Overview
Melbourne's night owls and culture vultures will unite this autumn when a brand new event transforms the city into a late-night cultural playground. Announced over the weekend, Art After Dark will make its debut from Friday, May 13 until Sunday, May 15, taking over some of Melbourne's leading cultural institutions for an after-hours extravaganza.
The event pulls inspiration from the European Night of Museums, which sees thousands of museums and other cultural landmarks open late for a special one-night, continent-wide affair each year.
Here in Melbourne, the inaugural Art After Dark will deliver two jam-packed nights of art, music, food and drink, as iconic spots like The NGV, Fed Square, Arts Centre Melbourne, ACMI, State Library Victoria and Melbourne Museum all extend their opening hours and party late into the evening. The program is set to offer an array of free and ticketed experiences for people of all ages.
NGV Friday Nights, Eugene Hyland
Held in collaboration with Visit Victoria and some of the city's key cultural facilities, the event is expected to see thousands of punters descend on the city for a late-night culture fix — a move that's sure to be welcomed by Melbourne's hard-hit creative industries as they continue through their post-COVID recovery phase.
And Art After Dark isn't the only big win for Melbourne's cultural scene this year. From June, NGV International will host a huge exhibition dedicated to Pablo Picasso and his contemporaries, called The Picasso Century. And also this winter, the UK's Tate galleries will descend on ACMI for Light: Works from Tate's Collection — another blockbuster showcase featuring over 70 diverse works from across the past 200 years of art history, including pieces by Kusama and Monet.
Art After Dark Melbourne will take place across a collection of the city's key cultural institutions from May 13–May 15. Jump over here for more info and to sign up for early access to the full program.
Top Image: Melbourne Museum