From tonight until 8 June, RISING returns across Melbourne with 12 nights of music, art, dance and performance, filling theatres, basements, cathedrals, squares and late-night spaces with more than 100 events.
“RISING begins with an invitation to gather and move,” said RISING Artistic Director and CEO Hannah Fox.
“Across theatres, dance floors, cathedrals and public space, this year’s festival explores the ways music, movement and storytelling bring people together. Melbourne comes alive at night during RISING, not just as a backdrop, but as an active participant in the festival itself.”
“Victoria’s calendar is packed with creative events and activities,” said Minister for Creative Industries, Vicki Ward.
“Right now, Melbourne’s CBD is thriving, and with RISING’s diverse, exciting and engaging program including plenty of free and low-cost activities and events, the city is going to get even busier – don’t miss out on this special festival!”
Opening days see the city shift into large-scale performance mode, with the Australian Dance Biennale stretching across theatres, clubs and public space. Works like Glow return in revival form, while new commissions from Lucy Guerin Inc, Branch Nebula and Dancenorth push movement into surreal and physical extremes.
Flinders Street Station’s ballroom also reopens for a participatory dance program spanning styles from vogue to ballet, turning the heritage space into a living classroom.
Music and art continue across the festival, from global acts at Hamer Hall and Melbourne Town Hall to immersive works at Fed Square and ACMI. Large-scale projections, First Peoples-led installations and experimental exhibitions run alongside club nights and late-night venues hidden across the CBD.
RISING’s after-dark program brings DJs, live sets and underground spaces together, while public artworks and tram commissions turn the city into an open-air gallery until late.
Food pop-ups and late-night dining also run across the city, adding another layer to the festival atmosphere. It is a winter festival that encourages wandering, discovery and unexpected moments after dark across Melbourne CBD.
For more information visit 2026.rising.melbourne
