Planning a trip Down Under? Time your visit with Melbourne's Now or Never festival or Sydney's Sculpture by the Sea for an unforgettable dose of art, music and culture
A visual spectacle is set to take place in Australia this month. From 19 August, downtown Melbourne will transform into an open-air gallery for Now or Never, the city’s annual 12-day winter festival celebrating ideas, art, sound and technology. This year’s edition features more than 150 events under the theme “A Whole New World.”
“This year’s curatorial theme speaks to the incredibly complex changes we’re experiencing right now – from the rapid evolution of technology and the rise of AI in almost every part of our lives, to a world that feels like it’s shifting at an extraordinary pace,” says the event’s artistic director Elise Peyronnet.
City of lights
When night falls, Melbourne’s iconic landmarks and attractions, including the Yarra River, are transformed by free public light and sound installations.
As Elise explains, the programme is “an invitation for audiences to step into new worlds”, turning some of the city’s most recognisable spaces into immersive environments where visitors can experience Melbourne in entirely new ways.
“Melbourne is a dynamic city at the forefront of creativity and innovation, and Now or Never captures that energy by working with incredible artists, creatives and technologists,” she says. “It is the music capital of Australia, with an incredibly strong independent music scene, and also a knowledge city, home to world-renowned universities, researchers and thinkers.”
Among the highlights is Somnia (22–23 Aug), an overnight “sleep concert” at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton. Running from 10pm to 8.30am, it features a continuous ambient performance by American composer William Basinski and Norwegian musician Bendik Giske.
Meanwhile, the State Library Victoria will host live music and audio-visual installations. Taking place on 21 August from 7.30pm to 10.30pm, Library Up Late features a series of interactive showcases, including art exhibitions and performances by composer and guzheng musician Mindy Meng Wang and electronic musician Tim Shiel.
For a quieter experience, the Redmond Barry Reading Room will host a communal BYOB (bring your own book) reading session. Enhanced by ambient music and soft lighting, it offers a peaceful retreat to unwind with a good book.
“The program reflects all these different sides of Melbourne – from large-scale installations that are free and accessible to everyone, to music shows reflecting Melbourne’s underground music and club culture,” says Elise.
“This is all alongside a discourse program that invites artists and thinkers to interrogate some of the big questions shaping our world through a creative lens.”
Art by the beach
Over in Sydney, Sculpture by the Sea returns from 16 October to 2 November, marking its 30th anniversary. Staged along the two-kilometre Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk, the outdoor exhibition will showcase more than 100 works by Australian and international artists at the world’s largest free-to-the-public sculpture exhibition.
The event will also return to Cottesloe in Perth from 5–22 March 2027. Those looking to extend the experience can explore the permanent Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail in southern New South Wales, which links the historic towns of Adelong and Tumbarumba, vineyards including Courabyra Wines, Johansen Wines and Obsession Wines, as well as a range of nature-based attractions.
According to founding CEO and artistic director David Handley, the exhibition’s enduring appeal lies in its unique setting, transforming “one of the great coastal walks in the world” into a two-kilometre sculpture park featuring works by established and emerging artists from around the globe. The exhibition’s popularity also gives it the atmosphere of “a large free community festival rather than an art exhibition”.
Over the past three decades, Sculpture by the Sea has helped elevate sculpture in Australia while creating opportunities for artists from around the world to exhibit in Sydney and Perth.
As David puts it: “Through Sculpture by the Sea, the Australian public has embraced sculpture as an art form that it loves.”
Now or Never runs from 19-30 August while Sculpture by the Sea (Sydney) is on from 16 October to 2 November. For more information, visit nowornever.melbourne.vic.gov.au and sculpturebythesea.com.
For more information on Singapore Airlines’ flights to Melbourne and Sydney, visit singaporeair.com.
