One City. Four weekends. The inaugural Wollongong Festival invites people to explore the city in new ways, connecting communities across the city in a multi-layered celebration of music, culture and community.
Kicking off from 12 September, the Wollongong Festival is a pilot event that brings together established and emerging events under a shared umbrella to create a coordinated program of music, arts, culture and creative experiences across Wollongong.
Rather than focusing on a single location, the Wollongong Festival encourages audiences to move between precincts and explore different parts of the city over the month-long duration, encouraging audiences to discover different places, talent and neighbourhoods across the city.
From established destinations in the Wollongong CBD to thriving creative communities in Thirroul, Bulli and Port Kembla, the Festival celebrates the distinct character of each location while bringing them together under one shared city-wide experience.
The Festival is supported by Revive Live – an Australian Government initiative. It’s being led by Yours and Owls in collaboration with partners Wollongong City Council and Thirroul Arts and Entertainment District, Bulli Black Diamond District, Port Kembla Precinct, Lower Crown Quarter and Globe Lane.
While major events in the Wollongong CBD provide a central gathering point in the heart of the city, events across coastal suburbs of Thirroul, Bulli and Port Kembla invite audiences to experience the unique character, creativity and community spirit that define Wollongong's distinct and diverse precincts.
By being held across a series of weekends, and in unique venues from Thirroul in the north, to Port Kembla in the south, to the iconic Flagstaff Hill in Wollongong and the heart of the Wollongong CBD, the Festival is expected to drive visitation across the city, encouraging audiences to spend time in local venues, explore new neighbourhoods and support businesses throughout Wollongong.
“This is the inaugural year of the Wollongong Festival and what is aimed through this four-weekend event is to create a benchmark where we can develop and expand this city-wide event concept over the coming years,’’ Wollongong Festival spokesperson Balunn Jones said.
“The 2026 program serves as the first step in a long-term vision to develop Wollongong Festival as an annual city-wide celebration that grows in scale, participation and impact over coming years.”
This concept is for Wollongong to showcase the city's diverse creative, cultural and entertainment experiences and an opportunity for us to really connect and celebrate the people, places and stories that shape the awesome talent and community spirit making Wollongong unlike anywhere else.
“Wollongong Festival isn't about creating a single event. It's about creating connections between communities and encouraging people to see more of the city they call home,’’ Mr Jones said
“Each of the events involved bring their own identity and character to the Wollongong Festival concept. And, together, each of these individual events combine to create something amazing that’s uniquely ours.
“After all, the experience of attending a community-focused event in Thirroul or Port Kembla is very different experience to a live music festival on Flagstaff Hill or the colourful cultural extravaganza that is Culture Mix in the CBD.
“The festival will reflect the spirit of Wollongong, a city shaped by its coastline and escarpment, its deeply rooted creative energy, awesome local talent, and the strong sense of belonging that brings our diverse community together.”
Whether you're discovering a new venue, supporting local artists or finding your new favourite band, exploring a different neighbourhood or reconnecting with a favourite community event, the Wollongong Festival invites everyone to experience more of the city of Wollongong.
Weekend 1
12 September – Thirroul
13 September – Bulli
Weekend 2
18 to 20 September – Port Kembla
Weekend 3
26 September – Culture Mix
27 September – Wollongong CBD
Weekend 4
3 to 4 October – Yours and Owls Festival
Full program details will be launched soon at wollongongfestival.com. Yours and Owls Festival program is available on their dedicated website, and the Culture Mix program will be available on Council’s website.
Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Tania Brown said:
“I'm excited that the Wollongong Festival is going to connect and showcase the city in fresh new ways,’’ Cr Brown said.
“This is something new for our city, and a chance to come together and celebrate everything people love about Wollongong, from our incredible natural surroundings and creative talent to the welcoming community spirit that makes this place feel like home.
The Wollongong Festival is a celebration of everything that makes our city special – our connected communities, our thriving creative culture and amazing local talent – all in our stunning natural surroundings. It's about live experiences, local creativity, community connections and discovering what's happening right on your doorstep!
“It’s fantastic that Council’s well-established Culture Mix event is part of the Wollongong Festival line up. We’ve worked very hard over the past few years to establish this one-day event as an annual highlight and are grateful for the ongoing support provided by the NSW Government for this event. It is such a wonderful celebration of our city’s diversity in culture, arts, food and music. It’s a great fit for the Wollongong Festival.
