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Family Fun at RISING FESTIVAL 2024
Discover Family Fun at RISING FESTIVAL 2024. Melbourne’s premier celebration of new music, art, and performance is back with over 105 events featuring 480+ artists, including 23 new commissions, 6 world premieres, and 8 Australian premieres.
Explore the city’s streets and venues as they come alive with large-scale installations, free public events, and world-class contemporary performances.
Families can enjoy art exhibitions, live performances and workshops during the festival.
RISING FESTIVAL runs from 1 – 16 June 2024.
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RISING FESTIVAL FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. THE BLAK INFINITE
Fed Square will transform into a vibrant hub of art and storytelling, celebrating First Peoples’ futures, cosmic connections, and political discourse. The Blak Infinite showcases large-scale installations, commissions, and dialogues by leading First Nations artists and writers, guiding visitors through sovereign political movements, environmental perspectives, and celestial narratives.
Date: 1Time: Every night from 6 — 11 pm
Location: Fed Square
Price: FREE
2. ONE SONG HISTOIRE(S) DU THÉÂTRE IV
Prepare to be swept into the whirlwind of One Song — an electrifying rock concert infused with adrenaline. Conceived by Flemish artist Miet Warlop, this performance involves a team of musicians repeatedly playing a single song while navigating a challenging obstacle course of balance beams, treadmills, and trampolines. As they push their limits to the brink of exhaustion, the intensity of the music pulsates through their veins, creating a spectacle that is both inspiring and absurd. Witnessing their sheer determination and raw energy is an experience that transcends the ordinary — a pure and exhilarating journey that leaves audiences in awe.
Date: 13 — 15 June 2024
Time: 7 pm
Location: Melbourne Townhall
Price: $53 — $69
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3. BIG NAME, NO BLANKETS
Big Name, No Blankets dives deep into the heart of Papunya (Warumpi), offering a fresh perspective on the legendary Warumpi Band through the eyes of founding lead guitarist Sammy Tjapanangka Butcher. Known for their iconic anthems like ‘Blackfella/Whitefella’ and ‘My Island Home’, Warumpi Band’s rise to fame and their potent rock ‘n’ roll legacy are brought to life through intimate storytelling and electrifying performances. With influences reaching far beyond Central Australia, this show celebrates Warumpi Band’s enduring impact on Australian music while honouring their cultural roots and ancestral languages.
Date: Fri 31 May — 2 June 2024
Time: Fri — Sat, 7 pm & Sun, 7 pm
Location: Melbourne Townhall
Price: $80 – $99
4. THE RIVERS SING
In 2021, The Rivers Sing, created by Yorta Yorta/Yuin composer Deborah Cheetham, flowed along the Birrarung and Maribyrnong rivers for six weeks. This large-scale audio work celebrated place through harmonious compositions of Boonwurrang, Woiwurrung, and English vocals. Now returning for RISING 2024, it invites families to pause and listen to its call above the city noise at dusk.
Date: 1 – 16 June 2024
Time: Sunset
Location: Locations and performance times will be announced in May 2024.
Price: FREE
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5. MELBOURNE OUT LOUD
If there’s one photographer who truly captured the essence of Melbourne, it’s Rennie Ellis.
With an unparalleled knack for blending into various social scenes, his photographs offer a vivid narrative of life in the city. From iconic locales like St Kilda Beach to events like the Melbourne Cup and the AFL Grand Final, Ellis immersed himself in the pulse of Melbourne. He rubbed shoulders with superstars like Tina Turner and Mick Jagger, yet also connected with everyday Melburnians from all walks of life. Melbourne Out Loud showcases a rich tapestry of Ellis’s work, spanning from unseen gems to everyday moments, celebrating the vibrancy of going out, being seen, and embracing authenticity.
Date: 1 March 2024 — 28 January 2025
Time: 10 am – 6 pm
Location: Victoria Gallery, State Library Victoria
Price: FREE
6. SHOUSE: COMMUNITAS
Communitas isn’t just an event — it’s a collective musical experience led by Melbourne’s dance-floor pioneers, SHOUSE. It’s a joyous convergence of voices and hands, where everyone, including you, becomes part of the band. There are no spectators, no auditions; it’s a celebration of spontaneous music-making.
Date: Sat 15 June 2024
Time: 4 pm
Location: St Paul’s Cathedral
Price: FREE
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7. BEAM ME UP: The Art of Abduction Beading Workshop
Join this free workshop for kids and adults run by Tony Albert (Girramay, Yidinyji, and Kuku Yalanji) and his collaborator ENOKi (Dja Dja Wurrung and Yorta Yorta). Inspired by “BEAM ME UP, The Art of Abduction,” Tony’s interactive installation that explores questions of identity and otherness, this workshop delves into themes of understanding differences.
Participants aged seven and up can create their own beaded bracelets, necklaces, and adornments, engaging with these themes in a creative and hands-on way.
Date:
8. BEAM ME UP: The Art of Abduction Spaceship Workshop
Beam into this free workshop for kids and adults led by Tony Albert (Girramay, Yidinyji, and Kuku Yalanji) and his collaborator ENOKi (Dja Dja Wurrung and Yorta Yorta). Inspired by “BEAM ME UP, The Art of Abduction,” Tony’s interactive installation asks: “Who is the alien, why are they here, and what do they want?”—this workshop explores themes of identity and otherness.
Aliens are a recurring symbol in Tony’s art, using alien and pop culture imagery to examine the ‘other,’ fostering conversations about understanding differences and affirming that everyone has a place.
In this workshop, young ones can create their own wearable spaceships and bring to life the aliens visiting Melbourne/Naarm during RISING.
Date: 1 – 15 June 2024
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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.
