Plate smashing meets a New York institution. SPASTA returns on 1 November with its biggest lineup yet.
Melbourne’s most wholesome rave is back.
SPASTA has locked in NYC house duo MUSCLECARS to present their legendary Coloring Lessons party for a rare takeover outside of New York City. The event spans three stages across both indoor and outdoor spaces, merging Greek cultural traditions with four-to-the-floor dance music in the beautiful surrounds of the Abbotsford Convent.
SPASTA founder Adriana has built a cult following in Melbourne for celebrations that translate Greek celebratory practices into pure dancefloor energy. The word translates to break in Greek, referencing the tradition of smashing plates at joyous festivities to usher in positive energy while clearing away negativity. Think traditional bands, bouzouki, zorbas and authentic Greek food with house, disco and Balearica programming. She’s hosted everyone from Marcellus Pittman to DJ Lloyd across previous editions, transforming venues from Fairfield Amphitheatre to Collingwood Children’s Farm into spaces where Greek heritage meets contemporary club culture – although we still reckon the Convent is the best of the bunch.
SPASTA throws parties three times a year, with the 2024 edition immortalised on wax through the SPASTA Compilation featuring an all-star cast of friends from home and abroad.
SPASTA at the Convent
- 1 November 2025
- Abbotsford Convent, Abbotsford
- Tickets here
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
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The lineup
- Adriana
- Ayebatonye
- Menage (live)
- Boymeetsgirl & Sam U
- MUSCLECARS
- Rah & Sisterdeep
- Navy Blue Radio
- Afreckle
The main SPASTA programming brings Adriana, Ayebatonye, Menage performing live, and the back-to-back pairing of Boymeetsgirl & Sam U.
Ayebatonye has spent over a decade cultivating her unique sound across the Australian scene, blending afro rhythms, deep percussive drum beats, house, techno and jersey club into entrancing sets. The Sydney-born, Melbourne-based artist founded Irregular Fit in 2018, a DIY arts platform centred on Black, Brown and people of colour engaging with the arts. S
he’s supported iconic artists including The Illustrious Blacks, Marcellus Pittman and Tygapaw, plus opened for Underground Resistance at Tresor in Berlin. Her podcast Four to the Floor explores the Black roots of contemporary music, paying homage to artists past and present who have contributed abundantly to the music world. Recent standout performances at Strawberry Fields, Pitch Music & Arts, Meadow and Inner Varnika have built her a thriving and loyal fanbase.
The Greek experience
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Yitonia presents a Greek panigiri street festival takeover complete with traditional bands, authentic food prepared by family, and traditional dancing.
The setup allows attendees to experience genuine Greek cultural celebration while moving between different stages and sounds throughout the day and night. Previous SPASTA editions have featured live bouzouki players receiving flower throws, traditional Pontian dancers, egg cracking ceremonies and plates being smashed in fits of kefi.
Adriana previously hosted Opalakia on PBS Radio, where she developed her distinct familiarity with navigating both traditional and contemporary sounds, building a bridge between her Greek motherland and Melbourne home.
MUSCLECARS present Coloring Lessons
Brandon Weems and Craig Handfield, the born-and-raised New Yorkers behind MUSCLECARS, established Coloring Lessons in 2018 as a monthly party celebrating the Black, Brown and queer roots of dance music.
The party has become a Big Apple institution, connecting the dots between jazz, disco, roots R&B and hip hop influences in electronic music while pulling on a lineage of inspirational New York spaces like The Paradise Garage, The Loft, Body and Soul and 718 Sessions. The party rarely travels beyond New York, making this Melbourne appearance a significant moment for local fans.
MUSCLECARS launched Coloring Lessons Records in 2020 as an extension of the party’s ethos, building up artists from New York and beyond while sharing music created and inspired by people of colour.
The duo have been turning heads in underground circles through heady mixes and releases, with their 2020 EP Street Dreams blending warm house sounds with psychedelic melodies, jazz guitar and cosmic grooves. They grew their party from Brooklyn’s Mood Ring to a resident slot at the infamous Le Bain, building a community centred around unified love for dance music, positive energy and getting down.
The Coloring Lessons takeover at SPASTA brings MUSCLECARS alongside Rah & Sisterdeep, Navy Blue Radio and Afreckle. Each party functions as a safe space for their community to come together while sharing music rooted in their heritage, aiming to bring New York City’s dance music scene back to what it was during the golden era of nightlife.
It’s the perfect collaboration
SPASTA’s special because it represents a meeting point between two distinct but aligned visions of club culture. Both SPASTA and Coloring Lessons centre community, cultural heritage and the roots of dance music while creating inclusive spaces for celebration.
The three-stage setup at Abbotsford Convent allows movement between the Coloring Lessons programming, traditional Greek festivities and main performances throughout the day and night, with outdoor spaces providing the perfect backdrop for a bitta spring sunshine dancing. You can’t go wrong.
For more information, head here.
This article was made in partnership with Finding Figaro.
