The Show Room at Arts Centre Melbourne is set to be transformed into a late-night creative playground when Beneath the Mask takes over on Saturday 25 October 2025. The one-night-only event blends live music, fashion, dance and spoken word, while placing Melbourne’s next generation of artists and designers firmly in the spotlight.
Curated by multidisciplinary duo EPTM, Moz and Urlik Mageza, the lineup spans R’n’B, afro-beat, hip-hop, funk, and beyond.
Audiences can expect to hear Congolese-Australian singer Ketsia, who fuses soul, pop and folk, alongside Missnancy – a genre-defying performer already being called “Melbourne’s Lauryn Hill.” A vibey house band, DJs, and fashion runways round out the evening’s mix of spectacle and intimacy.
The event also brings together some of the city’s most exciting fashion labels, including Afro-futurist, eco-conscious Remuse Designs, the craft-focused Antiek East, and streetwear disruptor Misplaced.au. Select garments featured on the runway will be available for pre-order, building financial pathways for creatives of colour well beyond the show.
Drawing inspiration from the Congolese Sapeur movement – a flamboyant style tradition rooted in culture and resistance – Beneath the Mask encourages guests to arrive dressed as their truest selves.
“Whether it’s bold, quiet, raw, vibrant, or unconventional, Beneath the Mask is your space to make a visual statement, to show up fully and to wear your truth on the outside,” Moz said.
For co-curator Urlik Mageza, the project is about reclaiming space: “Too many of us are forced to hide parts of ourselves just to fit in… this event is deeply personal — it’s us creating the community we always longed for.”
Presented in partnership with Arts Centre Melbourne as part of Melbourne Fashion Week’s independent program, Beneath the Mask is also a key event in Multicultural Arts Victoria’s new initiative, Powered By.
Tickets go on sale Monday 1 September at 10am.
