Local artists are being offered the chance to shine at New Annual in 2026 as City of Newcastle's flagship arts festival continues to elevate Newcastle's profile as a thriving creative city.
Applications are now open for the 'Made New' program, which provides up to $40,000 in funding for Newcastle-based or affiliated artists to present during the New Annual festival, which will be held from 25 September to 4 October 2026.
Tom Avgenicos playing during New Annual 2025Last year's New Annual was the largest in the event's history featuring a total of 87 shows which attracted approximately 50,000 attendees, almost double the amount from 2024, with an economic impact of almost $3.5 million.
Festival Director Tory Loudon said City of Newcastle-commissioned surveys revealed 96% of respondents would be likely to attend New Annual again.
"Last year's New Annual demonstrated the strength of Newcastle's creative community and the city's growing confidence as a cultural destination," Ms Loudon said.
"More than 70% of the program featured local artists in 2025 and the 'Made New' program will ensure we continue to celebrate the exceptional creative talent within our region through new works.
"We had amazing success last year introducing new venues into the program. From the transformation of Newcastle Museum into a theatre space, to the overwhelming response to performances at Newcastle Ocean Baths and University House.
"This year we're looking for original works that tell a story about Newcastle in a unique way or use a Newcastle space in a new way. We love out of the box ideas and there's a maximum of $40,000 available per project."
Councillor Jenny Barrie, Chair of City of Newcastle's Community and Culture Strategic Advisory Committee said New Annual is a festival for the entire community.
"The feedback we received showed that New Annual made Novocastrians feel connected to their city, while the productions truly reflected local stories and gave audiences a sense of pride," Cr Barrie said.
"New Annual is evolving into an iconic festival that is truly Novocastrian, providing local audiences with free and low cost opportunities to engage with a range of arts while attracting cultural tourism to the city.
"The festival showcases what can be achieved when collaboration and ambition align, celebrating creativity that is shaped by place and powered by people."
The 2025 festival saw Newcastle's coastline and civic spaces reimagined as vibrant stages for art, performance and community connection, featuring diverse events, activities and performances.
Alongside performances at Newcastle Ocean Baths, other highlights included giant shipping containers that transformed Camp Shortland into a public art trail, the multi-sensory DARKFIELD in Wheeler Place, a whimsical six-hole mini putt-putt course at The Station, the First Night Art Party on Laman Street and a singing workshop with men's choir sensations Spooky Men's Chorale.
Locals working across interdisciplinary art forms, visual arts, dance, theatre, music, and multimedia have until 12 February 2026 to submit an expression of interest for New Annual 2026.
Successful applicants will be included in the New Annual festival program, ensuring City of Newcastle will provide support with marketing, publicity and production.
To keep up to date with the latest festival news or find out more about the "Made New" process, visit www.newannual.com
To view a copy of the New Annual 2025 post festival report, click here
To see highlights of the 2025 festival, click here
