The Biennale of Sydney 2026 is fast approaching, running for two months from March 14. Marking its 25th anniversary, this landmark edition of the iconic art festival is set to be one of the biggest yet. Here’s everything you need to know before it kicks off.
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What is the Biennale of Sydney?
The Biennale of Sydney is a free international contemporary art festival, held every two years across the city.
Renowned for providing a platform for bold ideas and boundary-pushing art, the Biennale is celebrated for commissioning and presenting works from Australia and across the globe, having showcased more than 2400 national and international artists from over 130 countries since its inception.
Each year, the Biennale is centred around a different theme, with 2026’s edition titled “Rememory”. The theme takes its title from celebrated author Toni Morrison, exploring the intersection of memory and history as a means of revisiting, reconstructing, and reclaiming histories.
“Rememory” focuses on marginalised narratives, bringing untold stories to the forefront and inviting audiences to reconsider how memory shapes identity and belonging. The theme amplifies the voices of First Nations peoples alongside the many diasporic communities that shape Australia.
This year will feature 83 artists from across Australia and around the world, with the program unfolding across 19 locations, showcasing large-scale installations and exhibitions, talks, performances and one-off events.
Internationally acclaimed curator Hoor Al Qasimi is this year’s Artistic Director, making her the eighth woman to curate the Southern Hemisphere’s largest arts festival. With a career that includes founding the Sharjah Art Foundation and directing the Sharjah Biennial since 2002, her experience speaks for itself.
The Biennale of Sydney has also partnered with the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, which has commissioned 15 First Nations artists from around the world to create new work for the 2026 edition. Including artists like Cannupa Hanska Luger, Carmen Glynn-Braun, Edgar Calel, John Prince Siddon, and Warraba Weatherall, the new and ambitious artworks will focus on bringing the theme of “Rememory” to life.
Where does the Biennale of Sydney take place?
Exhibitions will be hosted across the city at five major sites: White Bay Power Station, Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney, Campbelltown Arts Centre, and Lewers: Penrith Regional Gallery.
It is hoped that the use of different venues across Sydney will make the festival more inclusive and accessible, rather than keeping all events concentrated in the CBD.
In addition to the wider spread of venues, there will be extra public programs (events, talks and performances) at even more locations around the city, including Blouza Hall, Centenary Square, Fairfield City Museum & Gallery, Marrickville Town Hall, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, National Centre of Indigenous Excellence Redfern, Parramatta Artist Studios, Redfern Town Hall and Sydney Town Hall.
We’ve found that most of the Biennale’s key public programs, including the Opening Night Lights On event and Art After Dark, take place at White Bay Power Station. Make sure to swing by this sprawling industrial hub for the festival’s most exciting exhibitions, activations, and events.
What to see at the Biennale of Sydney
The Biennale’s jam-packed program can feel overwhelming, with its extensive artist lineup, sprawling event schedule and multiple venues across the city.
To help you navigate it, we’ve picked out some highlight events that you should mark on your calendar.
Public Programs
1. Opening Night: Lights On
Lights On is the official opening party of the Biennale of Sydney, marking the beginning of the festival with live music performances and art encounters. DJs, artists and the audience share the same space, giving you the chance to experience the artwork while enjoying a vibrant live soundtrack. Featured performers include First Nations ensemble Hand to Earth, American singer Niecy Blues and Lebanese artist and musician Joe Namy, representing the theme of “Rememory” with the music program spanning genres, georgraphies and histories.
Where: White Bay Power Station, Robert St, Rozelle NSW 2039.
When: March 13, 7pm-11pm.
Price: First Release: $49, Mob Tickets: $29.
2. Art After Dark
No doubt inspired by the Art Gallery of NSW’s popular Art After Dark on a Wednesday evening, the Biennale of Sydney will be hosting its own iteration at White Bay Power Station on Friday evenings. Transforming the White Bay Power Station into a hub of music, art and outdoor food markets, audiences headed to the Rozelle location can expect genre-defying performances, immersive sonic environments and unexpected collaborations within its industrial walls.
The series will be delivered in three distinctive chapters, each curated by a different partner: Liquid Architecture, Inner West Council and a third collaborator who is yet to be announced. Expect a rotating lineup of incredible foods, bold music, and even a stall from NSW Wine Masterclasses, who invite you to sip, sample and learn with complimentary tastings.
Where: White Bay Power Station, Robert St, Rozelle NSW 2039.
When: Every Friday except May 8 and 15.
Price: Adult tickets $35, Mob tickets: $10.
3. Badu Gilli: Storykeepers
During the Biennale of Sydney, Badu Gili, meaning “water light” in Gadigal language, will offer a free nightly spectacle that illuminates First Nations stories across the iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House in a mesmerising, six-minute projection. The projections, created in collaboration between the Sydney Opera House, Biennale of Sydney and the Foundation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, will feature the work of Gooniyandi elder Mervyn Street and Inuk custodian Ningiukulu Teevee.
