A nine-metre-tall swing in Wheeler Place and a professional oyster shucking competition are some of the events on offer at this year's New Annual festival.
The free, wheelchair-accessible swing will allow participants to become part of a giant public art installation during the closing weekend of City of Newcastle's award-winning event, which runs from September 27 to October 6.
The Global Gathering event will return in Museum Park on October 5 after almost 5000 people attended the 2023 iteration.
It will feature cooking demonstrations, interactive kids workshops and musical and dance performances including a colourful lion dance by Jin Woo Koon, belly dancing and African drum and dance displays, as well as a fire show and DJ sets.
The night will be capped off by Ghana Road Show, which fuses circus acts with traditional African dance and rhythmic drum beats set to the freshly curated tunes of DJ Lady Chika.
Worlds Collide will deliver an intersection of seven cultures who fuse hip hop rhymes, melodic hooks, languages and genres into a fun, authentic and powerful experience.
MEGAN COPE: Ngumpi Kinyingarra Oyster House, which is a temporary, custom-built space will also be set up at Honeysuckle Marina.
The space will host series free talks, hands-on workshops and performances including a professional oyster shucking competition and a daily Scrub Club that celebrates local oysters and the ongoing research practice of internationally acclaimed Quandamooka artist Megan Cope.
Gomeroi hip-hop artist and Triple J favourite Kobie Dee will bring the marina to life after dark as he headlines the first of two Friday Night Sounds events on September 27 supported by proud Aboriginal man Maanyung, while local DJ Jun Wan's genre-bending sets will keep the Friday night party going on October 4.
Newcastle lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said one of the key aims of the program was providing free and low-cost, family-friendly events to ensure every member of the community can enjoy the New Annual experience.
"New Annual has become a catalyst for Newcastle's cultural events sector to take centre stage alongside leading national events, cementing Newcastle as a creative city where exciting, ambitious and accessible contemporary art and culture grows and thrives," Cr Nelmes said.
"The 2024 festival is also dedicated to amplifying multicultural voices and creativity from our culturally and linguistically diverse communities, fostering a sense of belonging and community involvement.
The success of City of Newcastle's flagship event was recognised at the recent Local Government Week Awards, where New Annual won the Leo Kelly OAM Arts and Culture Award.
New Annual will run from September 27 to October 6.
Visit www.newannual.com for more details about the full program.
