Looking for fun things to do with the kids?
Explore our kid-friendly directory
Family-Friendly Guide to Now or Never Melbourne 2025
Now or Never returns to Melbourne/Narrm this August for its third year, bringing an inspiring program that blends art, sound, technology and big ideas. Running Thursday 21 – Sunday 31 August 2025, this city-wide festival will transform some of Melbourne’s most iconic venues and public spaces with over 140 free and ticketed events, featuring 285+ local and international artists.
While many of the shows are designed to challenge and spark conversation, there’s also a fantastic selection of family-friendly events that make Now or Never perfect for a day out with kids. Whether you are after large-scale art installations, interactive experiences or immersive light and sound, there’s plenty for families to enjoy together.
Advertisement
Top Family-Friendly Events at Now or Never 2025
MATRIA – Royal Exhibition Building
Step inside the Royal Exhibition Building and experience a breathtaking transformation. Barcelona-based Studio Penique presents MATRIA, a free, large-scale pink inflatable installation crafted from recycled materials. This entrancing environment is paired with a mesmerising soundscape, creating an interactive world where children and adults alike can wander, explore, and marvel at the sheer scale.
Date: 21 – 24 August 2025
Time: 10 am – 6 pm
Location: Royal Exhibition Building, 9 Nicholson Street, Carlton
Price: FREE
Einder – Melbourne Town Hall
Dutch artist and composer Boris Acket brings Einder, a 20-metre-long kinetic light and sound installation. Flowing textiles, immersive soundscapes and moving light work together to create an atmospheric experience inside the historic Melbourne Town Hall.
Date and time:
Thursday 21 August: 6 pm – 10 pm
Saturday 23 August: 12 pm – 10 pm
Sunday 24 August: 12 pm – 9 pm
Monday 25 August: 6 pm – 8 pm
Wednesday 27 August: 6 pm – 8 pm
Location: Melbourne Town Hall, 90 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Price: FREE
Advertisement
Burdi Burdi (Fire Fire) – Evan Walker Bridge
Renowned Bidjara/Chinese-Australian artist Dr Christian Thompson AO presents his largest outdoor installation yet, Burdi Burdi (Fire Fire). This sonic artwork will transform Evan Walker Bridge into a space for reflection, offering families the chance to pause and experience the city in a new way as they cross one of Melbourne’s busiest pedestrian bridges.
Date: 21 – 31 August 2025
Time: 6 pm – 11 pm
Location: Evan Walker Bridge, Southbank Pedestrian Bridge, Southbank
Price: FREE
DELIRI – State Library Victoria
Barcelona’s Hamill Industries will light up the façade of State Library Victoria with DELIRI, a large-scale AI-driven projection. This free nightly installation combines sound, movement and reflections to create an ever-shifting visual performance.
Date: 21 – 31 August 2025
Time: 5:45 pm — 10 pm
Location: State Library Victoria, 328 Swanston St, Melbourne
Price: FREE
Advertisement
Alcove LTD – Encor Studio
Switzerland’s Encor Studio presents Alcove LTD, a luminous chamber where perception bends, light refracts, and sound surrounds you. Step inside this immersive installation where layers of liquid crystal, pulsating light, and 360-degree sound transform the space into a hall of mirrors.
Visitors become part of the artwork itself — reflected, reshaped, and refracted through light and sound. The chamber’s reflective nature also invites a moment of introspection, encouraging us to reconsider how we view ourselves and the world around us.
Date: 14 – 31 August 2025
Time: 7 am – 11 pm
Location: Melbourne Town Hall Forecourt
Price: FREE
Why Families Will Love Now or Never 2025
• Plenty of free events – ideal for a budget-friendly family day out.
• Iconic Melbourne locations – see the Royal Exhibition Building, State Library Victoria, Melbourne Town Hall and Evan Walker Bridge like never before.
• Immersive, large-scale art – engaging installations that capture both kids’ imaginations and adults’ curiosity.
• Day and night experiences – from daytime explorations to evening light shows.
Plan Your Visit
Dates: Thursday 21 – Sunday 31 August 2025
Location: Multiple venues across Melbourne/Narrm
Please note: Many of these installations feature dynamic sounds (loud or sudden noises) and photosensitivity effects (intense bright or flashing lights).
For the full program and tickets, visit the official Now or Never Melbourne website.
Recent Posts
- Disney On Ice Presents Magic in the Stars Review – Melbourne 2026
- Losing Face Review: Melbourne Theatre Company’s Hilarious New Comedy
- Best Libraries in Melbourne CBD for Families: Free Things to Do with Kids
- Winter School Holidays Melbourne 2026 Guide
- Lightscape Melbourne: A Magical Winter Light Experience at the Royal Botanic Gardens
- Winter Wonderlights Sovereign Hill Guide: Tickets, Dates & Experiences
- Review: Retrograde, Melbourne Theatre Company
- FROSTED – A Winter Spectacular Melbourne 2026
- Melbourne Design Week: Family-Friendly Events & Activities for Kids in Melbourne
- RISING 2026 Melbourne: Family Friendly Events at Melbourne’s Winter Festival
We try our best to provide accurate information on kid-friendly events around Victoria but do recommend parents check details directly to confirm dates, times, prices as some details may be subject to change.
