Category: Newcastle News

City of Newcastle has revealed a sneak peek of New Annual’s 2026 program, including the return of live music at Newcastle Ocean Baths and a TWISTED art party celebrating self-expression.

The events offer the first taste of what’s to come from the sixth edition of City of Newcastle’s flagship arts festival, which will run from 25 September to 4 October.

Newcastle band Dust performed in front of thousands of people at the Newcastle Ocean Baths in 2025 for New Annual’s SOAK Live at the Baths sessions. Photo by Ange Maloney

Festival Director Tory Loudon said after record-breaking attendances in 2025, people were eagerly awaiting this year’s program.

“Last year’s festival was a testament to the strength of Newcastle’s creative community and the city’s growing reputation as a cultural destination,” Ms Loudon said. 

“Anticipation is running high for this year’s festival, which will once again see Newcastle’s coastline and civic spaces reimagined as vibrant stages for art, performance and community connection.”

One of the stand-out hits of 2025 was the introduction of SOAK, a series of free sunset sessions that transformed the Newcastle Ocean Baths into the city’s hottest new live music venue.

It will return this year with a four-night program featuring local and globally renowned artists.

“We were blown away by the response to SOAK last year,” Ms Loudon said.

“People came out in droves to soak up the atmosphere, soak up the setting and soak up the incredible talent on show during those live music sessions and I’m thrilled to be bringing it back.”

Lolo Brow at Torture Garden – Electrowerkz, London, 2023. Photo by Damien Frost.

The transformations will continue across the city, with Newcastle nightspot Bartholomew’s blooming for one night only into an immersive art party venue inspired by the darkly evocative work of former Newcastle artist Damien Frost.

The photographer has spent the past 14 years documenting London’s alternative queer nightlife through his acclaimed photographic series Night Flowers.

He will return to his “spiritual home” of Newcastle to present a collection of those images at Watt Space Gallery. The exhibition will also premiere new portraits captured for New Annual of Newcastle’s queer and alternative communities.

The exhibition will be complemented by the TWISTED: Night Flowers Party at Bartholomew’s, with guests invited to explore and celebrate their identities through costume, music and performance.

As one of the original founders of Newcastle arts organisation Octopod in the late 1990s, Frost said his work was influenced by his time in the city.

“Although the work centres on personal expression, it is just as much about community and chosen family – ideas I became deeply engaged with during the years I lived in Newcastle,” Frost said.

“There, I was actively involved in community arts projects and was struck by the strong sense of belonging and solidarity within both the broader city and its subcultures.”

Entry to the SOAK sessions and Night Flowers exhibition at Watt Space Gallery will be free, with tickets for TWISTED on sale from tomorrow, Thursday 4 June.

New Annual’s full 2026 program will be announced in coming months, showcasing local people, places and performances alongside some of the best theatre, art and music from Australia and overseas.

Councillor Jenny Barrie, Chair of City of Newcastle’s Community and Culture Strategic Advisory Committee, said New Annual is a festival for the entire community.

“New Annual offers a fantastic platform for new works and unique collaborations that takes art to audiences, presenting many of Newcastle’s most loved locations in an entirely unexpected light,” Cr Barrie said.

“The program is deliberately low-cost or free, providing local audiences with opportunities to engage with a range of arts while attracting cultural tourism to the city.”

New Annual is delivered by City of Newcastle with funding from the NSW Government in association with a Multicultural NSW Stronger Together grant, Transport for NSW Permit/Plug/Play pilot program and Create NSW. The University of Newcastle is a presenting partner for the 2026 event.

Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp said events such as New Annual help celebrate the vibrant cultural diversity of local communities while also driving economic growth.

“The NSW Government is proud to support New Annual in its sixth year, cementing the event as a mainstay in Newcastle’s cultural calendar and enriching the local arts scene,” Mr Crakanthorp said.

“New Annual gets better and better every year. Through our investment across Create NSW, Transport for NSW, and Multicultural NSW, the State Government is ensuring that locals and visitors alike can experience vibrant public spaces, world-class art and unforgettable live performances for free or low cost.”

To keep up to date with the latest festival news visit www.newannual.com

Tickets for TWISTED will be on sale from 9am on Thursday 4 June via https://newannual.com/twisted-party

NSW Police has expanded its DV Awareness Cup initiative into the Hunter region using rugby league to engage students and the wider community in conversations about domestic and family violence prevention.

In 2023, the South Coast Police District’s Crime Prevention Unit established the Domestic Violence Awareness Cup and this year it has expanded to two other locations in the Hunter region and St George area.

The Cup aims to raise awareness and inform students, families, and the broader community about domestic and family violence, while fostering safe avenues for engagement and support.