“So whether you're meeting up with friends, discovering a new favourite artist, eating something yummy or exploring a different corner of our city, the Wollongong Festival invites everyone to be part of the experience."
Federal Member for Cunningham Alison Byrnes MP said:
“I’m proud to deliver $250,000 in vital support from the Albanese Labor Government to help get the inaugural Wollongong Festival off the ground.”
“This builds on the $250,000 we have already secured for the 2026 Yours and Owls Festival through Revive Live, supporting Australian artists, local live music and the venues that keep culture alive in our community.
“With so many fantastic creative events right across the Illawarra, bringing them all together into one month, under one banner, is an absolute gamechanger – attracting new audiences and new visitors to our region.
“Thank you to the team at Yours and Owls for their passion and vision, as well as all of the incredible local partners precincts, venues and artists, working together to showcase the very best Wollongong has to offer.
“I’ll keep working hard to deliver the investment our region needs – supporting local artists, backing local events, and creating more opportunities for local jobs across Illawarra.”
Port Kembla Precinct (PKX) / The Servo’s James Spink said:
“Port Kembla has built something really special over the years,’’ he said.
“It's a community of artists, musicians, makers, hospitality businesses and locals who've worked hard to create a place with its own identity and character.
“What's awesome about Wollongong Festival is the opportunity to connect communities like ours with the incredible creative energy that's happening right across Wollongong. When people start moving between Port Kembla, the CBD, Thirroul and beyond, you create new audiences, new collaborations and new reasons for people to explore the city. Every precinct has something different to offer. Wollongong Festival gives us a platform to celebrate those differences while showing how much stronger we become when we're connected.”
Thirroul Arts and Entertainment District / Black Market Roasters’ Jess Hol said:
“One of the things that makes Wollongong so special is its connection to nature,’’ she said.
“The escarpment on one side and the ocean on the other have created this chain of coastal villages and suburbs that each have their own identity, their own venues and their own creative communities. Every precinct has its own story to tell.
“What’s cool about Wollongong Festival is that it encourages people to move between those communities—to discover a venue they’ve never been to, hear an artist they’ve never seen or spend time in a part of the city they might not normally visit.
“The festival is using music and the arts to celebrate what makes each community different, while creating stronger connections between them. That’s how a city’s cultural identity grows.”
Yours and Owls Festival Co-Founder Ben Tillman said:
“We've always seen Yours and Owls as a reflection of what's happening culturally in Wollongong,’’ he said.
“The magic of the festival has never been any one artist or performance. It's what happens when you bring all of those people, ideas and experiences together. The whole becomes much bigger than the sum of its parts.
“When the idea of Wollongong Festival came about, it immediately made sense to us because it takes that same philosophy and applies it to the entire city. Instead of connecting artists on one festival site, we're connecting venues, precincts, hospitality, arts, music and community. We're creating opportunities for people to discover things they might never have found otherwise. This is just the beginning, but it feels like a really important step.”
Destination Wollongong General Manager Jeremy Wilshire said:
“The Wollongong Festival boasts a progressive format that sees visitors experiencing our city in a more meaningful way,’’ Mr Wilshire said.
“The headline acts and unrivalled setting of Yours and Owls drives visitation, but the complementary program of activity ensures festival goers will visit more venues, enjoy more bespoke experiences and stay and play a little longer.
“We want people to come for the Wollongong Festival and leave with a deeper connection to our city, its people and its places. Ultimately, locals and visitors alike will spread their dollars among more local businesses – it reinforces the fact that tourism is everyone’s business.”
Wollongong Festival is supported by Revive Live – an Australian Government initiative. Wollongong Festival is delivered in collaboration by the Wollongong Festival organisers, City of Wollongong, Yours and Owls, and local precincts: Thirroul Arts and Entertainment District, Bulli Black Diamond District, Port Kembla Precinct, Lower Crown Quarter and Globe Lane.
Wollongong Festival is made possible thanks to funding from:
- Revive Live – an Australian Government initiative
- NSW Government – Uptown District Acceleration Program
- Local Government – City of Wollongong
For more information visit wollongongfestival.com or follow us on socials @wollongongfestival
