Newcastle’s iconic Ocean Baths are set to steal the spotlight as the City of Newcastle launches the 2025 New Annual festival, promising 10 days of bold creativity, local storytelling and transformative art experiences this spring.
Running from 26 September to 5 October, the festival’s fifth edition will showcase more than 70% local talent, with 23 signature events spanning music, theatre, dance and visual arts.
Newcastle’s landmarks will be temporarily transformed into immersive cultural spaces, including Nobbys Beach, Camp Shortland, The Station, and Laman Street.
The Ocean Baths will host two of this year’s standout events. Meet Me at the Baths, a headphone theatre experience by local company Whale Chorus, will share stranger-than-fiction tales from real Novocastrians, while SOAK: Live at the Baths will see five nights of sunset gigs from both local and international music acts, including Dust, Joel Sunny, Tom Thum, and A.Girl.
Audiences can also follow a self-guided Public Art Trail along the Foreshore and into shipping containers filled with interactive installations, soundscapes, and mini-golf whimsy.
At Newcastle Museum, standout theatre pieces like Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer and Night Night will offer imaginative family experiences.
Opening night will feature a massive First Night Art Party on Laman Street, celebrating the unveiling of the expanded Newcastle Art Gallery with high-energy music, movement and roving performances.
Other highlights include the Global Gathering in Hamilton, the avant-garde La Ronde Spiegeltent experience, and youth-powered SURGE at the Museum.
Tickets for the 2025 New Annual are on sale from Monday, 21 July. For the full program, event times and updates, visit newannual.com. Many events are free or low-cost, making it easy for the entire community to dive into Newcastle’s biggest celebration of arts and culture.
