Newcastle's free music festival returns to ocean baths for 10 days
New Annual 2026 runs ten days at Newcastle from September 26 with SOAK music festival returning after 9,300 visitors last year.
Newcastle's New Annual festival returns with a mix of art, music and ideas across ten days. The centrepiece is SOAK: Live at the Baths, free music events at Newcastle Ocean Baths that drew 9,300 people last year.
Four nights of performances run from 5:30pm to 6:30pm, timed for sunset. Tim Levinson (Urthboy) is curating alongside local creatives Kat Skoumbas and Matt Field.
The lineup includes hip-hop act Hermitude, jazz performers, and soul and blues artists. The festival taps into Newcastle's punk, ska and pub-rock heritage as well as its coastal identity.
- 9,300 people
- Attendance last year
- 10 days
- Festival duration
- September 26
- Start date
- 5:30pm to 6:30pm
- Nightly time
Why it mattersFree cultural events that draw thousands build community connection and give artists a platform without entry barriers.
AustraliaNewcastle residents have a major free festival on their doorstep, boosting the city's cultural calendar and local economy.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 5 d ago