The Cup will be held at Lakeside Sports Complex, Raymond Terrace, on Thursday 4 June 2026 at 9am.

The events are community-driven rugby league gala days for about 150 students aged 15 and 16 from Callaghan College, Cardiff High School, Francis Greenway High School, Hunter River High School, Mount View High School, and Rutherford Technology High School.

The day – which is supported by the NRL, DrinkWise and the local Liquor Accord – consists of a round-robin style competition for students, with community stalls offering information and resources from support agencies.

Newcastle Knights NRLW player Yasmin Meakes and NRL legend and welfare officer Andrew Ryan will also attend to support the day.

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said sport was a powerful platform to bring domestic violence prevention into the open.

Sport brings people together like little else – it’s where we can have honest conversations about respect and healthy relationships, especially with young people watching,” Minister Catley said.

NSW Police is responding to domestic violence at record levels, but just as important is stopping it before it starts – in schools, clubs and communities.

When young people see police as partners in prevention, not just response, it builds trust and reinforces that violence is never acceptable.

Domestic violence is no longer hidden in the shadows the way it once was, and it shouldn’t be. As a community, we’re more willing to name it, confront it and stop it in its tracks. Today, we continue that work.”

Northern Region Commander and Corporate Sponsor for Alcohol Related Crime, Assistant Commissioner David Waddell, said the sporting event provided a safe and welcoming environment to bring together young people, community agencies and the police to start conversations about being responsible and seeking help.

The community event aims to educate young people about making the right decisions and the impact of making poor choices, with the support from other agencies who can talk to teenagers about help that is available,” Assistant Commissioner Waddell said.

Police are working to educate young people about the repercussions of alcohol use and acts of violence, particularly family violence.

Education and early intervention can be vital, because being a teenager can often be a difficult time in their development. We want young people to know police are there to help them.”

Port Stephens-Hunter Police District Superintendent, Wayne Humphrey, welcomed the DV Awareness Cup being held in Raymond Terrace.

By using the game of rugby league we are able to give local students information about building healthy relationships and empower them to speak up and take a stand against domestic and family violence,” Supt Humphrey said.

By starting with awareness and early intervention, we are promoting respect and challenging negative behaviours that contribute to violence.”

DrinkWise Chief Executive Officer, Simon Strahan, said DrinkWise was proud to support an initiative that used the power of sport to help drive important conversations within local communities.

The NSW Police DV Awareness Cup is an example of how sport can bring people together while also creating opportunities to educate, connect and support young people and their families,” Mr Strahan said.

We’re proud to stand alongside NSW Police and the wider community to support an initiative focused on respect, positive behaviours and strengthening support networks.

“Creating safer communities starts with conversations, education and people coming together, and that’s exactly what this event is helping to achieve.”

The Minns Labor Government is calling on manufacturers across the Hunter to apply for a share of $225 million to create more local jobs and help NSW build the products and materials needed for the industries of the future.
 
The Hunter is one of NSW’s great manufacturing regions, with the skills, industrial base and supply chains needed to play a leading role in the next generation of low-carbon manufacturing.
The $225 million grant round will support commercial and construction-ready projects that can expand local production, attract private investment and create skilled jobs.
 
As global demand grows for clean energy and low-carbon products, the Minns Labor Government is backing NSW businesses to seize this global opportunity by manufacturing more of these products here at home, including:
 
· renewable energy components such as wind towers, solar panels, batteries and transmission cables
· low-carbon products such as blended cement, cross-laminated timber and biofuels
· emerging clean technologies such as new-generation renewables and storage, AI-driven agricultural systems and lithium battery recycling.
 
This funding builds on the success of the Net Zero Manufacturing Initiative grants, which are already backing more than 40 projects creating around 1,000 new jobs.
 
In the Hunter, that funding has supported projects including Hunter Valley Solar Foundry’s new large-scale solar panel manufacturing facility in Black Hill, which received $20 million and is expected to create 300 jobs.
 
Other Hunter projects backed through the first round include $4.85 million for FPR Energy Limited in Mayfield West to scale renewable heat and power technology, $1.1 million for Renewable Metals Pty Ltd in Muswellbrook to support development of NSW’s first lithium battery recycling refinery, and funding for Orica Australia Pty Ltd in Kooragang to explore industrial carbon capture and reuse.
 
This next round of funding is an opportunity for more Hunter manufacturers to expand, diversify and help build the industries that will support the region’s economic future.
 
Successful projects will need to attract significant private investment to NSW, with grant recipients required to match or exceed NSW Government funding dollar-for-dollar.
 
