Kia will DJ at the Now or Never opening party at Fed Square, Image supplied
Now or Never has announced its full program of events for 2025. The festival of art, ideas, sound and technology is on at various venues around the Melbourne/Naarm CBD from Thursday 21 to Sunday 31 August.
The program centrepiece is a four-gig series at Melbourne Town Hall featuring the likes of Marie Davidson, DJ Python, rRoxymore, Logic1000, Young Marco, DJ Plead, and more.
A bunch of other events have been announced, including a free opening party at Fed Square on Thursday 21 August. German dub techno pioneer Moritz von Oswald – who’s also performing a headline show at Melbourne Recital Centre on 23 August – will open the event before sets from two pillars of the local dance music scene, Sleep D and Kia.
Now Or Never will present a few parties at Miscellania. The first, on Friday 22 August, features a lineup of experimental live and club music courtesy of NO/GENRE and Curb Dance. Post-punk duo Essendon Airport, producer and rapper SOLSA, and mother-daughter singeli duo Queen Asher & Rehema Tajiri are highlights of the lineup.
Naarm’s Latin club reinas Chuleo Club will take over Miscellania on Friday 29 August, bringing Argentinian DJs Tayhana and Anita B Queen and Chuleo mainstay Zalina. Long-running Misc party MUTATIONS is teaming up with Now Or Never for a nine-hour event on Sunday 31 August. The lineup features London’s Coki, a b2b from DJ Mum and Stormn Norm, and Naarm-based DJ Yunzero.
Music In Exile have curated an event at The Curtin on Friday 22 August, featuring Ajak Kwai, Mandeng Groove, Saray Iluminado Femmes, and more. Now Or Never’s 2025 program also includes performances from Alex Zhang Hungtai, Laurel Halo with Leila Bordreuil, and late night takeovers of State Library Victoria and Science Gallery Melbourne. Find all the details below.
For info about non-music events at Now or Never, head here.
Moritz von Oswald - Silencio (Short documentary)
Fed Square
Thu 21 Aug: Moritz von Oswald, Kia, Sleep D – free
Royal Exhibition Building
Thu 21 Aug: Alex Zhang Hungtai x MATRIA – tickets
Fri 22 Aug: rRoxymore x MATRIA – tickets
Sat 23 Aug: Amber McCartney x Shapednoise x MATRIA – tickets
The Curtin
Fri 22 Aug: Music in Exile w/ Ajak Kwai, Mandeng Groove, Saray Iluminado Femmes – tickets
State Library Victoria
Fri 22 Aug: KOMANG & Gamelan DanAnda, Darren Sylvester (DJ) + more – tickets
Melbourne Recital Centre
Fri 22 Aug: Laurel Halo live with Leila Bordreuil – tickets
Fri 22 & Sat 23 Aug: Chamber Made presents Listening Act – tickets
Sat 23 Aug: Moritz von Oswald presents Silencio – tickets
Miscellania
Fri 22 Aug: NO/GENRE and Curb Dance II w/ Essendon Airport, SOLSA, Queen Asher & Rehema Tajiri – tickets
Fri 29 Aug: Chuleo Club w/ Tayhana, Anita B Queen, Zalina – tickets
Sun 31 Aug: MUTATIONS w/ Coki, Mumn Norm, Yunzero – tickets
Melbourne Town Hall
Thu 28 Aug: Ryoji Ikeda ultratronics (live set), CORIN presents DIWA (live AV) – tickets
Fri 29 Aug: DJ Python, DJ Plead B2B rRoxymore, Yarra – tickets
Sat 30 Aug: Young Marco, Logic1000, Big Ever, KDV Performance Group with Hamill Industries & Tayhana – Tickets
Sun 31 Aug: Marie Davidson, OK EG, KDV Performance Group with Hamill Industries & Tayhana – Tickets
Science Gallery Melbourne
Fri 29 Aug: Friday Night Social: DISTRACTION w/ STATHIS//DAVEY//KIM, Nū and noom – tickets
