Discover Fed Square

A festival of joy, wonder and magic in the heart of the city. This festive season, Fed Square becomes Melbourne’s Festive Headquarters – we’re sprinkling the magic dust to bring you an inclusive celebration of all that makes this most wonderful time of the year all warm and glowy-special. We’ll play host to big festive-season names, like Koorie Klaus, Santa Claus and the marvellous Huxleys; we’re screening some classic films; we’ve got giveaways and festive workshops and caroling choirs galore; Christmas in the Wizarding World is back for witches, wizards and muggles alike – and we’re thrilled to bring you the annual celebration of Chunukah, Pillars of Light, over six hope and light-filled evenings. And of course, Fed Square will be lit up, all starlight-starbright, looking glittery and gorge, as we’re once again the home of Christmas Square – with the city’s stunning 16metre-high twinkling tree as our centrepiece. Check out the full Festive HQ program below to plan your feelgood festival of fun, family and frivolity this silly season.

Presented by ACMI & Fed Square with the support of Creative Victoria & the City of Melbourne Bask in the setting sun outside in Fed Square, with a free selection of silent films accompanied by some not-so-silent bands. Pull up a deckchair and join us in celebrating the early days of cinema with this free program of silent films paired with newly composed and restaged live scores. We’ll also be shouting you gelato each evening from our friends at Cups n Cones. Serving delicious house-made artisan gelato and sorbets, there will be a selection of nine flavours to suit everyone (6 dairy, 3 non-dairy). Available from 7.30pm-9.30pm or until exhausted (limit 1 per person).

As the sun rises and falls, we mark the beginning and end of the day with a moving, site-specific sonic artwork. These special, liminal, transitional times of day invite reflection – and these works have been developed to complement that experience, creating a sonic ritualised time and space for us to pause, listen and be in the moment. Sun Songs at Fed Square is celebration of place and time, as our city awakens, opens up and emerges at dawn, and then winds down with a sense of resolve, as the dusk signals the transition to night. About the work Sun Songs at Fed Square is a newly commissioned artwork created by sonic artists David Franzke and Geoffrey Nees with lighting design by Ben Cobham (Blue Bottle). This series of evolving pieces will mark sunrise and sunset in the form of an ongoing sonic artwork ritual. Beginning with the Square’s conceptual and architectural foundation, the soundscape reflects and enhances the aesthetics of the surrounding buildings. The work voices the futurism and optimism reflected in the structures aspirations by tying them to an uplifting and rejuvenating shared emotional experience. Although the thoughtful application of sound in public spaces has a long and rich history, it is often overlooked and underestimated by contemporary designers. This work brings back the power of sonic ritual to the cultural and civic heart of Melbourne. The creative team Geoff Nees is a Melbourne-based artist and curator with over 20 years of professional practice. Geoff has established a cross-disciplinary approach to his work, with an emphasis on collaboration, exploring the intersection between art, design, music and architecture. Geoff has worked with many leading Australian and international architects and designers. He has delivered large-scale facade designs, sculptures, screens and temporary architectural projects for major property developments, arts festivals, hotels and private clients, including the façade for the Australia Pavilion at the Japan World Expo 2005. Geoff’s collaborative project “Botanical Pavilion” with Japanese architect Kengo Kuma was recently featured as part of the NGV’s 2020 Triennial. http://geoffneesartist.com J David Franze is a composer and sound designer who lives and works in Melbourne. His work spans film, theatre and visual art installations as well as the production of numerous albums, both as solo works and in collaboration with other composers and sound artists. He has worked with many of Australia’s pre-eminent theatre directors, visual artists and composers and has collaborated with Cologne-based composer Bernd Friedmann since 1996 on various album projects.

Small-group hands-on creative workshops with a dash of festive cheer. Grab a mate and don’t hesitate to book yourselves in for a festive season hands-on workshop. You can learn to make jewellery or a gorgeous wreath to decorate your home. All materials are provided and you’ll be able to bring home your creative masterpiece to keep – or to give to someone special as a gift. See the program below. Workshop capacity is strictly limited and bookings open on November 16. The money raised from ticket sales will be donated to Christmas Box.