MUSE Festival 2026

Experience a free program of new works by the next generation of artists!

MUSE Festival is a celebration of the fine arts and a complete takeover of the Dodds Street Performing Arts Building (879) on the University of Melbourne’s Southbank campus, home to the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. Held over three days during the winter break, MUSE is Southbank’s first-ever student-led performing arts festival and is now entering its fifth year.

MUSE exists to support up-and-coming artists and serve as a launchpad for new work and new voices. Each year, the festival continues to grow, showcasing emerging artists as they take bold first steps, experimenting, taking risks, and pushing boundaries in an environment that values learning, curiosity, and failure as an essential part of the creative process.

MUSE belongs to everyone. The festival serves to facilitate a multi-disciplinary, cross-faculty collaboration that brings together students from across the university, encouraging them to collaborate and take their learning beyond the classroom.

Our vision is to create a space where students are empowered to create freely, to take risks, and to claim their right to creative expression. MUSE is a place where artists grow, connections are formed, and practices are developed. The conversations, collaborations, and wild ideas that begin here don’t stay within the walls of 879. We've seen artists move from tiny studios to major fringe festivals, larger theatre venues like Theatre Works, La Mama Courthouse, The Motley Bauhaus and beyond.

And now we welcome you.

Learn more about MUSE 2026 here!

MUSE Festival Team

Alessandra Alessio - Company Manager, Co-Lead
Peter Liptai - Production Manager, Co-Lead
Rosie Gaden - Executive Producer
Minka Lukey - Executive Producer
Harvey Lansley - Assistant Production Manager
Leyla Boz - Dance Coordinator
Lyndon Riggs - Music Coordinator
Imogen Perrett - Artist Representative
B. Kiki Wickramasinghe - Artist Representative, Wellness and Welfare
Charlee Feo-Murray - Wellness and Welfare
Sabrina Lee - Wellness and Welfare, Marketing
Allanie Sanderson - Marketing
Sophie Sykes - Marketing

Registration

Tickets to MUSE are free, so everyone can join in the celebration! Each ticket serves as a day pass, giving you access to all the shows and events happening on the date listed on your ticket. Please register a free ticket to attend MUSE and receive program updates. Please note, attendees must register a ticket to each day of the Festival that they are planning to attend.

For any questions regarding tickets, please contact fineartsmusic-tickets@unimelb.edu.au.

Venue

MUSE is held in Building 879, the Dodds Street Performing Arts Building which is accessible via paths in the new Dodds Street Linear Park. Please meet Front of House in the foyer on the ground floor of the Dodds Street Performing Arts Building to be admitted to the festival events and shows.

Festival Content and Access

Accessibility is a priority at MUSE. Spanning three floors, all performance venues are wheelchair accessible, connected by a central elevator and stairwell. Restrooms, including accessible options, are available on each floor of the building. Assistance animals are warmly welcomed throughout the venue.

MUSE Festival programmes a variety of performances and show themes may range from child friendly to mature. Content warnings are listed outside each venue and audiences are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the show prior to the performance. Detailed information and content warnings for each show can be found in the festival programme and on our website.

To read more about access services available at Southbank Campus venues, please visit: https://finearts-music.unimelb.edu.au/access-our-events

Image: Allanie Sanderson, 2026.