Port Stephens Winter Festival (July 10 – 19)
Experience the magic of the, nine unforgettable days packed with something for everyone! Marvel at the iconic Human Whale event, explore incredible Taster’s Trails, and indulge in foodie experiences. From sunset cruises and car shows to scavenger hunts and family fun, this festival connects the community with local businesses in the most memorable way possible. Further details and tickets (some events are ticketed, others FREE): https://www.pswinterwhalefest.com/
A Wrinkle in Time
Joining forces with her baby brother Charles, friend and neighbour Calvin, and the celestial beings Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, Meg Murry must battle the forces of evil in order to rescue her father, save humanity, and discover herself. Traveling through time and space, she saves the world from IT, an evil force that is rapidly casting its shadow over the universe. But what does Meg have that the IT does not? Love. For in the end, love is enough to overcome evil and bring ITs dark world crashing down. Newcastle Young People’s Theatre, 26-28 Lindsay St Hamilton. Runs: July 7 – 19. Further details and tickets: https://ypt.org.au/a-wrinkle-in-time/
Matilda the Musical JR
Roald Dahl character Matilda Wormwood is a little girl with a big imagination, a sharp mind, and a mysterious gift — and she’s ready to take a stand. With terrible parents, a terrifying headmistress, and a school that squashes creativity, Matilda must use her brains, bravery, and a bit of magic to fight for what’s right. Bursting with high-energy songs, larger-than-life characters, and heart-warming moments, Hunter Drama presents this gleefully subversive celebration of courage, kindness, and the power of one small girl to change her story. Hunter Theatre (Hunter School of the Performing Arts), Cameron St Broadmeadow. Runs: July 10 – 18. Further details and tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1563154
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
Maitland Repertory Theatre proudly presents this Junior production of C. S. Lewis’ well-loved tale. They take the audience on a magical journey to the land of Narnia. With incredible characters – fauns, giants, talking animals and other, far more sinister, creatures, Narnia is a land cursed, where it must remain forever winter and never Christmas. Maitland Repertory Theatre, 244 High St Maitland. Runs: July 15 – August 2. Further details and tickets: https://www.mrt.org.au/
The Addams Family Young@Part (Newcastle Civic Theatre)
What Theatre Company presents a comical feast embracing the wackiness in every family and featuring an original story and a dilemma that every father dreads. Wednesday Addams has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family—a man her parents have never met. And if that wasn’t upsetting enough, Wednesday confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez must do something he’s never done before, keep a secret from his beloved Morticia. Everything will change for on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents. Runs: July 15 – 19. Further details and tickets: https://civictheatrenewcastle.com.au/what-s-on/all-shows/the-addams-family-young@part
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are stuck inside Hamlet. No, not the man! The play! Imagine, if you will, the tale of Hamlet as seen from two minor characters, who have no idea where they are, what is going on or what their fate is. This is Tom Stoppard’s classic absurdist play as you’ve never seen it. One For The Road Productions brings together a formidable ensemble of local talent, and mixes absurd comedy, wordplay, and existential dread to explore fate, free will, identity, language, and death. Newcastle Theatre Company, 90 DeVitre St Lambton. Runs: July 16 – 19. Further details and tickets: https://www.stickytickets.com.au/53vthh/rosencrantz__guildenstern_are_dead.aspx
The Sound of Music
This Rodgers and Hammerstein collaboration has become a beloved musical. Featuring a trove of cherished songs, including “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “My Favourite Things,” “Do Re Mi” and “The Sound of Music”, it earnt five Tony Awards and five Oscars. The inspirational story, based on the memoir of Maria Augusta Trapp, follows an ebullient postulate who serves as governess to the seven children of Captain von Trapp, bringing music and joy to the household. But as the forces of Nazism take hold of Austria, Maria and the entire von Trapp family must make a moral decision. This production is a collaboration between Young People’s Theatre and Lindsay Street Players. Newcastle Young People’s Theatre, 26-28 Lindsay St Hamilton. Runs: July 17 – August 15. Further details and tickets: https://ypt.org.au/the-sound-of-music/
Newcastle Comedy Festival
This annual event that brings together a diverse range of comedians for a series of live performances and shows across Newcastle venues. In addition, weekly Saturday night gala events will take place at the Civic Theatre, with changing line-ups of international stars, homegrown legends and next-big-things in comedy. Runs: July 18 – August 18. Further details and tickets: https://newycomedy.com/
Snow Time in the Gardens
Get ready for snow much fun this winter. The excitement doesn’t stop with snow! Take on amazing amusement rides, refuel with hearty winter food and drink options, and turn up the action on ice with a Rink DJ. There are roving characters and exciting snow play challenges (on selected dates). Whether you’re sliding, skating, sprinting, or snow building, there’s a full line-up of winter thrills waiting to be explored. Hunter Valley Gardens, Broke Rd Pokolbin. Runs: June 27 – July 26. Further details and tickets: https://www.huntervalleygardens.com.au/events/snow-time-in-the-garden/
Crafty Cinema – Wicked for Good (Rated PG)
Embrace the movie spirit by coming dressed as your favourite character. Then glam up at the library with free Wicked-inspired face painting by Silly Street Face Painting, and try your hand at some simply wicked crafts. Whether you’re a fan of Elphaba, Glinda, or the fantastical creatures of Oz itself, this event is all about fun, creativity, and celebrating this wonderful story! Crafty Cinema is designed for people who like to keep their hands busy while relaxing with a good movie, and allows you to get together with other crafters and enjoy a wholesome evening out. We’ll keep some lights on, so you can keep the crafting going, while still enjoying the film. East Maitland Library, 3 Garnett Rd East Maitland. Friday July 17 (6pm). Free event, however booking required (no allocated seating): https://www.mymaitland.com.au/event/crafty-cinema-wicked-for-good/
Lake Cinema: 62 Main Rd Boolaroo (July 17 – 19) (note: daily school holiday programme runs July 3 – 19)
Minions and Monsters (PG): Follow the Minions in 1920s Hollywood as they search for frightening creatures for their monster movie, partner with a green creature, and must save the planet after unleashing monsters. Friday – Sunday (midday and 2.15pm).