The investment will create jobs, further the transformation of the state’s energy system, and support NSW’s legislated targets to cut emissions by 70 per cent by 2035 and reach net zero by 2050.
 
Applications open today. For more information, visit: www.energy.nsw.gov.au/NetZeroManufacturing: http://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/NetZeroManufacturing
 
Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Penny Sharpe said:
 
“Our investment in low-carbon manufacturing has already supported the creation of around 1,000 jobs, and this boost will power the next wave of industry and opportunity in the Hunter and across NSW.
 
“This additional funding will help ensure NSW does not just import technology, but builds more of it locally to benefit communities and workers.”
 
Minister for the Hunter, Yasmin Catley said:
 
“The Hunter has always been an industrial powerhouse for NSW, and this funding is about making sure the region is at the centre of the next generation of manufacturing.
 
“There is a huge global opportunity in clean energy and low-carbon products, and we want Hunter businesses and workers to be in the box seat.”
 
Member for Port Stephens, Minister Kate Washington said:
 
“Our local industries are perfectly placed to seize this opportunity to become the leader in low-emissions manufacturing, benefiting local workers, their families and our communities in the Hunter.”
 
Member for Maitland, Minister Jenny Aitchison said:
 
“People in the Hunter are some of the most resilient Australians. We have always adapted, innovated and worked hard to deliver for NSW – from energy to commodities to heavy and advanced manufacturing.
 
“The Minns Labor Government is investing in our region to ensure the Hunter continues to offer secure, skilled and cutting-edge manufacturing jobs close to home, to support the generations of workers who have built this state and our nation.”
 
Member for Charlestown, Minister Jodie Harrison said:
 
“This funding will support local workers and manufacturers as the Hunter continues to transition to a low-carbon future.”
 
Member for Newcastle, Tim Crakanthorp said:
 
“Newcastle is leading the charge in the transition to net zero industries. We have already seen great Newcastle-based net zero manufacturers receive funding from the NSW Labor Government, and the Government is ready to support even more!
 
“The Net Zero Manufacturing Centre of Excellence at Tighes Hill TAFE is inspiring and educating the manufacturers of the future. Grant programs like this back in the innovative ideas coming out of the Centre of Excellence.”
 
Member for Wallsend, Sonia Hornery said:
 
“This welcome funding will create important jobs in low-carbon manufacturing across the Hunter, supporting local workers and a cleaner, more sustainable economy.”
 
Member for Cessnock, Clayton Barr said:
 
“The Hunter has a proud manufacturing history and is well placed to play a leading role in NSW’s clean energy future.

This grant funding will help local businesses expand production, attract investment and create skilled jobs across the region.”

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a teen missing from the Hunter region.

Xavier Powrie, aged 14, was last seen on Marshall Avenue, Metford, about 1am on Saturday 30 May 2026.

When he could not be located or contacted, officers attached to Port Stephens Hunter Police District were notified yesterday (Sunday 31 May 2026) and commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.

Police and family hold concerns for Xavier’s welfare due to his young age.

He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 170cm tall, of thin build, short curly hair with a rat’s tail and a diamond earring in his right ear lobe.

He was last seen wearing a black Nike zip up jumper and black basketball pants.

Xavier is known to frequent the Metford and East Maitland area.

Anyone with information into his whereabouts is urged to contact Maitland Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man missing from the Lower Hunter Valley area.

Mitchell O’Hara, aged 37, was last seen at Lovedale on Monday 25 May 2026. His vehicle was located about 8pm the same day on Aberglaslyn and First Streets, Rutherford.

Officers attached to Hunter Valley Police District were notified and commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.

Police and family hold concerns for Mitchell’s welfare.

Mitchell is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 180cm tall, of medium build, with short light brown hair and unshaven.

He was last seen wearing yellow and blue, long sleeve work shirt, black jeans and work boots.

Mitchell is known to frequent the Lovedale, Cessnock, Metford, and Twelve Mile Creek areas.

Major construction is now underway on stage one of the Hillsborough Road upgrade, marking the beginning of a major overhaul of one of Lake Macquarie’s busiest transport corridors.  (PDF, 329.89 KB)
For the 36,000 motorists who travel this corridor each day, the Hillsborough Road upgrade will transform how people move through Lake Macquarie. The corridor is known for heavy congestion during peak periods, and difficult turning movements making it challenging for motorists to safely merge from side streets. 

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a teenage boy missing from Thornton.

Nullan Quinn, aged 13, was last seen in Thornton, about 2.30pm on Friday 22 May 2026.

When he was unable to be located or contacted officers attached to Port Stephens Hunter Police District were notified and commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.

There are concerns for Nullan’s welfare due to his young age.

Nullan is described as Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance, about 165cm tall, of solid build with short brown hair.

