The Rising: Melbourne (former Melbourne Festival) features unique dance, theatre, music, and visual arts performances for almost 20 days in October. First it was created in 1986 as a sister festival of the Spoleto Festival under the guidance of composer Jan Carlo Minotti. It also included events in Spoleto in Italy and in Charleston in the US. Known as the Festival of the Three Worlds, it changed its name to the Melbourne International Festival of the Arts in 1990 (now mostly called Melbourne Festival).
The program offers dozens of shows, events, and projects. Actors, dancers, artists, singers and writers from around the world come here to demonstrate their talents. The city is filled with diverse performances, concerts, readings, installations of modern art and exciting dance performances during these days.