A long time ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, the Hunter Valley was a land of volcanoes and untamed wilderness. Every Easter school holidays, Hunter Valley Gardens brings that ancient world back to life with its annual Mega Creatures event. And in 2026, the adventure takes a whole new level.

The Gum Ball Music & Arts Festival is back to celebrate its 21st birthday! Returning to Dashville over the long weekend, Friday 24 – Sunday 26 April 2026, following last year's 20th anniversary which made history as the biggest festival ever held at Dashville as a bumper crowd of music lovers descended on the Lower Belford site, proving that The Gum Ball has well and truly become a cultural institution for regional NSW.

Each March, the NSW Seniors Festival brings communities across the state together to recognise, celebrate and connect with older Australians. In Newcastle, a vibrant local program reflects the city’s creative spirit and strong sense of community.

Decades after her death, Princess Diana remains a figure of deep fascination - mythologised, scrutinised, adored and misunderstood in equal measure. Yet, behind the tiaras and tabloids, was a young woman searching for love, purpose, and a sense of self in a world that demanded perfection.

Your complete guide to what's on in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens and the Hunter Valley...

The iconic Coates Newcastle Show returns to the Newcastle Showground from Friday 27 February to Sunday 1 March 2026, and this year it arrives with a powerful new hero attraction set to redefine opening night.

Get ready to laugh until your sides hurt as one of Australia's most beloved comedians, Joe Avati, brings his hilarious trip down memory lane to Newcastle Entertainment Conference Centre (NEX) on 19 September.

Newcastle's boldest arts festival is back – and it's bigger, more daring and more brilliantly unfiltered than ever.

Newcastle Art Gallery will officially reopen to the public on Saturday, 28 February, following its estimated $47 million expansion. The landmark reopening will be celebrated with a three-day festival and the debut of the major exhibition Iconic Loved Unexpected.

A hilarious and heartbreaking new play, Occasional Combustible Disaster, will lead an explosive UpStage at the Playhouse season at Civic Theatre’s Playhouse as a red-hot team of creatives come together to examine the fallout inevitable in all nuclear families.

For over 120 years, the annual Newcastle Show has brought together businesses, families, and communities to celebrate the unique blend of country and city life.

Hot on the heels of Valentine’s Day, the Christ Church Camerata 2026 season begins with two masterpieces of the Romantic period.

Join Bill Bryson as he shares the significant advances of science uncovered in his complete rewrite of the biggest-selling popular science book of the 21st century.

Acclaimed Australian performer Darren Coggan brings his celebrated show 'Fire & Rain' to Newcastle's Civic Theatre Playhouse, honouring James Taylor's timeless songbook

Howlin' Country is bringing some of the biggest and best country music artists right to our local beaches.