He is known to frequent the Thornton, Central Coast, St Mary’s and Mt Druitt areas.

Anyone with information into Nullan’s whereabouts is urged to contact Maitland Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man missing from the Lower Hunter Valley area.

Mitchell O’Hare, aged 37, was last seen at Lovedale on Monday 25 May 2026. His vehicle was located about 8pm the same day on Aberglaslyn and First Streets, Rutherford.

Officers attached to Hunter Valley Police District were notified and commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.

Police and family hold concerns for Mitchell’s welfare.

Mitchell is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 180cm tall, of medium build, with short light brown hair and unshaven.

He was last seen wearing yellow and blue, long sleeve work shirt, black jeans and work boots.

Mitchell is known to frequent the Lovedale, Cessnock, Metford, and Twelve Mile Creek areas.

Graeme Silver has been named Newcastle’s newest Freeman of the City today in recognition of almost six decades volunteering to help the Hunter through some of its darkest days.

After joining St. John’s Ambulance as a volunteer in 1969 at the age of 11, Mr Silver went on to dedicate 47 years of his life to the State Emergency Service (SES), supporting his community through monumental events including the 1989 Newcastle Earthquake, 2007 Pasha Bulka storm and 2015 East Coast Low.

Currently serving as SES Local Commander Hunter Coast Cluster, Mr Silver continues to serve his community in times of crisis as one of the most experienced and well-respected volunteer leaders in the organisation. 

Lord Mayor Gavin Morris presented Mr Silver with the honour at a special event at Fort Scratchley today and said it was a privilege to recognise the newest Freeman’s commitment to his community.

Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley, Freeman of the City Graeme Silver and Lord Mayor Gavin Morris.

“Across Australia, we rely on volunteers to be there for us during some of our darkest moments and Graeme Silver has been answering that call for almost 60 years,” Mr Morris said.

“Thousands of hours of Graeme’s life have been dedicated to keeping his community safe. He’s been there to lend a hand and lead the way through some of the biggest disasters we’ve experienced in Newcastle, while also helping the Hunter through storm events, land searches, floods and training the next crop of volunteers to ensure that legacy is continued.

“On behalf of Newcastle, I’d like to thank our city’s newest Freeman for everything he has done and continues to do in service of us all.”

Those efforts to help the community stretch beyond volunteer work, with Mr Silver spending 32 years with NSW Ambulance, first as a paramedic before rising to the role of Chief Inspector Hunter.

Throughout that time, he regularly juggled professional and voluntary commitments, often working shifts with NSW Ambulance in the day before assisting his community as an SES volunteer in the evening. 

Awarded the Newcastle Volunteer Service Award in 2020 to recognise his efforts, a humble Mr Silver said while he’s proud of the accolades, they don’t drive his passion.

“It is an honour and a privilege to be named Freeman of the City today, but my vision first and foremost has always been to help others and help my community,” Mr Silver said.

“Volunteering has given me the chance to develop and enhance the skills I have needed to help people over the years in their time in need, and I’m very thankful to have been able to do that. 

“I have worked alongside so many people at the SES over the years, and one thing I tell everyone is that no matter what position you hold, when it comes down to it, we’re all volunteers and teamwork makes the dream work.”

Minister for Police and Counter-Terrorism and Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley paid tribute to Mr Silver’s years of service.

“Graeme Silver is exactly the kind of person who makes the Hunter such a strong and connected community,” Minister Catley said.

“For more than four decades, he’s been there when it mattered most, always putting others before himself.

“Through his work in the SES and in NSW Ambulance, Graeme has shown what true service looks like in action.

“This is a deeply deserved honour for a man who has given so much to the people and communities around him”.

The Freeman of the City award is Newcastle’s highest honour, conferred upon Novocastrians for outstanding achievement and service to the city or to humanity.

Graeme Silver is the city’s 23^rd Freeman of the City, joining a list of 22 fellow Novocastrians including recently honoured charity giant Big John Young, community and sport luminary Adele Saunders and community leader Father Nicolaos Zervos.

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a teenage girl missing from the Lake Macquarie region.

Nyamba Seymour, aged 13, was last seen on Oakland Street, Glendale, about 8.50am on Monday 18 May 2026.

When she was unable to be located or contacted since, officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District were notified and commenced inquiries into her whereabouts.

Police and her family have concerns for her welfare given her age.

Nyamba is described as being of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance, about 160cm tall, of slim build, with long brown hair and brown eyes.

She was last seen wearing a blue school uniform.

Nyamba is known to frequent the Goulburn, Mt Druitt, Glendale, Wallsend, Wollongong, Port Kembla and Warrawong areas.