One of the biggest entertainment phenomena in Disney history is about to take centre stage in Newcastle. Frozen became the highest-grossing animated film of all time, launching a global phenomenon that has generated billions at the box office and produced one of the most recognisable Disney songs ever recorded.

New Annual, the City of Newcastle's flagship arts festival, returns from 25 September to 4 October with its biggest program yet: 402 artists, 40 events and seven new commissions spread across beaches, ocean baths, laneways, parks and some of the city's most-loved landmarks.

Discover what's hot and happening at Civic Theatre Newcastle this month...

This December, Chookas Entertainment, the local powerhouse behind sold-out hits like Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde and Chicago the Musical, is bringing Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical to the Civic Theatre for five shows only, from 17 to 20 December.

Plenty is happening at Performance Arts Culture Cessnock (PACC) as Spring settles in, with a new exhibition opening, big-voiced tribute shows, family cinema, and a jam-packed run of live music that stretches well into November.

One of Australia's most celebrated voices is coming to Newcastle. ARIA Award-winning vocalist Anthony Callea has announced The Connection Tour, an intimate and vocally powerful concert series touring the country this October and November, with a stop at the Civic Theatre on Sunday, 1 November.

Air Supply are bringing 50 years of hits to Newcastle, as part of a run of Australian dates marking their golden anniversary.

There are plenty of reasons to visit the Hunter Valley. The wine, of course. The scenery, the food, the long lunches and the pleasure of slowing down for a while.

Spring in the Hunter Valley means more than budburst in the vineyards this year. From 12 to 27 September, the Wollombi Valley turns into an open-air gallery for the Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival, a biennial event and one of NSW's longest-running and largest-scale regional arts festivals since it began in 2002.

The Balloon Aloft Hunter Valley Fiesta is back for its thirteenth year, taking over Pokolbin skies this October Long Weekend, 3-5 October. This year's Balloons & Bubbles theme promises a fleet of 20 to 30 hot air balloons ascending together at sunrise, filling the valley with colour each morning.

The Hunter Valley is about to become home to Australia's largest integrated resort wellness precinct, with Avani Cypress Lakes Resort set to launch in a staged rollout from October 2026.

Some places invite you to slow down the moment you arrive. The winding drive into Wollombi is one of them. Framed by rolling hills, towering eucalypts and beautifully preserved sandstone buildings, this historic village has long been a place where people gather. This month they will gather at the Wollombi Valley Sculpture Festival.

Ask any Hunter Valley winemaker what their most popular and best selling wine is, and there's a good chance a glass of rosé will land in your hand before you've even asked. Not because it's trendy, but because it offers a refreshing, versatile middle ground between heavy red wines and light white wines, paired with a strong aesthetic appeal - a symbol of carefree, stylish outdoor gatherings.

Denman, nestled in the heart of the Upper Hunter Valley, has long been one of those places. It’s a welcoming country town where vineyards meet olive groves, where heritage buildings line the main street, and where community remains at the heart of daily life.

There's a new place to pull up a chair in Pokolbin. Lucia Roche Estate opened its doors on 17 September, bringing stone-fired pizza, Mediterranean-inspired share plates, estate wines and cocktails to Roche Estate on Broke Road.

There is something about stepping through the velvet curtains of a Spiegeltent Newcastle that changes the rules. The outside world seems to disappear. The lights dim, the mirrors catch the glow, the stage is suddenly close enough to touch, and the audience finds itself not simply watching a show but becoming part of the atmosphere.