Melbourne is about to get a deep dive into vinyl, sound and music culture, with RISING and ACMI unveiling The Vinyl Factory: Reverb, opening at ACMI on 22 May 2026.
Running throughout this year’s RISING event and extended until 31 August, the large scale exhibition explores how vinyl and music have shaped art, fashion, film and social movements. Originally staged at 180 Studios in London, Reverb arrives in Melbourne following a twice extended season that drew more than 50,000 visitors.
Set across interconnected spaces at ACMI in Fed Square, the exhibition features major screen works, immersive installations and interactive vinyl experiences drawn from The Vinyl Factory Collection.
Visitors can move through different eras of sound, from early techno and house to Kingston dancehall and the late 80s Second Summer of Love. A full scale reconstruction of Columbia’s 30th Street Studio also forms part of the experience.
Artists featured include Stan Douglas, Jenn Nkiru, Virgil Abloh, Kahlil Joseph, Gabriel Moses, William Kentridge, Jeremy Deller, Julianknxx, Cecilia Bengolea and Carsten Nicolai.
“Reverb captures the force of music as a cultural engine – how it shapes movements, identity and lasting communities,” said RISING Artistic Director and CEO Hannah Fox.
ACMI Director & CEO Seb Chan said: “You’ll hear records in a new way – discovering the unexpected, or something familiar transformed. Reverb at ACMI is a fitting tribute to sound in the world’s vinyl capital.”
Highlights include hands-on Technics turntables, a curated vinyl archive and The Listening Room, an acoustically designed space for deep listening sessions. After hours events will be limited to 50 people per session.
Presale opens 17 February, with general tickets on sale from 16 March via Rising.melbourne.
