Dancing in front of the DJ booth at Goddess Nights - Photo by Gianna Rizzo
Photo credit: Gianna Rizzo

ACMI presents

ACMI Nights: The Future & Other Fictions

Experience

Tickets

Full

$30

Concession

$20

ACMI Member

$15

Blak Member

FREE

Group (5+)

$18

Student

$18

When

Thu 13 Mar 2025

Take a trip into bright and bold future worlds after dark at ACMI.

ACMI Nights is back for 2025 with a mesmerising line-up of artists and collectives redefining the future of Melbourne’s local music scene and showcasing the dynamic intersection of cultural heritage, technology and art.

Sound artist and live coder Nū and DJs Brown Suga Princess, Tina Disco and Zjoso will lean into new sounds and movements, and exhilarating performances from MaggZ, Senuri, Kieran Butler and Burn City W_ack & Kiki House of Sassy Savage will keep you up late and in excellent company.

As always at ACMI Nights, enjoy rare after hours access to our galleries. Step into a vibrant realm of resistance and reclamation in Serwah Attafuah’s five-screen artwork The Darkness Between the Stars. Explore the neon-soaked streets of sci-fi worlds in the Future & Other Fictions exhibition.

Then re-emerge to our transformed Lightwell Foyer to play Saltsea Chronicles or Umarangi Generation in our pop-up arcade, sip on a delicious cocktail or two, or heed the call of the dancefloor.

Where

Bar & Lounge
Lightwell, Ground Floor
(near Flinders Street entrance)

Exhibition: The Future & Other Fictions
Gallery 4, Lower Ground
ACMI, Fed Square

Please note: The Story of the Moving Image will not be open for this event.

Plan your visit

Warning

For ages 18+ only
Features smoke, haze and strobe lighting.

Accessibility information

Open to people of varying ability. If you have specific access requirements these can be requested when you purchase tickets online, or by emailing ticketdesk@acmi.net.au.


Artists

Zjoso

Zjoso

7–7.45pm

West African-born, Naarm-based Zjoso is a DJ, curator and founder of TRUBQU, a platform celebrating underground music. Known for genre-blurring, soulful sets, his work bridges communities through rhythm and movement. A Skylab favorite and club mainstay, Zjoso is shaping Melbourne’s dance culture with passion and precision.

Kieran Butler

Kieran Butler

7–7.45pm

Kieran Butler is an artist and creative producer working across photography, textiles, and design. Their practice explores queer identity, environmentalism, and inclusive, sustainable futures within a trans-neuroqueer framework. Based on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung land, Kieran’s work provokes reflection on hope, intimacy, and transformative ways of living.

Burn City Waack

Burn City W_ack & Kiki House of Sassy Savage

7–10pm

Burn City W_ack is a Melbourne-based community dedicated to Waacking, a dance culture that emerged in Los Angeles’ underground LGBT clubs. For eight years, it has provided a safe, inclusive space, connecting locals with international leaders.

The Kiki House of Sassy Savage, founded by Mother Wan Sassy Savage in 2020, is Hong Kong’s first Kiki House. Expanding to Australia in 2023, it promotes Ballroom culture, empowering diverse members to embrace authenticity and showcase their talents.

Fetle_AKA_Nu_press_pic copy

7.45–8.15pm

Nū, an Ethiopian-Australian sound artist and live coder, blends Afrofuturism with jazz, RnB, and electronic using Sonic Pi. Known for her project CODE-SWITCH and standout performances at Melbourne Music Week and internationally, Nū crafts immersive, improvisational sonic experiences.

Brown Suga Princess (Kerfew Collective) - Nisha Hunter

Brown Suga Princess

8.15–9pm

Brown Suga Princess, a DJ and event producer on Wurundjeri Country, blends South Asian heritage with footwork, jungle and heavy bass. As part of South Asian collective Kerfew, they’ve supported global acts like Jyoty and Yung Singh, creating expressive, connected dance floors across Melbourne and beyond.

Senuri

Senuri

8.15–9pm

According to her achcha (grandmother), Senuri was dancing at weddings before she could walk. Their performance takes this story and runs with it.

Tina Disco

Tina Disco

9–10pm

DJ and producer Tina Disco fuses 90s electronic sounds with her Latina roots – Baile Funk, Neoperreo and Latin Bass. Her bold, soulful sets and EP LATAM IS BURNING showcase her love for rhythm and connection, making her a rising force in Naarm’s vibrant music scene.

Maggz

MaggZ

9–10pm

MaggZ is a Naarm-based movement artist and creative director of Chinese-minority descent. MaggZ specialises in waacking – an freestyle dance from the 1970s LA Latinix and African American queer community. Their hybrid practice spans street dance, sound and site-specific art, earning accolades like the Young Creative Awards and multiple Green Room nominations. MaggZ’s work is bold, visceral and community-focused.


Drink - GRPhoto-ACMI-GoddessNights-1_WEB-17 copy

Food & Drink

Enjoy specially designed snacks and a wide selection of drinks.

Young women playing an arcade machine at ACMI - Eugene Hyland

Interactives

Play Umurangi Generation and Saltsea Chronicles in our pop-up arcade.

Film books in the ACMI Shop - Photo by Phoebe Powell

ACMI Shop – open til late

Browse clothing, gifts, books, homewares, toys and more for the screen lovers in your life.

The Future & Other Fictions

World Premiere Exhibition

Thu 28 Nov 2024 – Sun 27 Apr 2025

From cyberpunk megacities and first knowledges to rewilded landscapes and sci fi renegades, The Future & Other Fictions showcases the people, artworks and ideas that shape tomorrow.

Info & Tickets

Major Exhibition Partner

Art Processors Logo

Major Technology Partner

PANASONIC Connect logo

Supporting Partners

Media Partner

Event Partner

Thanks to Haymes Paint for generously providing the Ultra Premium Eggshell paint featured in The Future & Other Fictions.


Explore the Future & Other Fictions product range

Crowds of people at the entrance to ACMI during the evening.

Plan your visit

Visitor guidelines, information on accessibility, amenities, transport, dining options and more.

START PLANNING
A couple checks out consumes from The Last Emperor in The Story of the Moving Image (image credit: Phoebe Powell)

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