Now or Never is back for another extraordinary year of immersive art, experimental performance and transcendental tunes from 21-31 August.
From after-hours parties in the Science Gallery and State Library Victoria to packed lineups at Melbourne Town Hall and live AV experiences and art installations at the Royal Exhibition Building, this 11-day program is the kind that will engage every single one of your senses.
When it comes to interpreting this year’s Now or Never program, rest assured that no two artworks, performances, installations or events are the same. From immersive theatrical experiences that blend fiction with reality, to icon-consuming visual installations that will change the face of the city as we know it, 2025’s Now or Never is the boldest year of the festival yet.
Check out our gig guide here.
Now or Never at Melbourne Town Hall
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- Thursday 28 August – Ryoji Ikeda ultratronics [live set] / CORIN presents DIWA [live AV]
- Friday 29 August – DJ Python / DJ Plead B2B rRoxymore / Yarra
- Saturday 30 August – Young Marco / Logic1000 / Big Ever / KDV Performance Group with Hamill Industries & Tayhana
- Sunday 31 August – Marie Davidson / OK EG / KDV Performance Group with Hamill Industries & Tayhana
- Tickets here
Now or Never is taking over Melbourne Town Hall for four consecutive nights of cutting-edge electronic music and immersive audiovisual experiences. The festival opens with Ryoji Ikeda’s Australian debut ultratronics, alongside CORIN’s DIWA live AV performance. The following night are DJ Python, DJ Plead B2B rRoxymore and Yarra delivering Latin club currents and bass. Saturday sees Young Marco, Logic1000, Big Ever and KDV Performance Group heal souls through music and movement, before Marie Davidson’s exceptional techno-pop and OK EG’s synth mayhem close out the festival alongside the Kianí del Valle Performance Group’s immersive explorations of mortality.
Crisis Actor
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- Wednesday 27 August to Sunday 31 August
- Arts House
- Tickets here
Immersive theatre is being taken to a whole new level with this interactive performance that invites audience members to dictate the story. Part physical theatre, part simulated reality, Crisis Actor is an absurd comedy of unexpected consequences.
PARA.CINE
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- Tuesday 26 August
- ACMI
- Tickets here
Cinema is expanding beyond the silver screen in this otherworldly experience of hypnotic sound and bodily movement. PARA.CINE features two world premiere works commissioned by SOFT CENTRE – Hearsay and Team Rolfes & The Mustang Speedrun. Hold onto your armrests – this is going to be a wild ride.
ASSEMBLY
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- Wednesday 27 August, Friday 29 August and Sunday 31 August
- ACMI
- Tickets here
This kaleidoscope of music, dance, projections, sculpture, holograms and African fractal patterns culminates in more than just a film – it’s a bodily experience. Exploring black and queer futures in a multi-sensory performance piece, ASSEMBLY is the kind of Now or Never event that you have to see to believe.
Listening Acts | Performance
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- Friday 22 August and Saturday 23 August
- Melbourne Recital Centre
- Tickets here
The Chamber Made project is providing attendees a space to explore the distance between the making and hearing of sound in a series of live music performances at Melbourne Recital Centre. Each work is its own immersive sound journey, meaning no two experiences will be the same. See one or see all – you’ll no doubt be coming back for more.
Alex Zhang Hungtai x MATRIA
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- Thursday 21 August
- Royal Exhibition Building
- Tickets here
Saxophonist-composer Alex Zhang Hungtai will be transforming the Royal Exhibition Building – not just alongside Now or Never’s sensational installation of MATRIA, but inside it. This combination of sound, movement, visuals and texture is the kind of live set you don’t want to miss.
DELIRI
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- Thursday 21 August to Sunday 31 August
- State Library Victoria
- Free entry
- More info here
Another free art installation, DELIRI will take over the exterior of State Library Victoria. Created by Barcelona-based artistic duo Hamill Industries, DELIRI is a whirlwind of sound, movement and texture.
Burdi Burdi
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- Thursday 21 August to Sunday 31 August
- Evan Walker Bridge
- Free entry
- More info here
This free installation will see sound come to life across one of Melbourne’s most travelled pedestrian bridges, connecting Southbank to Flinders Street in an exploration of fire, gold and the cultural histories that are intertwined in our personal stories.
Einder
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- Thursday 21 August, Saturday 23 August and Sunday 24 August
- Melbourne Town Hall
- Free entry
- Tickets here
This free artwork invites viewers to step into the storm. Created by Dutch artist and composer Boris Acket, Einder brings a thunderstorm to life – light, sound and sensations falling from the ceiling-cum-sky of Melbourne Town Hall. Fear not – you can leave your umbrella at home.
The Future of Space
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- Saturday 23 August
- Melbourne Museum
- Tickets here
This transcendental presentation will feature Australia’s very own first astronaut – Katherine Bennell-Pegg – alongside astronomer Dr Tania Hill. While we used to look to the stars to see our future, now we’re heading there. This duo of experts will deliver an other-worldly talk alongside an exclusive new short film commissioned by the Australian Space Agency.
For more information and the full Now or Never program, head here.
Beat is a proud media partner of Now or Never.
