New Annual opens with a celebration of music and movement

City of Newcastle's flagship cultural festival is making a song and dance about its opening weekend by hosting a range of unique performances at iconic venues.

City Hall will be centre stage tonight when renowned First Nations singer Mitch Tambo officially kicks off proceedings with the First Night Street Party, blending traditional Aboriginal sounds and language with contemporary beats and production, supported by Tower Divas and local duo, Chain Daisy.

At Honeysuckle Marina, one of Australia's leading voices in hip hop, Gomeroi artist Kobie Dee, will headline Friday Night Sounds at Newcastle Art Gallery's Ngumpi Kinyingarra Oyster House, supported by Gumbaynggirr and Yaegl singer/songwriter, Maanyung. 

For a shorter stay on the dancefloor, Wheeler Place has Ten Minute Dance Parties, created by multi-art performer Joseph O’Farrell (JOF), where people of all ages will attempt world records, dance-off competitions and dedications - but only for ten minutes.

New Annual Senior Producer and Curator Adrian Burnett with JOF (Joseph O'Farrell) inside a 10 Minute Dance Party at Wheeler Place.Senior Producer and Curator Adrian Burnett said the fourth edition of New Annual is an incredible mix of immersive dance, music, circus, visual art and theatre.

"This year we're featuring local and nationally renowned artists who'll be delivering free, ticketed and family-friendly events, offering something for everyone during the school holidays," Mr Burnett said.

"We already have a range of things to see and do including a collaborative timber sculpture workshop at the historic Soap Factory arts space with local furniture makers Jonathan Everett and Hannah Cheetham.

"There's also Khaled Sabsabi's self-titled exhibition at The Lock Up and Belongings at the Watt Space Gallery, an immersive installation that shares stories of six refugees who took asylum in Newcastle."

The Civic Theatre will be a hive of activity during the opening weekend of New Annual, starting with the internationally renowned Dancenorth Australia's performance of Wayfinder.

Dancenorth Australia has teamed up with three-time Grammy nominated Australian band Hiatus Kaiyote and sound artist Byron J. Scullin to create a show complete with physical exuberance, sonic resonance, and collective exhilaration.

On Saturday night at Newcastle City Hall you can contemplate your place in the universe as world music favourites MZAZA bring you The Birth and Death of Stars, a surreal voyage exploring what links us to one another and the world around us.

The show takes audiences into a fusion of music, history and culture with mesmerizing vocals in three languages, electrifying live music and innovative collage animation.

Also on Saturday night, home grown talent will celebrate the power of art, culture, and community connection when the Newcastle Youth Orchestra delivers Rising from the Ashes: An Orchestral Suite at the University of Newcastle's Conservatorium of Music.

This unique program includes two brand new never-performed works by upcoming local composer Jacob Cummins, alongside a mix of four other new and well-loved pieces.

As part of City of Newcastle's UpStage program, the Civic Theatre's Playhouse will host Romeo & Juliet: A Reimagining tonight and Saturday, delivering a bold and explorative reimagining of Shakespeare's timeless classic.

For a more interactive theatre experience Tantrum Youth Arts have developed WonderCity, which is part game, part performance and part wayfinding adventure, weaving through the CBD among some of Newcastle’s most iconic cultural institutions and landmarks. 

WonderCity invites you to step into a version of Newcastle as imagined by young people, embarking on a journey to uncover surprising realities, alternate perspectives and imagined futures of our city.

New Annual's opening weekend will also incorporate The Big Picture Fest 2024, featuring six new large-scale murals, with festival goers able to watch acclaimed street artists painting in real time.

New Annual runs from today until 6 October. Visit https://newannual.com/ for the full program.

The First Night Street Party is supported by the NSW Government's Open Streets Program.