The festive season in Newcastle is more than just tinsel and lights - it’s a time for connection, joy, and celebration. From the heart of the city to the sparkling Harbour Foreshore, City of Newcastle is rolling out its annual calendar of Christmas cheer and New Year festivities, offering something for everyone. Whether it’s wandering through a glowing Christmas precinct, snapping selfies with Santa, or dancing your way into 2026, the city is alive with energy, creativity, an

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Maitland, and this year the celebrations roll right through summer with a vibrant program of family-friendly events and community activities. There’s something for everyone to enjoy, from outdoor movie nights and Christmas lights to New Year’s celebrations and roller discos.

When Chris Richards woke his partner, Nichole Muratore, in the early hours of December 2023, she assumed they were simply heading out for an early-morning hot-air balloon ride with Balloon Aloft.

The Hunter Valley Gardens Christmas Lights Spectacular, running from 7 November to 26 January 2026, promises a truly dazzling season of festive joy, community spirit, and breathtaking light displays with more magic, more colour, and more reasons to visit than ever before.

Mark Friday 12 December in your diary – Clyde St Arts is throwing open its doors for a festive evening of creativity, community and Christmas shopping with a difference.

Step into a world where the tiniest details tell the biggest stories. Model Newcastle: Big Stories, Little Things is Newcastle Museum’s headline exhibition for 2025/26, bringing the city’s history, imagination, and creativity to life in miniature.

Thirty years ago, the Princess of Wales travelled to Sydney to open the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute’s newest location. Now, local theatre company Hyde Entertainment is giving Newcastle audiences a glimpse into the beloved late royal’s life in 2026 with its season of the Broadway musical Diana.

For nine years, artist and educator Chris Deards has guided hundreds of people into the joy of creativity through her business, Allettare Dezigns. Now, 2026 marks her most ambitious venture yet.

One of Australia's most captivating performers, Darren Coggan, brings his critically acclaimed show ‘Fire & Rain’ to The Playhouse stage at Civic Theatre Newcastle, celebrating the timeless songs of one of modern music’s most magnetic and beloved artists, James Taylor.

With fresh, locally sourced produce and unique artisan products, Newcastle City Farmers Market and Lake Macquarie Farmers Market are becoming go-to destinations for Christmas shoppers.