Disclosure Day (M): If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? Who else is out there in space or living here with us? Friday – Sunday (4.30pm and 7.30pm).
Cash only. Bookings available only for the 7.30pm sessions (4958 5810). https://lakecinema.au
Coming soon – Laneway Theatre Flicks (Mrs Warrens Profession)
Five-time Olivier Award winner Imelda Staunton (The Crown) joins forces with her real-life daughter Bessie Carter (Bridgerton) for the very first time, playing mother and daughter in Bernard Shaw’s incendiary moral classic. Vivie Warren is a woman ahead of her time. Her mother, however, is a product of that old patriarchal order. Exploiting it has earned Mrs. Warren a fortune – but at what cost? Filmed live from the West End, this new production explores the clash between morality and independence, traditions and progress. The Laneway Theatre, 90 DeVitre St Lambton. Wednesday July 22 (1pm). Further details and tickets: (no allocated seating) at the door, 4952 4958 or: https://au.patronbase.com/_NewcastleTheatreCompany/Productions
Coming soon – Civic Cinema – The Playboy of the Western World (PLAYHOUSE at Newcastle Civic Theatre)
Civic Cinema presents the best of British theatre and opera filmed live from the beating heart of the arts in London and New York. This is a screening of a National Theatre Live production. See Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton), Eanna Hardwicke (The Sixth Commandment) and Siobhan McSweeney (Derry Girls) in John Millington Synge’s riveting play of youth and self-discovery. Pegeen Flaherty’s life is turned upside down when a young man walks into her pub claiming that he’s killed his father. Instead of being shunned, the killer becomes a local hero and begins to win hearts, that is until a second man unexpectedly arrives on the scene. Filmed live on stage at the National Theatre, Caitriona McLaughlin directs this darkly funny tale full to the brim with secrets. Wednesday July 22 (7pm). Further details and tickets: https://civictheatrenewcastle.com.au/what-s-on/all-shows/civic-cinema-nt-live-the-playboy-of-the-western-world
Coming soon – French Monthly Friday Movie Night (July 24)
The Stranger (Rated: M): Ooh La La! Alliance Francais de Newcastle’s next French Friday film is sent in summer 1938. Meursault, a quiet and unassuming clerk in his early thirties, attends his mother’s funeral. The next day, he begins a casual affair with Marie, a colleague randomly encountered at the local baths, and quickly slips back into routine. However, daily life is soon disrupted by his volatile neighbour, who draws Meursault into an altercation involving an ex-lover. And then, one blisteringly hot afternoon, an inexplicable event occurs on a beach, one that will see Meursault’s very moral standing brought to question. Event Cinemas, Kotara. The very popular Little French Market begins in the foyer at 6pm with crepes, patisseries and French inspired handicrafts for sale followed by the film at 7pm. Further details and tickets: https://www.afnewcastle.com.au/french-films/french-friday-movie-24-july/
Concert – The Fairy’s Kiss (Newcastle City Hall)
Musica Viva Australia invites you to prepare to be kissed by a fairy and transformed by music when violinist Leila Josefowicz and pianist John Novacek bring their captivating artistry to Newcastle. Celebrated for their ‘full-force virtuosity’, American-Canadian Leila and American John have been making music together since they were eight. With an enduring bond which is, quite simply, magic, the duo performs ravishing music for violin and piano. Debussy’s heart-melting Sonata, Szymanowski’s sensuous showpiece Mythes, and Stravinsky’s mischievous The Fairy’s Kiss conjure up evocative sound worlds for you to explore. Friday July 17 (7.30pm). Further details and tickets: https://civictheatrenewcastle.com.au/what-s-on/all-shows/leila-josefowicz-john-novacek
Concert Candlelight – Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations. Get your tickets now to discover the music of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons under the gentle glow of candlelight. Performers: Phoenix Collective String Quartet / Firebird Quartet. Adamstown Uniting Church Auditorium, 228 Brunker Rd Adamstown. Friday July 17 (6.30pm). Further details and tickets: https://adamstownuca.org.au/event/candlelight-vivaldis-four-seasons-4/
Concert Candlelight – Ed Sheeran Meets Coldplay
Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations. Get your tickets now to discover the music of Ed Sheeran Meets Coldplay under the gentle glow of candlelight. Performers: Phoenix Collective String Quartet / Firebird Quartet. Adamstown Uniting Church Auditorium, 228 Brunker Rd Adamstown. Friday July 17 (6.30pm). Further details and tickets: https://adamstownuca.org.au/event/candlelight-ed-sheeran-meets-coldplay-3/
Concert – Queen tribute
Queen is undeniably one of the most legendary rock 20th century bands. Bohemian Rhapsody is Australia’s longest running Queen tribute since 1993, and Thomas Crane is internationally acclaimed for uncanny impersonation of Freddie as he takes it to the next level, playing the piano like the legend himself. Prepare to be transported back in time, as they showcase iconic hits of the ‘70s to ‘90s. Sing along to classics like Somebody to Love, Another One Bites the Dust, Don’t Stop Me Now and, of course, Bohemian Rhapsody. Performance Arts Culture Cessnock, 198 Vincent St Cessnock. Saturday July 18 (7.30pm). Further details and tickets: https://www.mypacc.com.au/Whats-on/26-Queen-Bohemian-Rhapsody
Concert – At the Movies
Join Western Lake Macquarie Concert Band for an exciting performance featuring unforgettable music from movies such as Wicked, Avatar, Pirates of the Caribbean and much more. From magical melodies to epic adventures this concert brings the big screen to life through powerful sound. A must for film and music lovers alike! Westlake’s Music Centre, 33 Stilling St Rathmines. Sunday July 19 (2pm). Further details and tickets: https://www.facebook.com/events/2075653776631002
