New Annual is back with ten days of art, music, and ideas
From the city streets to the coastline, Newcastle’s flagship arts festival New Annual is returning in 2026 – bigger, bolder, and bursting with creativity.
The ten-day celebration will again transform Newcastle into a city-wide canvas of art, music, performance, and ideas, with events taking over iconic spaces – from beachside bleachers to museum galleries, laneways, theatres, and beyond.
The 2025 program delivered fresh voices, immersive experiences, and reimagined venues, offering locals and visitors a unique opportunity to engage with the city in surprising new ways.
With many of the programmed events free and family friendly, New Annual continues to prioritise accessibility and inclusivity, inviting everyone to join the party.
Some of the 2025 highlights included…
First Night Art Party
Kicking off the festival is the First Night Art Party happening on Friday, September 26 – a free street party on Laman Street from 5pm-9pm.
Expect electric energy with sets from Haiku Hands, Kira Puru, and Devaura, plus roving performances, striking art projections presented by Newcastle Art Gallery, and that unmistakable New Annual atmosphere.
Meet Me at the Baths
In 2025, New Annual invited audiences to experience art and live music in iconic coastal locations like never before. Newcastle Ocean Baths played host to Meet Me at the Baths, delivered through headphones, the audience sat on the familiar blue sea-facing bleachers soaking up stranger-than-fiction stories inspired by real Novocastrians.
Meet Me at the Baths – Photo by Lee Illfield
POV: re:group performance collective
A kid with a camera, two adults, no rehearsals – just real reactions resulting in an uplifting and unpredictable family portrait.
Dancefloor Conversion Therapy: Jonny Hawkins
Equal parts party and performance, this joyous journey of self-discovery at Bernie’s Bar culiminated in a late-night afterparty. This one is for the clubbers, ravers, party people, and all who’ve been born again on the dancefloor.
Dancefloor Conversion Therapy: Jonny Hawkins
Chicken: Sunday’s Child
A bonkers and unbelievably brilliant one-woman show at University House, starring an unforgettable chicken.
SURGE: Tantrum Youth Arts
A one-night-only high-voltage arts party at Newcastle Museum featuring a pulsating collision of performance, music, and visual spectacle.
Global Gathering
Taking over Beaumont Street, Global Gathering invited was a community celebration hosted by Benjamin Law and Jenny Wong, with live cooking demos, music, drumming collectives, dance, and a vibrant eat-street.
Global Gathering
This year’s program will again celebrate Newcastle creatives, First Nations performances, next-gen artists, and world-class acts.
Whether you’re drawn in by beachside theatre, live music under the stars, powerful storytelling, or simply curious to see your city in a new light – stay tuned as more details are released soon about New Annual’s 2026 program.
