Month: October 2025

Audiences soak up exclusive performances as New Annual festival heads towards closing weekend

Global social media sensation and pop violinist Joel Sunny will deliver an exclusive Australian performance at the Newcastle Ocean Baths tomorrow as part of City of Newcastle’s flagship arts festival.

The Baths have emerged as the city’s hottest new live music destination, attracting more than 4,000 visitors over the first two nights of New Annual’s unique free sunset concert series, SOAK.

DUST perform at the Newcastle Ocean BathsNewcastle post punk band DUST drew huge crowds to the Newcastle Ocean Baths as it was transformed into a live music venue for New Annual.

New Annual Festival Director Tory Loudon said Novocastrians and visitors were embracing the opportunity to experience art in iconic local spaces and responding to the unique collaborations on offer. 

“People are coming out in droves to soak up the atmosphere, soak up the setting and soak up the incredible talent on show during these live music sessions,” Ms Loudon said.

“This has never been done at the Ocean Baths before and I’ve been thrilled by the reception we’ve received for SOAK and the wider New Annual festival.

“This year’s program is opening up a range of experiences to people who might not usually engage with more traditional arts venues.

“We’re only halfway through the festival and there’s so much more to come, so I hope everyone jumps online to see what’s in store for the rest of this week and into the weekend.”

SOAK: Live at the Baths opened with Newcastle post-punk favourites DUST performing a spectacular set on a floating stage on Saturday.

It shifted gears the following night with a conservation-themed collaboration between world-renowned beatboxer, Tom Thum, Filipino and Murrawarri artist DOBBY and leading jazz artist Freyja Garbett.

Joel Sunny will perform at the Newcastle Ocean Baths
  • Internationally acclaimed pop violinist Joel Sunny will perform at the Newcastle Ocean Baths as part of New Annual’s SOAK: Live at the Baths program. Photo credit: Cal McIntyre

It will kick up another notch tomorrow night when Joel Sunny turns the curved art deco stairs into his stage as part of his global tour. He will deliver his trademark classical compositions with a pop sensibility, which have helped him amass more than four million social media followers worldwide.

Friday night will be another first when four of Australia’s brightest R&B and hip-hop artists – A.Girl, Dean Brady, BOY SODA and Finbar Stuart – deliver an unmissable supergroup-style performance alongside a live band and string section.

The SOAK programming wraps up on Saturday night with the city’s most unique pool party soundtracked by legendary local DJ jaytee hazard alongside DJ GNGR, who is one of Australia’s finest Afrobeats DJs.

SOAK is not the only free, family-friendly event to look forward to during the closing weekend of New Annual, with Global Gathering also offering a diverse line-up of music, dance, culture and food on Saturday 4 October.

Hamilton’s rich cultural history and cosmopolitan dining destination, Beaumont Street, will provide the perfect backdrop for Global Gathering’s community celebration, which runs from 2pm to 9pm.

MasterChef fan favourites including social media star Brendan Pang, Cake Boi’s Reece Hignell, Good Food columnist Emelia Jackson and Novocastrian Depinder Chhibber will add a culinary twist to the cultural feast, dishing up exclusive live cooking demonstrations on the food stage.

Adding extra spice to the program, the chefs will be interviewed live by acclaimed hosts Benjamin Law and Jennifer Wong. The duo will delve into each chef’s approach to food, their favourite ingredients and the personal family histories that inspired their passion for cooking.

Beyond the food, the main entertainment stage will showcase the rich diversity of Newcastle’s community, featuring flamenco guitarist Paco Lara, the storytelling movement of Minangay Dreaming, and the high-energy spectacle of Samoan Dance.

Audiences can also experience the powerful rhythms of ILE ILU, a collective of women drummers, horn players, and dancers from Sydney, the Central Coast, and Newcastle led by Marina Da Silva, and the genre-bending soundscapes of GabzaK & Dance of Worlds.

New Annual is proudly supported by the NSW Government in association with Transport for NSW Open Streets and Permit/Plug/Play Pilot programs, Multicultural NSW Stronger Together grant, Create NSW and the Destination NSW Regional Event Fund.  

The University of Newcastle, Equip Multimedia and Newcastle Art Gallery are presenting partners of the 2025 event.

New Annual runs from 26 September until 5 October with 10 days of music, theatre, dance, visual arts and public art. More than 60% of the events are free and family friendly.

Visit https://newannual.com/ for the full program.

Uncapped 5 per cent deposits available for first home buyers from today

From today, first home buyers can realise their dream of home ownership sooner with the launch of 5 per cent deposits for all first home buyers, delivered months ahead of schedule.

The Albanese Government’s expanded 5 per cent deposit scheme guarantees a portion of a buyer’s home loan, cutting years off the time it takes to save for a deposit and saving on Lenders Mortgage Insurance.

Already more than 185,000 Australians have been supported into home ownership through this scheme. Today’s expansion means more Australians will get the keys to their first home sooner.

All first home buyers are now eligible, with no caps on places or income. Property price caps have also been lifted in line with average house prices, giving buyers access to a wider range of homes.

The median home price in Australia today is $844,000 and 5 per cent of that is $42,200. The last time $42,200 covered the 20 per cent deposit for a median home was 2002, which shows the generational scale of this change.

The expanded scheme means a first home buyer in Sydney can purchase a $1 million home with a $50,000 deposit. They could save up to 10 years off the time it takes to save for a deposit, save about $42,000 in mortgage insurance, and could pay up to $350,000 towards their own loan instead of paying rent.

It means that a first home buyer in Bendigo could purchase a $600,000 home with only a $30,000 deposit. They could save up to 6 years off the time it takes to save for a deposit, save about $25,000 in mortgage insurance, and could pay up to $126,000 towards their own loan instead of paying rent.

This is part of the Albanese Labor Government’s $43 billion housing agenda to build more homes, back first home buyers, and get renters a better deal.

More information on the 5 per cent deposits scheme is available from the Housing Australia website.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

“We’re making it easier for young people and first home buyers to achieve the dream of owning a home.

“From today, the 5 per cent deposit scheme will be available for all first home buyers meaning more Australians can get into their own home sooner.

“This change will open the door to thousands more buyers, helping them save money and get their keys faster.”

Minister for Housing Clare O’Neil:

“The Albanese Government has a target to support the building of more houses in five years than has ever been built before. But we’re not going to leave a generation behind while we fix decades of neglect. We can build more homes and help first home buyers at the same time.

“From today, every first home buyer can purchase their own home with just a 5 per cent deposit. That will cut the average time it takes to save a deposit from 11 years down to just 2 or 3, which will mean the difference between being stuck renting in your thirties or owning your own place.

“It’s really tough for young people trying to get into the housing market. Expanding this scheme means thousands more Australians can stop paying off someone else’s mortgage and start building equity in their own home.”