Concert – Monthly Traditional and Non Traditional Irish and Folk Session
These monthly sessions share Traditional Irish and folk music with musicians and non-musicians who love to listen. Although they concentrate on playing traditional Irish music, Scottish, English, old time American and Aussie bush tunes also crop up. Between sets, other singers might just have an opportunity to perform a song or two. There is a pool of musicians who attend with up to 10 or so turning up. The Newcastle and Hunter Valley Folk Club supports and encourages Folk Music, Dance, Folk Lore and Bush Poetry across the Greater Newcastle / Hunter region. Northern Star Hotel, 112 Beaumont St Hamilton. Sunday July 19 (3pm – 6pm). Further details: https://newcastlehuntervalleyfolkclub.org.au/
Coming soon – Room on the Broom (Newcastle Civic Theatre)
How the cat purred and how the witch grinned, as they sat on their broomstick and flew through the wind. They are flying happily until a stormy wind blows away the witch’s hat, bow and wand. Adapted from the award-winning picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, this show is filled with songs, laughs and scary fun for children aged 3 and up,- and their grown-ups. Wednesday July 22 (10am, 12.30pm, 6pm). Further details and tickets: https://civictheatrenewcastle.com.au/what-s-on/all-shows/room-on-the-broom
Coming soon – Bull
Rational Animals presents this razor-sharp play about the fine line between office politics and playground bullying. Take a ringside seat as three employees fight to keep their jobs. “A modern morality, or amorality, play that keeps its adrenaline level high and, at the very end, raises it off the charts“ (The New York Times). “Short, slick and emotionally unflinching, delivers a decisive punch”(The Stage). Adamstown Uniting Church Auditorium, 228 Brunker Rd Adamstown. Runs: July 22 – 26. Further details and tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1592878
Coming soon – The Magic Flute (by Mozart)
Opera Hunter is delighted to invite you into a world of enchantment, wisdom, and musical brilliance. This much‑loved opera blends fantasy, humour, and breathtaking music, is performed by a superb cast, and is supported by the magnificent Opera Hunter Chorus and members of the Lake Mac Philharmonic Orchestra. Warners Bay Theatre, 39 Lake St Warners Bay. Runs: July 24 – August 2. Further details and tickets: https://www.operahunter.org.au/production/the-magic-flute-july-aug-2026/
Coming soon – Pop Bam Culture Festival
Lake Macquarie’s iconic pop culture festival features the ultimate celebration of movies, TV shows, comics, and music. With cosplay, celebrity guests, lightsabre battles, movie vehicles, and creative workshops, there’s something for fans of every age. Dive into a vibrant world of creativity, fandom, and fun at this year’s unmissable extravaganza! Hunter Sports Centre, 43 Stockland Drive Glendale. Saturday July 25 (10am – 3pm). Further details and tickets: https://www.lakemac.com.au/Events-directory/Council-events/Lake-Mac-Pop-Bam-Pop-Culture-Festival-2026
‘Last chance to see’ exhibitions:
University Gallery: Wiya, Wuba, Wanna (Speak, Make, Listen)
Aunty Zona Kelly and Uncle Warren Sherwood have created a series of works exploring personal relationships to Country. In developing the exhibition, Aunty April Newman taught them conversational Gathang, the local language of the Worimi ancestors. Their artistic responses explored a greater affinity to place, experienced through speaking language. Penny Dunstan, artist and agronomist, was invited by the artists to respond from a settler’s perspective to their work. These stories illuminate a deepening relationship with Mother Earth and invitation to reflect on the value of speaking to, making with, and listening to Country. 130 University Drive Callaghan. Wednesday – Friday (10am – 5pm), Saturday (midday – 4pm). Until July 18.
University Gallery: Mimmi (Sisters in Strength)
The title MIMMI draws on the sacred spirit beings known across parts of Northern Australia – figures who embody creation, knowledge, and the passing of cultural practice. In this exhibition, MIMMI becomes a metaphor for the women who carry story, hold community, and lead through strength and care, and each artwork reflects a unique narrative, grounded in Country, kinship, and cultural continuity. Through a diverse range of mediums, including painting, textiles, and sculptural forms, the various artists explore themes of survival, healing, and empowerment and stands as a testament to the strength of Aboriginal women – past, present, and future – honouring their stories, their voices, and their unbreakable connection to culture and Country. 130 University Drive Callaghan. Wednesday – Friday (10am – 5pm), Saturday (midday – 4pm). Until July 18.
Cooks Hill Art Gallery: A Private Collection
This private collection of artworks sale has been developed over decades of searching, refining and shaping, which becomes a passion and enjoyment, perhaps a pastime. For the future collector it provides a window into art collected over time, artworks 2d and 3d with art dating from the 1940’s – 2021. A wonderful opportunity to view, collect or add to an existing collection. Artists include: Donald Friend, Brett Whiteley, William Dobell, Arthur Boyd, Sali Herman, Margaret Olley, and others. 65 Bull St Cooks Hill. Wednesday – Saturday (10am – 5pm). Until July 18.
The Creator Incubator Gallery: From Country We Begin
This exhibition showcases the works of TCI’s 2025/2026 First Nations Artist Residency recipients, Jasmine Christie) and Ngaire Pakai, alongside a curation of local First Nations voices. It explores the layered meanings of ‘beginnings’ from ancestral origins and connection to country, to personal journeys and new directions in creative practice. Marking the conclusion of Ngaire and Jasmine’s 12-month residency, the exhibition also reflects on ‘50 Years of Deadly’ for NAIDOC 2026 and honours the enduring strength, resilience and cultural legacy of First Nations communities across generations. 15a/50 Clyde St Hamilton North. Thursday – Sunday (midday – 5pm). Until July 19.
