Festival Unfolds Across the City, Featuring Dance, Music, and Culinary Interventions
Melbourne has been thoroughly overtaken by RISING, its annual winter arts and culture festival, now in full swing and scheduled to continue for another week. The event, which commenced on May 27th and runs until June 8th, transforms the city's nocturnal landscape with a sprawling program encompassing music, theatre, dance, visual art, and gastronomic experiences. RISING presents over 100 events featuring 376 artists, including seven world premieres and eleven Australian premieres.
A Spectrum of Artistic Expression
The festival’s reach extends across numerous city landmarks and artistic disciplines. The Hamer Hall façade has become a canvas for "Calling Country: The Land Speaks Back," an ongoing dance performance series by First Peoples artists running until June 8th. Simultaneously, the 'Dance Biennale' is a significant component, with events like "The Supposed to Be" taking place at Footscray Community Arts until June 6th. Theatre-maker Jenn Kidwell presents "We Come to Collect: a flirtation, with capitalism" at Arts Centre Melbourne's The Showroom through June 7th. For those seeking spontaneous experiences, online tickets for some events have sold out, though opportunities for day-of purchases are available.
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Musical Lineup and Nightlife
This year's RISING festival appears to place a considerable emphasis on music. The program boasts a diverse array of musicians, including the English poet and artist Kae Tempest, the acclaimed Aotearoa band The Bats, Elias B Rønnenfelt (frontman of Iceage) performing solo, hip-hop icon Lil' Kim, art-pop artist Cate Le Bon, alt-country group Wednesday, and the post-punk outfit Dry Cleaning.
Beyond the staged performances, the festival encourages engagement with the city's nightlife and public spaces. The 'Night Trade' initiative, for instance, aims to alter how Melbourne "feels at night." Moon Bites offers a late-night dining trail designed to complement pre- and post-show activities. Fed Square is set to host unique culinary and performance pieces, including "Sapporo Supper Club: Chīsai 小," described as the world's smallest ramen establishment, and a takeover by the Royal Family Dance Crew. An extended music and dance event, "Day Tripper," is scheduled for June 6th at Melbourne Town Hall, promising eight hours of continuous programming.
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Dance Returns and Culinary Explorations
A notable aspect of this year's RISING is the inaugural Australian Dance Biennale, which integrates public dance classes and performances into various venues, including the Flinders Street ballroom, marking a return to the space for dance after more than four decades. This initiative brings dance classes to an architectural landmark for the first time in over 40 years. A significant exhibition dedicated to music in all its forms, originating from London, is also slated as a key attraction.
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Contextualizing RISING
RISING is Melbourne's principal winter festival, an initiative that consolidates various artistic expressions—music, installations, theatre, dance, projections, nightlife, food, and public programming—into a city-wide event. The festival's stated aim, under the direction of figures like Hannah Fox, appears to be the identification and showcasing of talent, alongside a broader objective of artistic and cultural impact within the city. The pre-sale for festival events commenced on March 12th, indicating a carefully planned rollout of programming.
