Interview Opportunities: RISING Festival 2025

RISING, Melbourne’s electrifying Winter Arts festival has unveiled its 2025 program, featuring 65 events, 327 artists, 15 new commissions, 9 world premieres and 10 Victorian premieres. Taking over the city across two epic weekends (June 4–15), RISING will transform the CBD into a pulsating playground of explosive new art, music and performance. 
Would you be interested in having Co-Artistic Directors Hannah Fox and Gideon Obarzanek or Head of Music Hayley Percy on Main FM to chat through the program or music highlights?! Also happy to discuss interview opps with local artists if any pique your interest. 

Program highlights include: 

Music 

• First Frequency: A gathering of three visionary First Nations artists—RONA., DJ PGZ and Kalaji—blending music and storytelling across Country, from expansive desert to urban underground.
• Day Tripper: For the second-time running, RISING’s festival-within-a-festival – Day Tripper – returns over the King’s Birthday weekend featuring one ticket with access to eight hours of music performance and art spanning across Melbourne Town Hall, Max Watt’s and Night Trade. The line-up includes: DIIV, Mount Kimbie DJs, BKTHERULA, Ripple Effect Band, Annie and the Caldwells, Nyege Nyege, Chapter Music + more
• Japanese Breakfast
• Jessica Pratt
• Suki Waterhouse
• Marlon Williams

Mass Participation & Free 

• Intangible #Form: Celebrated Japanese artist Shohei Fujimoto makes his Melbourne debut with Intangible #Form, RISING’s largest free installation, open every night at the Capitol Theatre. 
• Space Out Competition: South Korea’s viral sensation by Woopsyang makes its Naarm debut at QV Square, challenging participants to maintain absolute calm for 90 minutes—no sleeping, no laughing, no distractions. 
• Night Trade: Taking over Capitol Arcade and Howey Place, this event features microbars, eateries, karaoke, and music from the Nyege Nyege festival, alongside latex creations by Saeborg.
• Swingers – The Art of Mini Golf: The Flinders Street Station Ballroom transforms into a playable art exhibition, featuring interactive holes designed by Miranda July, Kaylene Whiskey, Saeborg, Soda Jerk, Pat Brassington, BKtherula, and Shohei Fujimoto.

To explore the full program, I’ve attached the program press release and you can access all press assets via the RISING 2025 Media Centre here.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. 

Cheers, 

Kristina —