Electronic and hip-hop festival FOMO, now in its fourth year, takes its name from the distinctly Millennial sensation "fear of missing out". There's only one stage, ensuring punters don't miss any acts due to clashing set times.

Sunday's young crowd dressed up for the occasion, drawing inspiration from the '90s: there were bum bags, Doc Martens, fishnets over G-strings, tartan skirts, braids, bike shorts and glitter ... lots of it.

Reeling from the tragic death of a teenager from a suspected drug overdose at the Sydney iteration of the festival a day earlier, organisers urged people not to take "further enhancements".

Thankfully the riskiest encounter of the day was not with illicit substances but between headliner Nicki Minaj and one of her young fans, whom she plucked from the audience then provocatively danced around him and sat on his lap - only to discover he was just 16.

It was an awkward moment in an otherwise tantalising set from the Queen of Rap.

There are many Minajs; she loves to play with personas, seamlessly morphing from one alter-ego to the next.

There’s Roman Zolanski, an outspoken gay man from London, the softly-spoken Harajuku Barbie who adores pink, the sexually explicit Nicki Lewinsky, and the fierce Chun-Li, named after a character in the Street Fighter video game.

We got a taste of each of them as the pint-sized rapper commanded the stage, flanked by a troupe of dancers who flung off capes reminiscent of those in The Handmaid’s Tale before breaking into mesmerising dance for the duration of the hour-long set.

Against a backdrop of golden stairs, a throne and a massive “Queen” sign, the New York native rapped her way through her lengthy catalogue of hits including the raunchy Anaconda, the catchy Super Bass and club anthem Starships.

She didn’t miss a beat, injecting emotion and energy into every word while strutting across the stage and twerking in an impossibly tight fluoro corset that showed off her famous curves.

Minaj could have sung more, mostly leaving the work on the melodies to a backing track. But one highlight was watching her perform her acclaimed verse from Kanye West’s Monster - a snarling piece of lyrical genius that showcases her versatility: "OK, first things first, I'll eat your brains, then Imma start rocking gold teeth and fangs."

She was almost drowned out by the crowd who rapped along to every word.

Earlier in the day the hot Melbourne sun beat down as Australian DJ Anna Lunoe got the crowd moving with a thumping set that moved from Drake to the Venga Boys to Cardi B.

Portland rapper Aminé bounced across the stage, performing his playful hits Caroline and Reel It In, while 22-year-old producer Mura Masa showed off his percussion and piano skills and pleased the crowd with hit single Lovesick.

Promising to deliver the "greatest show on earth", hip-hop brother duo Rae Sremmurd opened with the infectious No Flex Zone before moving on to hits No Type, Pegasus and Unforgettable.

Unfortunately, the brothers’ high-energy set lost some momentum after the frisky crowd broke through a barrier and caused security to momentarily stop the show.

"We so lit we broke the barrier," Swae Lee shouted into the microphone, grinning.

It may not have been the greatest show on earth, but it was certainly a lot of fun.