City of Newcastle unveils the bold full program for its flagship arts festival – transforming Newcastle’s beaches, ocean baths, laneways, parks and beloved landmarks into stages for 10 days of art, music and ideas from 25 September to 4 October 2026.
From sunrise gatherings on Dixon Park Beach and sunset live music performances at Newcastle Ocean Baths to intimate theatre inside a neighbourhood pub, raucous indie-rock gig-theatre shows fuelled by Silverchair obsession, and monumental artworks shaped by the tides, New Annual turns the city itself into the stage.
Building on the success of New Annual 2025, which attracted more than 50,000 attendees and contributed nearly $3.5million in local economic impact*, this year’s festival celebrates Newcastle’s creative confidence through ambitious new commissions and nationally and internationally acclaimed artists working alongside local creatives.
EVERY MAJOR WORK BEGINS WITH PLACE
Whether shaped by the ocean, inspired by local histories or embedded within the city’s distinctive neighbourhoods, the 2026 program reveals Newcastle through the stories, sub-cultures and landscapes that define it.
Festival Director Tory Loudon said New Annual continues to champion the people, places and creative spirit that make Newcastle unique.
“New Annual could only belong to Newcastle. Every major work is shaped here – by its coastline, communities, and unmistakable character – creating experiences that couldn’t happen anywhere else.
“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 generosity, curiosity and imagination.
“Whether you’re visiting for the first time or have lived here your whole life, I hope New Annual has you seeing Newy in a completely new light.”
Presented by City of Newcastle, New Annual continues its commitment to inclusive arts experiences, with an abundance of free events and low-cost ticketed performances for audiences of all ages.
Taking place during the September–October school holidays, the festival offers the perfect coastal-meets-cultural spring break. Newcastle is just two hours by road from Sydney, with direct flights from Melbourne and Brisbane, making New Annual one of Australia’s most accessible destination festivals.
Stand outs include
- Sea Stories a sunrise listening experience on the sand at Dixon Park Beach, created by Roslyn Oades
- Petite Suite intimate theatrical encounters that unlock the secrets of The Oriental Hotel
- Auto Tune as a riotous indie-rock opera turned gig-theatre – where winners of Unearthed High, Newcastle’s own Trophy Wyfe will perform free after one of the shows.
- Truck Driver as a funny and moving portrait of life on the road
- Triceratop as a hilarious one-person gay dinosaur love story and climate catastrophe parable.
- Press Play! celebrating 50 years of Tantrum Youth Arts
- All In bringing together professional dancers and three dance schools for an exploration of expressive movement where you’re invited to join in the fun
- Praxis pairing visual artists and choreographers to create new works based on each other
- Wolf the latest in Circa’s astounding acrobatics
- Loca Vida seductive burlesque at The Spiegeltent that will be installed in Newcastle’s Civic Park
Tickets on sale from 10am Monday 3 August 2026. Visit newannual.com to explore the full program and start planning an unforgettable festival experience.
