Footscray will come to life after dark this May and become a playground of pop-up festivities and events when independent music and arts festival SLEEPLESS takes over Melbourne’s inner west.
Sleepless Footscray is more than just a festival; it will transform Footscray’s CBD turning hidden alleys into nightscapes, familiar venues into adventurous spaces, and unused buildings into creative hubs for music, performance, art, and immersive experiences. This year, sixteen unconventional venues will host a diverse program, showcasing the vibrant local arts community and nightlife.
Some of the festival’s highlight events include:
- FOOTSCRAY CELEBRATES AFRICA: A day of free live music, dance and musical education. Featuring performances by Jarabi Band, Mandé Spirit, Seben Brothers, WALA is Life, and Stani Goma, and vinyl-spun sets by a special guest DJ.
- An exhilarating descent into altered perception, immersive theatre production THE DOOR IN QUESTION will illustrate the vivid experience of living with mental illness. Spaces will shift when you’re not looking and corridors will stretch in unfamiliar directions as reality shifts beneath your feet.
- YEAR OF THE FREAK – A HOMECOMING will see Golden Scissor Puppets transform a derelict Footscray building into an immersive world of large-scale puppetry
Melburnians are invited to experience music and art in unexpected ways, to discover the hidden potential of Footscray, and to celebrate the bold, creative spirit of Melbourne’s inner west.
May 2 – 18
