Night Trade

Night Trade returns. Micro-bars, music and art—live in the Capitol Arcade.

Your pop-up haunt for festival buzz and good times.

This year, Night Trade made easy by Up decamps in Melbourne’s historically camp arcade, and spreads its neon haze up back alleys and frontal lobes. Situated under the Capitol Theatre and connecting to Howey Place—the original home of Melbourne's most eccentric book shop and the city’s first queer club—it will honour the bohemian spirit that lives under the theatre’s crystalline cave.

UK artist Jeremy Deller is converting a laneway shop into an exhibition, of sorts, for goths and ravers. He’s calling it 'In the future, everyone will be cancelled for 15 minutes'. Expect a video grotto, spinning druids and other visual art, with help from typography and graphic design experimenter Fraser Muggeridge (who'll also be designing posters on sale in the merch shop).

Next door, release your inner art goblin at RISING’s Sip and Paint where, each night, one eccentric art darling will help you sculpt, paint, create and drink. On the slate is Magic Steven, Sammaneh Poursh, Geoffrey Watson, Xanthe Dobbie, Ned Middleton & Tobias Richardson. Book a session.

Elsewhere at Night Trade, sit down for a psychic reading with Melbourne’s pre-eminent party-loving healer, Sue Thompson. Or pop in to see LA artist John Kilduff create a live version of cult public access TV show Let’s Paint TV—a physical and mental breakdown of painting, cooking, singing and treadmill-based synth workouts (that'll be live-streamed on the RISING TikTok too).

Up presents Hi—Fi, The Financially Sound System — bringing wild visuals and sounds from the city's best DJs into Howey Place.

Mummy’s Plastic will spark the mic and open a Private Room with a view, where karaoke friends you haven’t met yet are waiting for you.

As part of HTRK’s 21st birthday celebrations a sensual sanctuary has been created for transcending the 9 to 5—soundtracked by a version of Psychic 9–5 Club that’s been stretched into a generative sprawl. A small range of non-alcoholic drinks are on offer to enhance clarity, energy, focus and mood. It’s inside Night Trade, but outside of operation hours.

If you’re keen to keep dancing, get down to Presgrave Place and through the Stage Door for a 6HR Grumble Boogie, or reach for the lasers and trance drama with Evian Christ. And for those who want to do the opposite of dance, the Night Trade bar offers '80s underwater ambience, perfect for lounging about in.

On the menu is Momo Station’s Nepalese dumplings; Kim Sing’s dim sum, noodles and more; Union Kiosk’s jaffles; Mexican street food from Brunswick's favourite taqueria Los Amantes in the Howey; plus Alley Edition hot chips and snacks.

Night Trade made easy by Up is free to enter and within walking distance to most of RISING’s venues. Night Trade Stage Door is ticketed at $20 on the door.

Stop in before exploring the program. Or stay with friends and missed connections to see where it all goes.

More to be announced.