Lake Macquarie Museum of Art and Culture: Young Dobell Exhibition
An annual exhibition featuring artworks from the Young Dobell Art competition which celebrates young artists aged 5 to 18 from the Hunter and Central Coast Regions. The competition is named after Sir William Dobell, a three-time Archibald Prize winner who lived in Lake Macquarie. He was known for his portrait and landscape artworks, as well as paintings of his beloved dogs. 1A First St Booragul. Tuesday – Sunday (9am – 3pm). Until July 19.
Lake Macquarie Museum of Art and Culture: In Memory of Tom Gleghorn
A vibrant collection of works by talented practitioners from the Print Circle, a renowned Sydney printmaking collective. This exhibition explores the cultural, symbolic and natural significance of earth, air, water and fire through print. The artists work in both traditional and contemporary print media, including etching, lithography, silkscreen, collograph, woodcut, linocut, solar plate intaglio, and digital prints. All works, including exclusive limited-edition prints, are for sale. 1A First St Booragul. Tuesday – Sunday (9am – 3pm). Until July 19.
Lake Macquarie Museum of Art and Culture: Print Circle: Elements
A vibrant collection of works by talented practitioners from the Print Circle, a renowned Sydney printmaking collective. This exhibition explores the cultural, symbolic and natural significance of earth, air, water and fire through print. The artists work in both traditional and contemporary print media, including etching, lithography, silkscreen, collograph, woodcut, linocut, solar plate intaglio, and digital prints. All works, including exclusive limited-edition prints, are for sale. 1A First St Booragul. Tuesday – Sunday (9am – 3pm). Until July 19.
Lake Macquarie Museum of Art and Culture: The Tide Continues
Australian-Fijian artist Salote Tawale presents a new exhibition inspired by the Lake Macquarie region. Balancing interaction with quiet reflection, the exhibition brings together a video work made by Salote in Hawai‘i, gentle floor seating that invites rest, and immersive murals and paintings. While watching and interacting with the space, viewers might wonder where the salty water of Hawaii’s vibrant ocean ends and the water of Lake Macquarie begins. 1A First St Booragul. Tuesday – Sunday (9am – 3pm). Until July 19.
Port Stephens Art Centre: Botanicals and Printmakers
Botanicals celebrates the intricate beauty of the natural world. It features diverse media capturing organic forms, vibrant flora, and delicate textures, inviting viewers to reconnect with Earth’s enduring elegance. Printmakers explores the tactile beauty of hand-pulled art. Discover the intricate mastery of linocuts, etchings, and woodblocks, where every carved line and inked surface celebrates the elegance of traditional printmaking. Cultural Place (off Shoal Bay Rd) Nelson Bay. Monday – Saturday (10am – 4pm), Sunday (10am – 1pm). Until July 21.
‘New’ exhibitions to visit:
Cstudio Art Gallery: Family Affair (opens July 18)
This joint exhibition features the talented works of Ted Prior (author of the GRUIG children’s books), Lucy Prior and Elizabeth Shoebridge. Come and explore the incredible artistry of these accomplished and award-winning Newcastle artists. 518 Hunter St Newcastle West. Wednesday – Saturday (10.30am – 3pm). Until August 1. Opening event: Saturday July 18 (4pm – 6pm).
Leda Gallery: Rupture (opens July 18)
This exhibition brings together works by Lexie Worboys, Raffi Butler, and Xavier Lane, whose practices explore materiality, memory and transformation through distinctly personal visual languages, unique perspectives and bodies of work. Xavier questions and embraces the merciless nature of western society, materialism, possession and patriarchy. Raffi reflects on past subcultures of identity and habits of clinging onto nostalgia, to revisit the feelings we never got over and places that no longer exist. Lexie invites viewers to reminisce on their own memories, the devotion and support structures of family, relationships, who we place our trust and faith in, who we can rely on. 850 Hunter St Newcastle West. Wednesday – Friday (10am – 3pm), Saturday (10am – 2pm). Until July 29. Opening event: Saturday July 18 (5pm – 7pm).
The Lock-Up Gallery: Into the Dark (opens July 18)
A culmination point in Wendy Sharpe’s long arts career and a timely presentation that responds to the darkness plaguing the world today. The exhibition confronts collective fears and asks whether naming our dread can transform our paralysis into awareness and resistance. It is bold and features new commissions, a live-painted mural and immersive labyrinthine installations. 90 Hunter St Newcastle. Wednesday – Saturday (10am – 4pm), Sunday (10am – 2pm). Until September 13.
The Owens Collective Gallery: Common Ground (opens July 13)
Inspired by places we return to again and again, this exhibition by Melanie Norman and Emma O’Connell explores landscapes that become part of us, the colours of changing seasons and the connections between land, memory and belonging. Through two distinct perspectives, they reflect on a shared relationship with place, presenting works grounded in observation, memory and emotional connection to the natural world. 101 Maitland Rd Islington. Friday – Sunday (9am – 2pm). Until July 26.
The Old Fireshed Gallery (Wollombi): First Light – After Light (opens July 18)
Michael O’Sullivan’s paintings are an exploration of the balance between chaos and control. While abstract in form, they draw on the tangible world of his local landscape and moments of time – darkness before dawn, midday heat, stillness of the night. Wollombi Rd Wollombi. Friday – Sunday (10am – 4pm). Until August 2. Opening event: Saturday July 18 (4pm).
The Old Fireshed Gallery (Wollombi): Recent Oils and Works on Paper (opens July 18)
Fiona Bateman finds inspiration in the textures and patterns of the world around her. Her abstract oil paintings and mixed media works are a vibrant riff on the elements of landscape, in particular, the beauty of barks, rocks and lichens. Wollombi Rd Wollombi. Friday – Sunday (10am – 4pm). Until August 2. Opening event: Saturday July 18 (4pm).
