Melbourne International Arts Festival Unveils 2019 Program

The highly anticipated 2019 Melbourne International Arts Festival program has arrived with Joan As Police Woman, Diaspora, Kamasi Washington and more leading this year’s music line-up alongside a stack of theatre, dance, visual arts and more.

The announcement for the October event arrives a month after the festival’s first act, The Flaming Lips, were confirmed and presents a smorgasbord of eclectic talent.

This year, according to Melbourne Festival Artistic Director Jonathan Holloway, the festival is all about connection.

"This festival has been designed to create energy and urgency, engagement and exploration with our artists as the navigators and the audience the explorers," he shared. 

"This is about Melbourne's connection to the rest of the world, connecting a complex past with an emerging future, connecting the passion of artists with the prose of society and our ability to connect with each other in new spaces and contexts. This is one giant magical adventure - be prepared for the ride!'' 

Other highlights in the program include, The Nico Project, where Maxine Peake will play pop culture icon Nico, the Australian premiere of At The Illusionist's Table, large-scale dance productions and a whole lot of theatre including Anthem, The Shadow Whose Prey The Hunter Becomes and Black Is The New White.

Also within the music program are shows from Susheela Raman, Kukangendai and Nitin Sawhney. 

For a full look at the program, follow the link to the website here.