RISING launches with a mammoth line-up of new music, art and performance, RISING in 2024 will take over Melbourne / Naarm this June with 105 events, more than 480 artists, 23 new commissions, 6 world premieres, and 8 Australian premieres, set to take the city as a stage as winter begins from June 1 – 16.
Historic arcades and back alleys will come alive with art exhibitions, performances, micro-bars, art and dance classes. A transformed Melbourne Town Hall hosts a sprawling day party across the King’s Birthday long weekend. Epic and ethereal sound works echo from the Birrarung through the CBD, St Paul’s Cathedral becomes a site of mass music making and First Nations art goes large at Fed Square.
Some highlights of the program include:
ILBIJERRI Theatre Company’s Big Name No Blankets, a rock ‘n’ roll narrative tracing the history of the legendary Warumpi Band at Melbourne Town Hall.
Counting and Cracking multi-award-winning Sri Lankan-Australian saga that unfolds over five decades, making its Victorian debut
The Cadela Força Trilogy’s first chapter at Malthouse, in which director and artist Carolina Bianchi travels through time and states of consciousness to confront a vision of hell, and a deep dive into themes of sexual violence in art history.
Day Tripper – a festival within a festival which tentpoles the RISING’s mammoth middle weekend. Day Tripper takes over an entire city block with the Melbourne Town Hall as its hub, offering a curated selection of music, art, and performance across genres, with US hip hop icon Yasiin Bey (FKA Mos Def) in his second RISING show this time paying homage to MF Doom and additional acts including Bar Italia, JLIN, HTRK, and Disco legend Asha Puthli, all accessible with just one ticket.
8/8/8: REST, an 8-hour performance journey through Arts Centre Melbourne.
Legendary Melbourne dance company Chunky Move’s world premiere of You, Beauty at the Immigration Museum.
FOOD, an Australian premiere from New York illusionist Geoff Sobelle exploring human consumption at MTC Lawler.
Burnout Paradise at Malthouse featuring performers running on treadmills while multitasking intensely.
ECLIPSE, a First Peoples futuristic drag show and new RISING commission at Melbourne Town Hall.
Arkadia, a new dance opera from Melanie Lane at Substation.
Justin Shoulder’s ANITO at Arts House, a mix of dance, installation, and masquerade.
Ghenoa Gela’s Gurr Era Op at Arts House, a dance narrative on climate change impacts on Torres Strait Islander culture.
And there’s much more across the King’s Birthday public holiday. You’ve got OneFour, Day Tripper, Yasiin Bey (FKA Mos Def), Fever Ray, DJ Moktar, Hear My Eyes, 24 Hour Rock Show (the day-long music documentary curated by Jeremy Deller at the Capitol), as well as performances of Counting & Cracking, ANITO, Chunky Move’s You Beauty and more. At the heart of it is Night Trade – the festival hub which takes over the hidden spaces, arcades and alleyways around Howey Place and Max Watts.
June 1 – 16
RISING subscribers presale from 12pm, Tuesday 12 March. Subscribe for instant presale access at rising.melbourne/subscribe
General public tickets on sale 12pm, Thursday 14 March at rising.melbourne/subscribe
