Third time lucky? Melbourne’s Rising festival announces 2022 lineup after two years of delays

Arts festival was cancelled in 2020 and 2021, but organisers have high hopes for this year, which will see 801 artists, musicians and theatre companies present 84 projects

The first attempt to launch Melbourne's Rising festival - an amalgamation of the Melbourne International Arts Festival and White Night - was cancelled in 2020 due to the first coronavirus wave. The second attempt lasted just one day, when the Victorian government enforced a seven-day lockdown; within five days, it was extended and the festival was shut down entirely.

So is the third time the charm? On Thursday, Rising announced its 2022 program, which includes 801 artists - including 685 Australian artists, mostly Victorian - presenting 84 projects, including 14 world and 16 Australian premieres.