‘Ongoing’ exhibitions:
Watt Space Gallery: Finding home: life outside institutions
Exhibiting stories of those who attended and left 1900 to 1960 mental hospitals to better understand mental health care in the community before more recent ideas about ‘community psychiatry’ evolved. The individual stories in this exhibition come from the thousands contained in the Stride NSW archive and are individual accounts of people who accessed aftercare assistance. The vast majority were women and all people whose stories are told have been given different names. The stories focus on themes of starting afresh in a new life after institutional discharge; barriers to success; being a parent while navigating recovery; being abandoned by close family; moving between institutions; difficulties for older women; and the way employers could be wary of giving a person a new chance. Cnr King and Auckland Sts Newcastle. Wednesday – Friday (10am – 5pm), Saturday (midday – 4pm). Until September 12.
Newcastle Art Gallery: Multiverse (TICKETED exhibition)
Cairns-based Torres Strait Islander Brian Robinson is known for his bold works of art and distinctive graphic language that blend Torres Strait minaral design with contemporary cultural icons. This is a vibrant exhibition in which superheroes, sea creatures, and ancient stories collide and coalesce. Robinson invites audiences into unique worlds spanning mythology, history, imagination, and richly detailed narratives. The exhibition brings together his monumental linocut prints, larger-than-life sculptures, and a digital animation experience. 1 Laman St Cooks Hill. Tuesday – Sunday (10am – 4pm). Until August 30. Further details and tickets: https://newcastleartgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/brian-robinson-multiverse
Newcastle Art Gallery: Open Space
The mystic inner world of Michelle Gearin is presented as she transforms the Gallery’s Open Space into her own ‘open studio’. Using oil paint and watercolour, Gearin will create a hidden palace of the subconscious world, its rooms full of collective and personal emotions, experiences, and eternal mysteries. This dreamlike work of art will develop into an animation over the course of the exhibition. Open Space is a new opportunity for artists with connections to the Hunter region to create experimental bodies of work within Newcastle Art Gallery, to test new ideas, present an open studio, iterate an installation, conduct creative research, and more. 1 Laman St Cooks Hill. Tuesday – Sunday (10am – 4pm). Until September 6.
Newcastle Art Gallery: Mouth Mnemonica
Tiyan Baker works with installation, photography, video and sculpture. Her practice draws on historical research, language, digital processes and material play to trace unseen relationships between words, place and stories. Her solo exhibition centres around a newly commissioned multi-channel video work, to tangle together like coursing water. This project engages with the endangered language Bukar, spoken by her mother and other Bukar Bidayǔh people of south-western Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. Furthered by sculptural elements, Baker encourages us to reimagine new methods to transfer intergenerational cultural knowledge. Blending poetic verse, memory, and historical record, her project is a homage to her mother’s tongue and the mouth as an ancestral landscape. 1 Laman St Cooks Hill. Tuesday – Sunday (10am – 4pm). Until September 6.
Newcastle Art Gallery: Mordant Family Collection
This is a striking group exhibition of local, national, and global artists in celebration of the major recent gift to the Gallery from the Mordant Family Collection. Discover compelling works by leading Australian and international artists which traverse the mediums of painting, video, sculpture and photography, and brings together artistic explorations of identity, abstraction, and the natural world. You are invited to enjoy this gift to the city. 1 Laman St Cooks Hill. Tuesday – Sunday (10am – 4pm). Until November 15.
Newcastle Art Gallery: Iconic Loved Unexpected
The exhibition brings together national icons, well-loved favourites and unexpected gems, including never-before and rarely seen works. More than 500 works by local, national and international artists from the early nineteenth century to today are being rotated as the exhibition progresses. 1 Laman St Cooks Hill. Tuesday – Sunday (10am – 4pm). Ongoing.
Lovett Gallery (Newcastle Library):
This summer, The Lovett Gallery has been transformed into a magical world of underwater stories and adventures. Dive into a raft of activities inspired by Illustrations from Australian Children’s Picture Books and celebrate the magical world of fiction and non-fiction picture books. From deep-sea adventures to beachside tales, explore how picture books bring the ocean to life through colour, character, and creativity. Discover the art of five award-winning Australian illustrators and get hands-on with sensory materials and activities for children. Be inspired by the art and stories of our precious oceans. Level 2, Newcastle Library, Laman St Cooks Hill. Monday – Friday (9.30am – 5pm), Saturday (9.30am – 2pm). Until July 31.
Newcastle Museum: Mr Squiggle and Friends: The Creative World of Norman Hetherington AND Murray Raine’s Marvellous Marionettes
This exhibition celebrates the creative genius behind one of Australia’s most adored children’s characters, which captivated and inspired generations with that distinctive pencil nose, charming banter and uncanny ability to turn a simple squiggle into a masterpiece. This family-friendly exhibition features objects from the Norman Hetherington collection, recently acquired by the National Museum of Australia. Experience hand-crafted puppets, including iconic favourites like Blackboard, Rocket, Bill Steamshovel and Gus the Snail, alongside unique wartime artworks, whimsical sketches and colourful stage props. Murray Raine began his puppetry career as a young Newcastle child. Inspired and mentored by Norman Hetherington, he later became one of Australia’s most celebrated puppeteers. His marvellous marionettes glitter with heart and humour. 6 Workshop Way Honeysuckle. Tuesday – Sunday (10am – 5pm). Until November 1.
Newcastle Museum: The City That Made Surfest
More than a competition, Surfest is a defining part of Newcastle’s identity. Discover the champions, community and culture that shaped Surfest over four decades through rare objects, archival footage and stories from the surf. Today it is the largest surfing festival in the Southern hemisphere and the list of champions includes global surfing legends whose victories have become part of the Newcastle story. 6 Workshop Way Honeysuckle. Tuesday – Sunday (10am – 5pm). Until July 31.
Newcastle Museum: The Newcastle Story / Fire and Earth
These FREE exhibitions tell our stories. Explore the natural environment, early Aboriginal life and Newcastle’s history and beliefs. Journey through times of war and immigration and meet pioneers, sports people and the famous. Discover answers to how and why we are a distinct and fascinating community. Then, put your hard hat on and experience the heat, danger and hard work of coal mining and BHP steel production. This is not only a story of industry, it is a story of immigration, religion, resilience and family. Two major industries have dominated the identity, landscape and people of the Hunter, Coal and BHP. Fire and Earth combines the two industries in a stunning exhibition, just as they have always been intertwined and interdependent. 6 Workshop Way Honeysuckle. Tuesday – Sunday (10am – 5pm). Ongoing.
