What To See at Now or Never, From Transformative Public Art to an Ambient Sleepover

Now in its fourth year, Now or Never has cemented itself as a fixture on Melbourne’s cultural calendar. The citywide festival brings together art, technology, sound and ideas through attention-grabbing installations, performances and talks, with this year’s theme, A Whole New World, exploring the cultural shifts driven by immersive technologies, AI and digital storytelling.

More than 250 artists and innovators are involved in the 2026 festival, which is expected to draw more than 400,000 people. Here are our picks for what to see and do this year, from lectures and all-night concerts to laser works, dance performances and outdoor installations.

SOMNIA: William Basinski / Bendik Giske

The Disintegration Loops is one of the defining works of ambient music. William Basinski completed the project in New York in September 2001, and its slowly decaying tape loops have since become synonymous with themes of memory, loss and impermanence. At Now or Never, Somnia will transform the Royal Exhibition Building Dome into an overnight sleep concert, with Basinski’s landmark composition performed live. Drawing comparisons with large-scale sleep performances such as Max Richter’s Sleep, it promises to be one of the festival’s most memorable experiences. Norwegian musician, composer and saxophonist Bendik Giske also joins the sleepover, with a solo performance ahead of The Disintegration Loops.

Philip Glass: Piano Etudes & In the Upper Room

Also coming to the Royal Exhibition Building is a double bill of works by Philip Glass. Japanese pianist Maki Namekawa will perform the playful 1990s series Etudes 1–10, while Orchestra Victoria will tackle In the Upper Room, an upbeat nine-part piece conducted by Fabian Russell and originally composed for Twyla Tharp’s 1986 ballet of the same name. Performed back-to-back, these selections are a potent reminder as to why Glass remains an icon of musical minimalism and a deeply influential composer.

Presence: Robin Fox

Melbourne laser artist and all-around audiovisual maestro Robin Fox will debut his immersive new work at Melbourne Town Hall, one of the festival’s key hubs in 2026. Presence is a large-scale installation in which laser light and sound are synchronised in real time, creating geometric forms and vast three-dimensional environments that continually dissolve and reform around audiences. As with all Fox projects, expect equal parts technical precision and sensory immersion. Best of all, it’s free.

Large-scale installations on the Yarra River

Several transformative artworks will grace the Yarra River / Birrarung and its surrounds throughout the festival. Taiwanese artist AKA Chang’s Multimmersion: Upside Down V2 uses light, reflection and sound to create a shifting installation that appears to emerge from the river itself. Depending on where you stand, the work reveals entirely different perspectives. Nearby, Melbourne-based artist Emily Parsons-Lord’s The Falls Before Us will transform the iconic Evan Walker Bridge into a dreamy haze of mist. And finally, XYZZY REDUX will map Jess Johnson and Simon Ward’s psychedelic digital fantasia onto the exterior of Hamer Hall.

A Sexual History of the Internet

This year’s talks program includes author Cory Doctorow exploring the creeping decay of digital platforms, and Sydney internet personality Derrick Gee hosting his popular Radio Hour variety show. One highlight is American multi-hyphenate Mindy Seu presenting A Sexual History of the Internet, which shares its name with a mammoth-sized book featuring a deep bench of artists. The interactive lecture has previously been performed in New York, Los Angeles, Berlin and Tokyo, incorporating audience members’ phones in the manner of Instagram stories for an eye-opening look at the possibilities of “digital stimulation”.

Arts Korea Lab

Exploring the intersection of art and tech, Arts Korea Lab will present two works in the Melbourne Town Hall Forecourt. Hkason’s algorithm-triggered kinetic sculpture Knot Protocol / 매듭 프로토콜 is joyfully nebulous, while the video installation Row, Row, Row Your Boat / 「노 저어라, 노 저어라, 노 저어라 네 배를」 – sees artist Jung Haejung meld and distort faces that have been 3D-scanned.

And that’s only the beginning. Now or Never runs from August 19 to 31 across Melbourne – browse the full program and get your tickets now.

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