Now or Never is upon us as art and technology collide in the CBD

Now or Never, Melbourne’s newest and most colourful festival, returns at the end of August, bringing with it a slew of exciting events and installations to the streets of the CBD.

Beginning on August 31, the program that mixes music, sound, art and new ideas will transform the CBD, with both free and ticketed events to choose from.

According to Elise Peyronnet, artistic director of Now or Never, this festival “is different from any other Australian festival, with a unique artistic direction that offers glimpses into possible futures,” focusing specifically on artists who use technology in their practice.

Among a program rich with exciting and unexpected events, highlights within the CBD include local and international works and performances.

In Einder, Melbourne Town Hall will become the setting for a thunderstorm, created by Dutch artist Boris Acket on the building’s towering organ – the biggest pipe organ in the Southern Hemisphere.

As the storm grows, matures and decays, audiences can also enjoy a one-of-a-kind dining experience. In a special one-night event, chef Julia Busuttil Nishimura will present a unique Mediterranean menu that mirrors the changing beauty of the storm.

Across town, the Royal Exhibition Building will be overtaken by a translucent pink bubble. Presented by Barcelona-based collective Penique Productions, MATRIA will morph the historic building into a warm immersive tunnel, filled with ambience.

Local voices are also highlighted within the program, with Dr Christian Thompson AO returning with his sonic installation Burdi Burdi. The usually bustling Evan Walker Bridge becomes a fiery, golden space, blending Southern Chinese and Bidjara cultures. Pedestrians are encouraged to slow down and reflect, lingering on sound, language, and memory.

Also on offer are thought-provoking discussions about what path new and emerging technology may lead humanity down, and how this will shape and change understandings of ourselves.

Australia’s first astronaut, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, will consider humanity’s next venture into space, and who will get to decide what stories shape the places we build in Future of Space.

There will also be a talk with Jessica Russ-Smith and Michelle D. Lazarus on artificial intelligence, and how First Nations ways of knowing could guide this technology in Charting the Future.

These are just a few events in a rich and extensive program, with the 2025 festival expected to attract 400,000 people over
11 days.

Everything is on offer, from space exploration, genre-bending performance art, hypnotic sound and even a foray into immortality.

As Peyronnet puts it, Now or Never “asks us to imagine new realities,” querying what the future holds, and how will technology shape and twist this all delivered through exciting performances and colourful events all over the city. •