Hunter Wetlands Centre Gallery: Tuesday Connect
Tuesday Connect is a group of artists who paint together on Tuesdays at the Society of Artists Newcastle Art Rooms in Lambton Park. They share a love of the natural world and hope to convey through their paintings the different lenses they look through and their appreciation of the wonderful natural habitat of the Wetlands. All artworks are for sale with a percentage of the sale price going to the Wetlands Centre. 1 Wetlands Place Shortland. Daily (9am – 4pm). Until July 23.
Newcastle Studio Potters and Back-to-Back Galleries: Art Nouveau: a period of style
Art Nouveau is a style of decoration and architecture common in the 1890s. It is characterized by flowing lines and patterns of flowers and leaves and was inspired by plant forms and nature. Thirteen artists and twelve potters have interpreted the theme in their own ways for this exhibition. 57 Bull St Cooks Hill. Friday – Sunday (11am – 5pm). Until July 26.
Straitjacket Gallery: Fun and Games
Gillian Bencke’s small textile works are made as answers to personal feelings about a world that is difficult to live in during ecological distress, economic imbalance and global unrest. They are works for others who need a place to put these feelings when the status quo keeps telling us we are just not playing the game hard enough, or you shouldn’t feel so much. When she wanted to lash out she created a tiny sword and set it motionless in wood. It’s ready, but not yet used. As the adage goes, “it’s all fun and games until there are tears”. 222 Denison St Broadmeadow. Thursday – Friday (11am – 6pm), Saturday – Sunday (11am – 5pm). Until July 26. Meet the Artist: Friday July 17 (5pm – 7pm).
Straitjacket Gallery: When Glass Moves
Liam Power likes the notion that paintings can be windows half ajar, either guiding your eye through or reflecting back at oneself. The exhibition title comes from the notion that old window glass becomes thicker on the base over time or even distorted in such a way that it appears to have varied facets catching the light. A beautiful consequence. A total myth. Subjects can blur and bend with the irregularities of glass, however Liam only discovered recently that the idea of glass slowly being able to change form was false. Glass cannot move, irregularities are permanent and indirect results of traditional manufacturing techniques. Thus imperfections occur by chance at the initial conception of making. Despite this realisation he thought what a way to see and these paintings became an idea of distorted lenses, window glass that is imperfectly beautiful, a favour of ambiguity, an exploration of pigment on surface. 222 Denison St Broadmeadow. Thursday – Friday (11am – 6pm), Saturday – Sunday (11am – 5pm). Until July 26. Meet the Artist: Saturday July 18 (11am – 2pm).
Straitjacket Gallery: Horizon abstraction
Virginia Cuppaidge is a world recognised abstract artist who moved from Australia to New York in 1969. After some 50 years, she returned and now lives in the Hunter. Newcastle Art Gallery now claims her as a local artist, a well-travelled late modernist and an icon of feminist spirit and determination. Her surface painting techniques have varied over time but spatial arrangements and colour are what speak the loudest. When she paints Virginia has no plan, it is the colour and space that makes the painting. She is inspired by nature, the light, colour, horizon and sky. 222 Denison St Broadmeadow. Thursday – Friday (11am – 6pm), Saturday – Sunday (11am – 5pm). Until July 26.
Timeless Textiles Gallery: Reshaping Identities
This exhibition focusses on Identity and Belonging. The various artists explore their personal and ancestral links to landscapes, culture, or communities. Using the medium of felt, they examine themes of home, belonging, and sense of place. 90 Hunter St Newcastle. Wednesday – Saturday (10am – 4pm), Sunday (10am – 2pm). Until July 26.
Lake Macquarie Arts Multi-Arts Pavilion: The Edge of the World
A collaborative work exploring the landscapes and cultures of Australia and Iceland, this exhibition has emerged from a sustained creative international relationship between three artists. Through continued dialogue and collaboration across continents, the work draws on observations of both the mundane and the extreme in the mythological, social, and natural landscapes of Australia and Iceland. Using screen recording, 16mm film, and digital media, the artists forge an enduring shared language. 96 Creek Reserve Rd Speers Point. Friday – Sunday (9am – 2pm). Until August 2.
Belmont Library: Mungi Art
This solo exhibition presents a powerful body of work by the late Peter “Mungi” Rose, exploring his deep connection to nature, culture, and history as a proud Aboriginal man of the Dharug people. The works form a visual and spiritual journey — through the eyes of a man who, after a lifetime of searching, finally found his missing piece. Without formal art training, Mungi’s practice emerged through storytelling, lived experience, and the guidance of a gifted mentor, Gino. The exhibition traces the evolution of an artist developing both his creative voice and cultural identity and each artwork reflects a journey of rediscovery—of culture once taken, but later restored. 19 Ernest St Belmont. Monday – Friday (9am – 5pm), Saturday (9am – midday). Until September 29.
Charlestown Library: Tiny Vistas
A love letter to tchotchkes, Polly pocket and Shirley Barber, this collection of dioramas depicts whimsical landscapes and humorous critters. The Emerald Ruby (Jen Hankin) has carefully assembled each vista using traditional embroidery, chaotic beadwork and digitally sculpted 3d printed animals. These juxtaposed processes conjoined from a therapeutic need to follow the dopamine and keep her hands busy. The scenes contained within each embroidery hoop frequently transcend the phantasm which sparked their creation, quite literally taking on a life of their own. Cnr Smith and Ridley Sts Charlestown. Monday – Friday (9am – 5pm), Saturday (9am – midday). Until October 19.
