the world heritage-listed venue on separate nights. Each night has multiple artists on the line-up, so check out the website to see all the goods.
How do I get tickets to Now or Never?
Frankly, the line-up is so chokers that we’re only just grazing the surface. Head to the Now or Never website to check out all the events in detail – that’s where you can sort out tickets, too.
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