Newcastle’s favourite seaside settings will become platforms for performance when New Annual returns in September with 10 days of unforgettable experiences, live shows and audience participation.
City of Newcastle unveiled the full program for its flagship arts festival today, launching a line-up of events that bring art to the audience and turn the city itself into the stage.
- Cavitation : Izabela Pluta. Pictured: Izabela Pluta in the Canoe Pool, Newcastle. Photo credit: Edwina Richards
Festival Director Tory Loudon said New Annual continues to champion the stories, places and creative spirit that make Newcastle unique.
“This year’s program reflects a city that’s creative, confident and constantly evolving. It brings together remarkable local artists with leading voices from across Australia, all responding to this place with curiosity and imagination,” Ms Loudon said.
“From sunrise gatherings on Dixon Park Beach and sunset music at Newcastle Ocean Baths to intimate theatre in the pub and indie-rock odes to Silverchair, we’re inviting audiences to experience Newcastle through the stories, sub-cultures and landscapes that define it.”
Featuring 40 events, 402 artists and seven new commissions, the sixth edition of the festival will run from 25 September to 4 October, with an abundance of free and low-cost ticketed performances for audiences of all ages.
Newcastle’s coastline will become the festival’s most dramatic stage from dawn till dusk, with sunrise theatre experience Sea Stories at Dixon Park Beach, an open-air photographic exhibition on Bathers Way and a living work of art that shifts with the tides at the Canoe Pool, accompanied by an early morning dance performance.
The setting sun will transform the Newcastle Ocean Baths into one of Australia’s most spectacular open-air music venues over four free concerts, before peace returns to its waters beneath the full moon for a special one-off spiritual celebration of feminine sovereignty.
Beyond the coastline, New Annual will transform Newcastle’s pubs, theatres, galleries, parks and public spaces into places of participation and discovery.
City of Newcastle’s cultural facilities will be front and centre with spectacular live shows and captivating displays of visual art at Newcastle Museum, Civic Theatre, The Playhouse, City Hall and Newcastle Art Gallery, while Wheeler Place, Civic Park and Laman Street will be transformed into hubs of performance, food and culture.
Audiences can also expect the unexpected from new venues such as the Oriental Hotel, Bartholomews, Carrington Foreshore and Charlestown Square, as New Annual showcases local people, places and performances alongside some of the best theatre, art and music from Australia and overseas.
All In: Dance Makers Collective. Photo credit: Joshua Morris
New Annual is delivered by City of Newcastle and proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, Multicultural NSW, Transport for NSW and Create NSW. The University of Newcastle returns as a presenting partner for the 2026 event.
Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp said events such as New Annual help celebrate the vibrant cultural diversity of local communities while also driving economic growth.
“The NSW Government is proud to support New Annual in its sixth year, cementing the event as a mainstay in Newcastle’s cultural calendar and enriching the local arts scene,” Mr Crakanthorp said.
“New Annual gets better and better every year. Through our investment across Create NSW, Transport for NSW, and Multicultural NSW, the State Government is ensuring that locals and visitors alike can experience vibrant public spaces, world-class art and unforgettable live performances for free or low cost.”
University of Newcastle Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Engagement and Equity, Nathan Towney said the University was proud to continue its support of New Annual.
“New Annual is a wonderful example of how arts and culture bring people together, spark creativity and celebrate the unique character of our region,” Mr Towney said.
“The festival highlights Newcastle as a city of innovation, imagination and cultural excellence, and our University is excited to support another year of unforgettable experiences for residents, students and visitors alike.”
Event details are live now on the New Annual website, with tickets to go on sale to the general public at 10am on Monday 3 August.
- Curtain Call: Strut your Stuff by Fast Fashun. Photo courtesy of Fast Fashun.
2026 New Annual Festival program
- All In at City Hall: Dance Makers Collective bring together professional dancers and three local dance schools for a joyful large-scale performance
- At Sea at the Canoe Pool: free daily 8am performance performed at the water’s edge by Catapult Dance Choreographic Hub inspired by Izabela Pluta’s large scale floating artwork
- AUTO-TUNE at the Playhouse: a riotous gig-theatre work from re:group performance collective that channels Silverchair obsession, millennial culture and questionable decisions, all told through original music. Stay after the show each night for a free gig from local bands, including a performance by Newcastle’s own Trophy Wyfe – 2026 winners of triple j Unearthed High.
- Bizarre Newcastle at King Street: newly commissioned film by Stories of Our Town uncovering 10 extraordinary local tales, followed by live cabaret and music from Steve Abbott (Sandman), Christa Hughes, DJ Maynard, Pucko and host Chit Chat
- BLOOM presented by Charlestown Square: artist MelissaLikesSushi transforms Charlestown Square with a massive and vibrant inflatable installation
- Cavitation at the Canoe Pool: Izabela Pluta’s monumental art installation, with an accompanying exhibition at The Lock-Up Gallery
- Chat 10, Looks 3 Live at Civic Theatre: Renowned journalists Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales bringing their celebrated podcast to the stage
- Curtain Call: Strut Your Stuff at Museum Park: Melbourne collective Fast Fashun invite festivalgoers to create wearable art from recycled clothing before taking to the runway
- First Night Art Party in Laman Street: a free celebration fuelled by Pasifika creativity, featuring three powerhouse female performers – Aleksiah, Djanaba, and Ngaiire
- Global Table at Wheeler Place: world-class food, live performance, and cultural storytelling hosted by writer Benjamin Law and writer and comedian Jennifer Wong
- GRUMBLE BOOGIE at Watt Space: an aerobic dance class led by performance artist Betty Grumble – expect a genre smash of ritual movement, cabaret-style panache and performance art
- Lenny’s Country at the Carrington Foreshore: a joyful community celebration of local Indigenous culture led by Curious Legends at Nan’s Place
- Muse at Newcastle Art Gallery: a 20-year survey of work created by internationally acclaimed Newcastle artist Angela Tiatia
- Night Flowers at Watt Space: Damien Frost’s extensive exhibition presents more than a hundred portraits of ‘elusive and exotic self-styled walking works of art’
- NM:PM PUNK! at Newcastle Museum: free high-energy celebration of local punk culture featuring Boudicca, No Reason, Bitchcraft, and ska-legends, The Porkers
- Ocean Rituals at Dixon Park Beach: Passionate open water swimmer and award-winning ocean and coast-life photographer Penny Green presents a series of joyous, moody, and captivating photographs celebrating Newcastle’s coastline and the city’s dynamic ocean swimming community.
