Running across four days, the festival will open with VIA ALICE – a world premiere and multicultural collaboration that tells a distinctly Australian performance through virtual reality and live performance, helmed by American rapper and producer Khalif Diouf (Le1f), and Indigenous Australian dancer and choreographer Waangenga Blanco, as they take people on a surreal, immersive and insightful journey from New York City, into the vast Australian outback, Alice Springs, and onward.
Elsewhere, you’ll find a strong lineup of founding Aboriginal reggae rock legends, No Fixed Address and ARIA Award winners Coloured Stone performing together; pivotal Japanese composer and percussionist Midori Takada; house don Tony Humphries, Peven Everett performing live as a quartet at a secret open-air location and much more.
For Melbourne punters, the Road to Weekender series will present a selection of the program including signature events and public lectures from the Sydney lineup – with ABRA making her Australian debut along with soon-to-be-announced conversations with pioneering artists and Academy alumni.
Taking charge down our way, Midori Takada will provide a live evening of ambience the Melbourne Recital Centre. Joined by Krakatau, Takada will take on world modes of music for a journey akin to Sydney’s site-specific Talk to the Breeze offering. On Friday September 1, Peven Everett will bring his esteemed live show to Max Watt’s Melbourne for a euphoric evening alongside local names J’Nett, Winters, Silent Jay & Jace XL and Chris NG.