Toronto Library: Golden Age Portraits
Shannon Smith’s heartfelt photographic exhibition celebrates the lives, stories, and enduring spirit of Lake Macquarie’s senior community. These intimate works honour the resilience, wisdom, and individuality of participants aged 75 and over, captured with warmth and dignity. Each portrait reflects a moment of storytelling and reflection, preserving personal histories that might otherwise be lost amidst the business of modern life. Cnr Brighton Ave and Pemell St Toronto. Monday – Friday (9am – 5pm), Saturday (9am – midday). Until October 6.
Sugar Valley Library Museum: We built this history
Developed in conjunction with West Wallsend District Heritage Group, this museum presents the story of the region through enticing and immersive experiences and, objects portraying the life and times of this unique township. Learn about rich Aboriginal history, and the people and groups that built the district’s communities. 156 Portland Dr Cameron Park. Tuesday – Friday (10am – 5pm), Saturday – Sunday (10am – 2pm). Ongoing.
Swansea Library (Seen @ Swansea): Endless Now
In marking the bicentenary of Reverend Lancelot Threlkeld’s mission at Bahtabah, Lake Macquarie City Council Heritage Team presents an exhibition that reflects on a complex and significant shared history on Awabakal Country. Central to this story is the relationship between Threlkeld and the respected Awabakal leader Biraban (McGill), whose knowledge and leadership contributed to a significant cultural exchange during this time. This is an exceptional and rare collection of letters written by Threlkeld and never before published or publicly displayed. They offer a unique and personal window into the period, an opportunity to engage directly with voices from the past while honouring the living culture of the Awabakal people today. 228 Pacific Highway Swansea. Monday – Friday (10am – 2pm), Saturday (9am – midday). Until October 20.
Wangi Library Creative Hub: The land of the Night Owls
An exhibition of artworks created by Wangi Wangi Public School students (Kindergarten to Year 6). These young artists have explored the world of owls found in their locality. Using a variety of materials (paint, beads, drawing, textiles) they have interpreted the strength of the Powerful Owl, the mystery of the Masked Owl, and the gentle spirit of the Southern Boobook, inviting us to discover the rich diversity of these local birds through their imaginative eyes. This exhibition celebrates not only artistic talent, but also curiosity about nature and community spirit. 295 Watkins Rd Wangi Wangi. Monday and Thursday (9am – 1pm), Wednesday (1pm – 5pm). Until September 28.
Windale Library Hub: Natural Consequences
Robert and John De Giorgio collaborate on an abstract graphic practice that examines the relationship between microscopic observation and architectural structure. Inspired by cellular systems, biological forms, and mineral patterns, their work translates organic sources into precise geometric compositions shaped by Architectural logic. Through lines, grids, and modular forms, fluid natural references are framed within ordered systems, reflecting an interest in how complexity emerges from structure. Their work invites slow viewing and careful attention, revealing subtle connections between unseen natural systems and the built environment. 20 Lake St Windale. Monday – Friday (9am – 5pm), Saturday (9am – midday). Until September 22.
Maitland Regional Art Gallery: Upriver Downriver
Building on the similar 2023 exhibition, the Gallery is energising all spaces to celebrate the expansive range of art and ideas resonating throughout the region. Join this journey through the eyes of artists as you wind your way from the Upper Hunter down through to Maitland, across many tributaries and into the Port of Newcastle. The selected artists reflect the diversity of practice, ideas in and creative energy of the Hunter region. 230 High St Maitland. Tuesday – Sunday (9am – 4pm). Until October 11. Opening event: Friday July 24 (5.30pm – 7.30pm) (FREE but ticketed). Further details and tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/upriver-downriver-launch-party-tickets-1991439974572?aff=oddtdtcreator
Cecily Mitchell Gallery: Call and Response
Jane Richens is a visual artist and biodiversity farmer who connects contemporary fibre art, ecology and historical research. This exhibition is the culmination of her work as the 2026 Artist in Residence at Brough House Fibre Makers Space, where Jane has spent four months responding to the collection and surrounding landscapes of Grossmann and Brough Houses. Through plant fibre experimentation, botanical research, mapping of early regional vegetation and wearable sculptural forms, her work explores the relationships between local rainforest species, historic dress and place. Brough House also incorporates Maitland Regional Museum. Brough House, 73 Church St Maitland. Saturday – Sunday (10am – 3pm). Until August 2.
Australian Museum of Clothing and Textiles:
The museum was established in 2005 and is Australia’s only dedicated clothing museum containing a substantial collection of textile items including dresses, hats, shoes and ties ranging from as early as 1860 to the present day. The priority focus collection is on material from Maitland and the Hunter. While the collection explores changing fashions and styles, it is not essentially a fashion collection. The focus is more on telling stories about people, the role of dress in their lives and how it is valued. Brough House, 73 Church St Maitland. Saturday – Sunday (10am – 3pm). Ongoing.
Performance Arts Culture Cessnock: Mid-Winter Fundraiser Exhibition
This exhibition brings together artists of all ages, mediums, and skill levels in a celebration of creativity, connection, and community during the colder months. It features a diverse collection of artworks inspired by warmth, resilience, light, reflection and seasonal landscapes. The exhibition showcases the incredible talent of the region while supporting future creative opportunities for local artists. 198 Vincent St Cessnock. Monday – Friday (9am – 4.30pm), Saturday (10am – 2.30pm). Until August 8.
Morpeth Art Gallery:
The gallery features up to 300 traditional Australian landscape and wildlife art works for sale, together with a wide range of associated products. The artworks are by recognised and internationally awarded professional, dedicated artists. Art is not a hobby for these artists, it’s a business. Explore the gallery and browse Morpeth’s specialty stores, historic buildings and charming village atmosphere. 5 Green St Morpeth. Thursday – Sunday (10am – 4.30pm). Ongoing.
