RISING Festival has announced its big 2024 lineup, marking the start of winter in Melbourne with lots of art, music, and theatre.
The annual winter arts festival, announced hot on the heels of Vivid Sydney, will be held from June 1st to June 16th.
Fed Square will host a showcase of First Peoples’ art and politics called “The Blak Infinite.” This free exhibition and public program will feature Richard Bell’s installation EMBASSY, inspired by the original Aboriginal Tent Embassy. There will be daily film screenings and talks with activists, writers, and artists every Saturday during the festival.
During RISING 2024, don’t forget to gaze at the sky in Fed Square. Every night, projections illuminate tales of Sky Country and the cosmos. On the big screen, catch Ellen van Neerven’s speculative fiction, while Kait James disrupts souvenir visuals with collage, and Tony Albert unveils vibrant large-scale installations.
Get ready for Day Tripper, a festival within RISING 2024 happening in the middle of the Kings Birthday weekend at Melbourne Town Hall and nearby venues like Capitol Theatre and Max Watt’s. With just one ticket, you can experience it all.
The music lineup is stacked, featuring Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) leading with a tribute to Mos Def, along with a mix of post-punk, acid house, minimal techno, ambient, hip hop, and disco acts such as London trio Bar Italia, Richard Youngs, HTRK, JLIN, and Asha Puthli. You can also enjoy contemporary dance performances, brass bands, video works, and sound installations.
During the long weekend, Fever Ray, the solo project of Sweden’s Karin Dreijer from The Knife, brings an exclusive appearance in Australia. Other performers include Blonde Redhead, Snoh Aalegra, Yves Tumor, Sky Ferreira, ONEFOUR, Moktar, and Dorian Wood. And how about UK producer Evian Christ bringing some trance anthems just for us? Oh, and Dirty Three is back, headlining hometown shows for the first time in 12 years.
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And how about a cinematic marathon for music lovers? Melbourne’s hosting its own version of the 24 Hour Rock Show, originally dreamed up by the British Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller back in 2015. Picture this: non-stop music documentaries for a full day and night – and it won’t cost you a dime. Pop in whenever you want, stay as long as you like, or stick it out for the entire 24 hours.
With 105 events featuring 480 artists, including 23 new commissions and six world premieres, there’s a diverse lineup of theater, dance, and performances to enjoy.
ILBIJERRI Theatre Company’s “Big Name No Blankets” presents a historical exploration of the Warumpi Band, while the first chapter of the Cadela Força Trilogy, “The Bride and the Goodnight Cinderella,” delves into the topic of sexual violence in art history, making a a controversial headline at the festival.
For an immersive experience, check out the 8-hour journey of “8/8/8, One Single Action” by dance duo Amber McCartney and Geoffrey Watson. And for something totally different, experience the rock concert “ONE SONG HISTOIRE(S) DU THÉÂTRE IV” by Flemish artist Miet Warlop, where one song is performed repeatedly by a group of musicians.
In addition, Ireland’s Pan Pan Theatre presents “The First Bad Man,” a performative book club featuring Miranda July’s classic. Also, catch the First Peoples future-forward drag show ECLIPSE.
Also featured are UK comedian Daniel Kitson, a photography exhibition by Rennie Ellis, and S. Shakthidharan’s acclaimed Sri Lankan-Australian saga, “Counting and Cracking,” making its Victorian debut at RISING.
The above is but a smattering of selected highlights, for full details head to the festival’s official website.
RISING 2024
June 1st-16th 2024
Melbourne, VIC (city-wide)
RISING subscribers pre-sale from 12pm, Tuesday, March 12th
Subscribe for instant pre-sale access at rising.melbourne/subscribe
General public tickets on sale 12pm, Thursday, March 14th at rising.melbourne/subscribe
