Rising 2024

The countdown is on: Rising is set to take over Melbourne for 16 days from June 1 with 116 events, 651 artists and three jam-packed weekends of music, art and performance. The program for Rising’s fourth edition is bigger, better and bluer than ever before.

Head to Fed Square throughout the festival to experience The Blak Infinite, a site for sharing First Peoples’ connections to the cosmos, political constellations and futures. Anchored by Richard Bell’s EMBASSY installation, The Blak Infinite brings together large-scale works, new commissions and talks from leading First Nations artists and writers, including artist and curator Tarryn Love; Tony Albert, whose confronting visual works address Aboriginal stereotypes; poet and author Ellen van Neerven; textile artist Kait James; and the late multimedia artist Josh Muir.

Down the road, The Rivers Sing installation will rise once again above the city noise and across the Birrarung/Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers. Created by Yorta Yorta-Yuin composer and soprano Deborah Cheetham, with sound artists Byron J Scullin and Thomas Supple, this large-scale audio work has been reconfigured for Rising’s 2024 edition. It will play at sunset in locations to be announced in late May.

Rising recently announced the remaining line-up additions for Day Tripper, the all-day party on Saturday June 8 at the Melbourne Town Hall and surrounding area, including Max Watts and the Capitol Theatre cinema. Joining the already stacked line-up of Asha Puthli, Bar Italia, Htrk, Jlin, Memorials and Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) are legendary Dunedin outsider artist Alastair Galbraith, prolific UK underground musician Richard Youngs, Danish experimental artist Astrid Sonne, Welsh jangle poppers the Tubs and a slew of some of Melbourne’s best musical minds like Sarah Mary Chadwick, Surprise Chef, Wet Kiss, Scott & Charlene’s Wedding, Posseshot, Polito and more.

Other music program highlights include Sky Ferreira’s first Australian performance in almost a decade; Yasiin Bey performing his elusive album The Ecstatic in celebration of its 15th anniversary; Sydney drill superstars Onefour; Fever Ray’s first-ever Australian show; New York avant-rock darlings Blonde Redhead; English artist Tirzah’s long-awaited first Australian performance; Egyptian-Australian DJ moktar’s Town Hall takeover; and a special Hear My Eyes screening of Clive Barker’s Hellraiser (1987), with the score played live by Hieroglyphic Being, Robin Fox and a symphony of lasers.

Over at Capitol Arcade, Night Trade sets up shop as Rising’s official after-hours haunt, complete with an exhibition by UK artist Jeremy Deller, a paint and sip with a difference, and a revolving door of local artist guides. It’ll also feature psychic readings from local “party-loving healer” Sue Thompson, plus karaoke, DJs and a special Stage Door line-up featuring Evian Christ, Coby Sey and a six-hour boogie presented by Betty Grumble and DJ HipHopHoe.

On the performance front, you won’t want to miss New York absurdist theatre artist Geoff Sobelle’s intimate dinner-party experience FOOD, or Flemish artist Miet Warlop’s ONE SONG: HISTOIRE(S) du THÉÂTRE IV – a full-throttle rock show like you’ve never seen before.

And that’s just scratching the surface. Browse the mammoth Rising program in full and plan your itinerary for the highlight of Melbourne’s cultural calendar this winter.

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