Overview
Now or Never is back for 2026, and the latest program is stacked with paradigm-breaking experiences that you won't likely encounter again. Running from Wednesday, August 19–Sunday, August 30, this landmark festival of arts, ideas, sound and technology returns for its fourth edition and perhaps its most groundbreaking yet. Centred around the theme A Whole New World, expect an exploration of cultural shifts driven by immersive technologies, AI and digital storytelling, blurring the lines between installation, performance, reality and imagination.
With 250 local and international artists and creatives taking over multiple Melbourne venues with over 150 events, there are over 20 premiere works and festival exclusives to explore. Several are happening at the Royal Exhibition Building as you've never seen before, including SOMNIA, an overnight durational sleep concert featuring genre-defining ambient music shaped live by American avant-garde composer William Basinski and Norwegian saxophonist and performance artist Bendik Giske.
Meanwhile, Philip Glass: In the Upper Room celebrates the legacy of the namesake visionary composer, featuring Orchestra Victoria with piano etudes by acclaimed Japanese pianist Maki Namekawa. Then, for a First Nations perspective, The Breath Haus x Now or Never sees artists David and Daniel Wilfred from Narrm-based ensemble Hand to Earth deliver a captivating live breathwork and sound bath ritual.
If a loud, late-night vibe is more your energy, Now or Never is bringing plenty of after-dark heat in 2026. Held at the Melbourne Town Hall, a trio of shows plunder club sounds and electronic music roots. On Friday, August 28, Chuleo Club — a femme-led Latinx collective shaping one of Melbourne's best underground dance floors — serves up an evening of neo-perreo, house and techno, guided by A.Chal (Peru/USA), Slim Soledad (Brazil/Berlin), LIZZ (Chile) and Dinamarca (Sweden/Chile), alongside Chuleo Club founder Zalina.
The following night, Detroit techno icons Octave One are joined by Sleep D x Hybrid Man, JNETT and Baby G, bringing together both legacy voices and contemporary selectors shaping global electronic music culture. Rounding out the weekend, Australian audio-visual artist Robin Fox transforms the space with a synchronised choreography of rhythm and lasers, featuring a rare appearance from influential post-punk trio MY DISCO. Opening the night is KNOCK by Jeho Yun and Kyoungjin So, combining traditional Korean percussion, lasers, and electronic sound.
As in past years, there are several thought-provoking talks to ruminate on. A highlight is A Sexual History of the Internet, presented by American designer and researcher Mindy Seu. Part participatory project, part lecture, expect the Reading Room at State Library Victoria to become a cathedral-like space, where the audience collectively reads citations from a shared script to reveal the pervasive and perverted origins of digital tools. Over at Melbourne Recital Centre, DJ and internet personality Derrick Gee offers a live edition of his Radio Hour podcast, featuring standout guests like Julia Jacklin.
The 2026 program also features a stellar selection of free, large-scale light installations to explore, each positioned along the Yarra River – Birrarung. These include Multimmersion 浸 漬 的 ( ) 線 Upside Down V2, a reflective laser light installation by Taiwan's Aka Chang, and The Falls Before Us, a deceptive piece by local artist Emily Parsons-Lord, where Soutbank's Evan Walker Bridge vanishes into mist.
What's more, Now or Never features an ongoing collaboration with ACMI, which continues with the presentation of Feng Mengbo's canonical videogame installation Long March: Restart, a Nintendo-like, side-scrolling video game that recasts the history of modern China. There are also multiple returning festival favourites to check out, including the XR headliner collaboration with MIFF, Library Up Late at State Library Victoria, Friday Night Social at Science Gallery Melbourne and Queer PowerPoint at Fed Square.
Now or Never 2026 is happening across multiple Melbourne venues and locations from Wednesday, August 19–Sunday, August 30. Head to the website for more information.
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Images: Supplied.