Melbourne’s always-eccentric music, arts and performance festival Rising is back this June. Many of last year’s highlights will return, including Night Trade, which runs for throughout the festival. But the pop-up has been reimagined for the 2024 edition.

Night Trade made easy by Up, the festival's free hub and social club, is within 20 minutes of all Rising events. This year it’s inside the Capitol Arcade: the historically camp arcades underneath the Capitol Theatre connecting to Howey Place, the original home of Melbourne’s first queer club. With bars, dancing and food spots, it's the perfect stop before or after you head to a show – though you could just as easily make it the evening’s main event.

Join sip and paint sessions with some of the city’s art darlings; catch a live version of cult show Let’s Paint TV with LA artist John Kilduff; and belt out tunes at shopfront karaoke sessions. Turner Prize-winning British artist Jeremy Deller will present a career-spanning conceptual exhibition, and top local DJs such as Soju Gang will provide the soundtrack for a futuristic installation called Hi–Fi: The Financially Sound System, which combines real banking data with hypnotic visuals.

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Next door, on June 8 and 9, The Capitol will host a free 24-hour music documentary marathon curated by Deller. It features the world premiere of Amyl and the Sniffers’ new short film, which follows the band’s tour through India; No Fixed Address on Tour in the UK, capturing the legendary Indigenous rock-reggae band’s 1984 UK tour; cult-classic ’80s documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot; 1987 live concert film Australian Made, featuring INXS and Jimmy Barnes; Grace Jones: Private Life; and more.

Back at Night Trade, there will also be a stacked line-up of dance events at Rising’s late-night club Night Trade Stage Door, down Presgrave Place. It kicks off with Rising’s opening night party, a tribute to Shannon Michael Cane headlined by Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor and Andee Frost. Later in the festival, you can catch a six-hour set from performance artist Betty Grumble and Egyptian DJ and musician HipHopHoe, which Rising describes as a “surreal aerobics class”. Plus, an exclusive Australian show from UK producer Evian Christ (the man behind many of Kanye West and Travis Scott’s best tracks) showcasing trance anthems and mesmerising visuals.

On Rising’s final weekend, Night Trade Stage Door hosts a moody club night series curated by Crown Ruler. On Thursday there’ll be a DJ set from AD93’s Coby Sey and live sets from Teether, Willis Anne and Jannah Quill. Come Friday, it’s all about house, Italo and disco with Lipelis, DiTA, Bayu and Yawung. And closing the festival on Sunday see French music producer Onra mix soul and R’n’B beats with Silent Jay, Keifer and Rok Riley, just to name a few.

Throughout its run, you can visit Night Trade for dinner, a late-night snack or to grab a drink between shows. Brunswick taqueria Los Amantes is setting up shop at The Howey to serve Soldada Margaritas and cold beers from Bodriggy at the bar. At the hub itself, Union Kiosk is making limited-edition jaffles and there’ll be Nepalese dumplings from Momo Station.

Night Trade made easy by Up is free to enter and runs Thursdays to Sundays from June 1 to 15. Tickets to Night Trade Stage Door cost $20 at the door. Most other Rising venues are a short walk away.

Broadsheet is a proud media partner of Rising.