Port Stephens Artisan Collective: Rhythm and Blues
Anne Gazzard and Gwendolyn Lewis’s joint exhibition celebrates movement and harmony in art. Anne’s ceramics revolve around the theme of music and express her love of clay through various techniques. Gwendolin’s oil paintings capture the beauty of crashing waves and tranquil beach scenes, showing the ever-changing moods of the sea. D’Albora Marina, 6 Teramby Rd Nelson Bay. Daily (10am – 4pm). Until July 31.
Tomaree Museum: Local History exhibition
Why not visit this interesting display at Nelson Bay’s Inner Light? Originally developed by the Port Stephens Historical Society, and recently updated, the display provides a snapshot into local history at a beautiful location. Be sure to set aside some time take in the views, visit the Marine Rescue Station and savour some treats at the Inner Light Tea Rooms. Inner Light (Marine Rescue Base), 5 Lighthouse Rd Nelson Bay. Daily (10am – 4pm). Runs: Ongoing.
Singleton Arts and Culture Centre: Counterpoise
Hanna Kay explores the subtle forces that define the character of the Hunter Valley landscape. Rather than focusing on dramatic scenery, she turns her attention to the often unnoticed quiet details that reveal a place’s essence. The works centre on two recurring motifs of grasses and rocks, familiar elements constantly shifting within natural cycles of growth, erosion, and renewal. 23 Maitland Rd Singleton. Tuesday – Sunday (9.30am – 4.30pm). Until August 9.
Singleton Historical Society and Museum: Local History Exhibition
The Museum is based in the old Council Chambers (also formerly Police lock-up cells) built in 1874. A wide variety of interesting artefacts are on display including Singleton’s first ambulance cart, a convict bell embedded in a tree trunk, handicrafts and furniture. The Records and Research Room has an extensive Library including: Historical Photographic Collection, Parish Maps and documents dating back to early 1800’s. Burdekin Park, Bourke St Singleton. Saturday – Sunday (midday – 4pm). Ongoing.
Muswellbrook Art Gallery: 2026 NAIDOC Week Art Exhibition
Presented in collaboration with Wonnarua artist Jaimie Turner’s When the Ground Shifts, this community exhibition celebrates culture, creativity, connection and Country. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists of all ages who live on, or are connected to, Wonnarua Culture and / or Country were invited to submit works for the exhibition that meaningfully respond to the NAIDOC theme. 1-3 Bridge St Muswellbrook. Monday – Saturday (10am – 4pm). Until August 1.
Muswellbrook Art Gallery: When the Ground Shifts
Wonnarua woman Jaimie Turner’s work is shaped by connection and evolving relationships with Wonnarua Country, Ancestors and lived change. The displayed works emerge from moments of movement, pressure, and transformation, where identity and culture form on shifting ground. Working across painting, weaving, textiles and sculpture, Turner bridges traditional knowledge with contemporary expression. Connection and Country remain constant shaping forces in her practice, and she seeks to encourage deeper connection with, and renewed appreciation of, Aboriginal culture as living, dynamic and ongoing. 1–3 Bridge St Muswellbrook. Monday – Saturday (10am – 4pm). Until August 1.
Muswellbrook Art Gallery: Muscle
Simon Reece’s exhibition responds to the landscapes and histories of Muswellbrook and brings together ceramics, photography and found industrial materials to explore the relationship between industry, environment and place. References to freshwater mussels, believed to have inspired the early name “Muscle Brook”, connect the works to the area’s waterways and histories of habitation. Using clay sourced from local mine sites and mining imagery, Reece reflects on the ways the land continues to carry traces of ecological, industrial and cultural change. 1-3 Bridge St Muswellbrook. Monday – Saturday (10am – 4pm). Until August 1.
Muswellbrook Art Gallery: Visuaural: Death Cycle of a Found Piano
What happens when a piano reaches the end of its life? Does it fall silent, or does it begin again? ‘Visuaural invites participants to take part in the transformation of an abandoned instrument — dismantling, reimagining and re-creating its internal mechanisms into new objects, artworks and sound works. This is not just an ending, it is a process of listening, making, and imagining. This program is made possible by Arts Upper Hunter in partnership with Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre and Hunter Regional Conservatorium, with assistance of the Australian Government Regional Arts Fund which supports regional and remote Australian arts. 1-3 Bridge St Muswellbrook. Monday – Saturday (10am – 4pm). Until August 1.
Muswellbrook Art Gallery: Hold Still
Ceramic vessels are among the oldest and most enduring forms of human expression. Contemporary artists often use such vessels as mediums for storytelling, memory and cultural connection. In this exhibition, each artist’s work reflects personal experiences, histories and influences– for some it is a way to hold memories of place or moments in time; for others it carries cultural knowledge, tradition or childhood nostalgia. 1–3 Bridge St Muswellbrook. Monday – Saturday (10am – 4pm). Until August 1.
Dungog by Design Gallery: In the Frame monthly exhibition
This collection of works celebrates the creativity at Art Lovers Movement. Since 1997, ALM has been inspiring artists of all abilities through workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions, and a welcoming creative community. With more than 100 members, ALM continues to provide opportunities for artists to learn, connect, and showcase their emerging talents. 224 Dowling St Dungog. Wednesday – Sunday (10am – 3pm). Until July 31.
Dungog Museum:
Dungog Museum is located in the heritage listed 1898 former School of Arts building. Their collection includes professional, sporting, trade and farming equipment and items and photographs from Dungog and district. The museum’s core display is ‘Dungog: Making the Community’, which tells the story of Dungog through different themes. This includes an introductory exhibition about the local Aboriginals and the coming of the Europeans to the area. 105 Dowling St Dungog. Wednesday (10am – 12.30pm), Saturday (10am – 2pm). Ongoing.
Gresford Community Gallery: Winter Exhibition
Drop in and experience a new showcase of art and craft by emerging and well-known artists, including several who recently joined GCG. This annual exhibition includes a wide variety and features painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, photography, fibre art, glass, print making and jewellery. The exhibition reflects the depth and diversity of artistic practice across the region. 12 Park St, East Gresford. Saturday – Sunday (10am – 4pm). Ongoing.