PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY THE NSW GOVERNMENT THROUGH CREATE NSW

Create NSW has been a long-standing proud Sydney Festival partner, celebrating and supporting stories told through compelling arts and culture events, performances, and music. 

Capturing the vibrancy of Sydney’s summers for decades, 2026 marks the 50th Sydney Festival. 

Each January, the city begins the new year with an exciting line-up of exceptional arts and culture experiences with a program drawn from First Nations artists, contemporary music, orchestral concerts, opera, dance, theatre, comedy and cabaret.

Providing a range of free and paid events, Sydney Festival attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, boosting local businesses and creating economic activity across the city. It provides unique opportunities for artists and cultural organisations to work together to develop and deliver exciting work for audiences both new and familiar.

Create NSW continues to be proud supporter of the Festival and, in 2026 is excited to see a number of other companies we fund as part of this truly international festival. These include works from Bangarra Dance Theatre, Legs on the Wall, Sydney Symphony Orchestra and FORM Dance Projects. 

2026 sees the return of the Festival to Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, home to some of the state’s major arts organisations including Sydney Theatre Company, Australian Theatre for Young People, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Bell Shakespeare, and Sydney Dance Company. 

This year also sees the Festival extending into Western Sydney with presentations in Parramatta, Blacktown and Bankstown. These events celebrate the diverse cultures and communities across the city and will allow audiences to sample some of the most exciting contemporary work developed locally, nationally and internationally.

Create NSW is committed to growing and strengthening the arts and cultural sector in NSW, to embed arts in the everyday and deliver new, innovative and exciting arts and cultural events and experiences for the people of NSW as part of the Creative Communities policy.

Create NSW provides support through a range of funding opportunities aimed at empowering artists to take the next step in developing and expanding their practice. 

We are proud to continue to support this major NSW cultural event and celebrate bold, powerful, playful stories throughout Sydney Festival 2026.