Wollongong one of only two Australian locations chosen for immersive planetarium experience
Illawarra music fans will be immersed in the evocative world of Phoebe Bridgers this week when the Grammy award-winning artist brings the Lost Weekend listening experience to the University of Wollongong's (UOW) Science Space planetarium, one of only 40 locations worldwide to host the event.
For two nights only (Wednesday 12 August and Thursday 13 August), fans will experience the musician's new record before its official release on Friday (14 August). Science Space, home to a state-of-the-art planetarium, is one of only two locations in Australia, and one of only nine outside the United States, to host the experience.
UOW Science Space Director Stuart Creal was delighted by the audience's response to the event, with all four shows selling out within hours.
"It is wonderful for Science Space and for Wollongong to be chosen for a global rollout of this scale," Mr Creal said. "Our planetarium will sit alongside major cities around the world as a place where fans can come to experience music in a completely new way."
Phoebe Bridgers will not be in attendance, but the event promises to be a captivating sonic and visual experience for music lovers.
To add to the experience, and to the sense of mystery, attendees will be asked to surrender their phones and smart watches, with photography or recording strictly forbidden. Phones will be locked in Yondr pouches for the one-hour event.
The sessions will play the album in full beneath immersive visuals projected across the planetarium. The music will be paired with a stunning visual presentation created by renowned photographer and National Geographic night-sky explorer Babak Tafreshi.
Filmed in nearly 20 countries, with no computer-generated imagery, the show will bring audiences on a journey through stunning nightscapes drawn from the photographer's travels, blending music, science, art and a sense of discovery.
It's a timely reminder, coming during National Science Week, that curiosity and creativity can be found in unexpected places, from the depths of space to the release of a new album.
"That's the magic of a planetarium. Our dome is a blank canvas that can transport an audience anywhere, to deep space or the world created inside an album," Mr Creal said. "It's a space built for immersion, and this week that means Phoebe Bridgers fans getting lost under our night sky."