Where: Eastern Bennelong Sails, Monumental Steps, Sydney Opera House.
When: Five daily screenings from sunset.
Price: Free.
4. Family Days
Family Days is a series of free, child-friendly days out programmed across three Saturdays at White Bay Power Station. A celebration of colour, creativity and connection, these days invite families to explore, play and make art together, with hands-on workshops, performances and activities. Curated by community-led organisations, the various events encourage families to make art together, from crocheting and embroidering to storytelling and reflection.
Where: White Bay Power Station, Robert St, Rozelle NSW 2039.
When: April 4, May 9 and June 6 at 10am-4pm.
Price: Free.
5. Memory Lane Markets
Bringing a vibrant and delicious mix of multicultural food vendors to White Bay Power Station, the Memory Lane Markets are set to bless your taste buds with flavourful cuisine from across the globe, from Pakistani and Palestinian to East African, Italian and Chinese. Try steaming dumplings from Mrs Wangs, vegan pastries from Miss Sina and shawarma from Eat Lebanese.
Where: White Bay Power Station, Robert St, Rozelle NSW 2039.
When: Saturdays and Sundaysm 10am-5pm.
Price: Free.
![Dennis Golding. Cast In Cast Out [2020]. Image by Artist](https://www.sydneytravelguide.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Dennis-Golding.jpg)
6. Spotlight Talks
The Biennale of Sydney will host a variety of “Spotlight Talks”, allowing featured Biennale artists to discuss their work, from its themes and content to their practice and process. Featured artists include Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay artist Dennis Golding, Walmajarri man John Prince Siddon (who recently created a tableau for the MCA’s 2026 Circular Quay Foyer Commission, and Lebanese-Australian artist Marian Abboud. These talks are free, although they do require registration.
Where: Spotlight Talks will take place across the six Biennale venues.
When: Throughout the Biennale of Sydney.
Price: Free, registration is required.
7. Africa Day
Africa Day is celebrated annually to commemorate the1963 founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now known as the African Union (AU). To celebrate African culture from Sydney, artists Rebecca Williams and Adechoon will curate a large-scale festival featuring market stalls and food from across the African continent, alongside live performances and music with a focus on Afro-artists based in Western Sydney.
Where: White Bay Power Station, Robert St, Rozelle NSW 2039.
When: May 23, 10am-4pm.
Price: Free.
Must-see exhibitions
8. The final presentation of the great Ngurrara Canvas II
Presented by the Art Gallery of NSW, the great Ngurrara Canvas II is an 80 square meter floor canvas by the Ngurrara artists of the Great Sandy Desert, Western Australia. With no more plans to travel again, this will be the final presentation of the canvas away from the artists’ country. One of the largest and most spectacular Aboriginal paintings, it was made in 1997, for presentation to the National Native Title Tribunal to demonstrate the Ngurrara people’s connection to country for Native Title purposes. Traditional owners, including two dance troupes, will travel to Sydney for a special public performance celebrating the arrival of the canvas.
Where: Art Gallery of NSW, Art Gallery Rd, Sydney NSW 2000.
When: March 14 to June 14.
Price: Free.
9. Cannupa Hanska
Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Lakota artist Cannupa Hanska will bring a new sculptural sound installation to the White Bay Power Station, hanging dingo-shaped ceramic whistles from its industrial walls to evoke the howl of the threatened native animal, literally and metaphorically giving a voice to it. Through the sound installation, the Native American artist will pay homage to the kinship of Australia’s native dog to First Nations Peoples.
Where: White Bay Power Station, Robert St, Rozelle NSW 2039.
When: March 14 to June 14.
Price: Free.
10. Ema Shin
Melbourne-based textile artist Emma Shin will exhibit her largest work to date at the Chau Chak Wing Museum for the Biennale. The two-meter-tall 3D handwoven heart is inspired by a treasured family tree kept by her grandfather spanning 32 generations. The family tree only includes the names of male family members and women who have given birth to sons. Shin’s works are a meditation on the historic and cultural erasure of women, and a tribute to the women who are absent from her family history.
Where: Chau Chak Wing Museum, University Pl, Camperdown NSW 2050.
When: March 14 to June 14.
Price: Free.
11. Lockdown by Dread Scott
Artist Dread Scott will present his photographic series, Lockdown, telling the stories of the two million-plus incarcerated inmates in American prisons. Through a series of black and white portraits and audio conversations that were recorded during brief meetings in US prisons, Scott tells the story of American society from the viewpoint of those locked down.
Where: Campbelltown Arts Centre, 1 Art Gallery Rd, Campbelltown NSW 2560.
When: March 14 to June 14.
Price: Free.
Cover Image: Daniel Boud
