Biennale of Sydney 2026: we have the first wave of announcements

Mark your calendars, Sydney’s most anticipated contemporary art event is back — next year, anyway. The first wave of artists and collectives for the 25th Biennale of Sydney has been announced.

From March 14 to June 14 2026, the 25th Biennale of Sydney will transform the city into a vibrant, global hub for art, ideas, and cultural exchange. With the theme ‘Rememory’, this milestone edition — curated by internationally renowned Artistic Director Hoor Al Qasimi— invites visitors to reflect on forgotten histories, celebrate diverse identities and experience Sydney through a powerful artistic lens.

What is “Rememory”?

Drawing inspiration from the acclaimed author Toni Morrison, Rememory explores the intricate relationship between memory and history. The exhibition seeks to reconstruct suppressed stories and fragmented pasts, giving space to narratives often pushed to the margins. Through this lens, artists from around the world and Australia, including many First Nations voices, engage with Sydney’s cultural landscape and its layered histories.

Rememory connects the delicate space between remembering and forgetting… where recollection becomes an act of reassembling fragments of the past—whether personal, familial, or collective.

— Al Qasimi

A global artistic dialogue right here in Sydney

The Biennale has unveiled its first wave of 37 artists and collectives, spanning regions from the Torres Strait to Taiwan, Guatemala to Gaza. This includes 15 First Nations artists commissioned in partnership with the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, who will present bold new works that fuse ancestral knowledge with contemporary insight. Abdul Abdullah, who recently won the Packing Room Prize at the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize, will also take part in next year’s Biennale.

READ MORE: The Archibald Prize 2025 Packing Room Prize Winner has been announced

The participating artists announced today are:

• Abdul Abdullah (Australia / Thailand)
• Ángel Poyón (Maya Kaqchikel, Guatemala)
• Angélica Serech (Maya Kaqchikel, Guatemala)
• Bouchra Khalili (Morocco / Austria)
• CAMP (India)
• Cannupa Hanska Luger (Standing Rock Indian Reservation, North Dakota / New Mexico, USA)
• Carmen Glynn-Braun (Kaytetye, Arrernte, Anmatyerr, Australia)
• Chang En Man (Paiwan, Taiwan)
• Chen Chieh-jen (Taiwan R.O.C.)
• Daisy Quezada Ureña (USA)
• Decolonizing Art Architecture Project (DAAR) (Palestine)
• Deirdre O’Mahony (Ireland)
• Dennis Golding (Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay, Australia)
• Dread Scott (USA)
• Edgar Calel (Kaqchikel, Guatemala)
• Elverina Johnson (Yarrabah, Australia)
• Ema Shin (Japan / Australia)
• Fernando Poyón (Maya Kaqchikel, Guatemala)
• Frank Young & The Kulata Tjuta Project (Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, Australia)
• Gabriel Chaile (Argentina / Lisbon)
• Gunybi Ganambarr (Yolŋu (Ŋaymil) people, Australia)
• John Harvey (Kalaw Kawaw Ya/Saibai Island, Torres Strait, Australia) & Walter Waia (Kalaw Kawaw Ya/Saibai Island, Torres
• Strait, Australia)
• John Prince Siddon (Walmajarri, Australia)
• Kapwani Kiwanga (Canada / France)
• Lamia Joreige (Lebanon)
• Marian Abboud (Australia)
• Maritea Dæhlin (Norway / Mexico)
• Merilyn Fairskye (Australia) & Michiel Dolk (Netherlands / Australia)
• Michael Rakowitz (USA)
• Nancy Yukuwal McDinny (Garrwa / Yanyuwa, Australia)
• Rose B. Simpson (Santa Clara Pueblo, USA)
• Tania Willard (Secwepemcúlecw, Canada)
• Taysir Batniji (Gaza, Palestine / France)
• Tuan Andrew Nguyen (Vietnam / USA)
• Warraba Weatherall (Kamilaroi, Australia)
• Wendy Hubert (Yindjibarndi Country, Australia)
• Yaritji Young (Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, Australia)

These artists, guided by Bruce Johnson McLean, the Fondation Cartier First Nations Curatorial Fellow and a proud Wierdi man of the Birri Gubba Nation, will deliver a program that challenges, heals, and connects.

Must-visit exhibition venues across Sydney

The Biennale will span iconic and culturally significant venues across Sydney, offering both locals and visitors the opportunity to explore different precincts through art:

• Art Gallery of New South Wales – a hub for global contemporary works.
• White Bay Power Station – an historic industrial landmark that’s now a dynamic cultural hub.
• Campbelltown Arts Centre – celebrating local and Western Sydney artists.
• Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney – blending history, science and culture.
• Penrith Regional Gallery – bringing international perspectives to Greater Western Sydney.

Each location will host multidisciplinary exhibitions, talks, performances and family-friendly events that ensure the Biennale is engaging for all ages.

READ MORE: Luxury meets legacy in Sydney’s new ‘The Lands by Capella’

Why you shouldn’t miss the Biennale of Sydney 2026

Whether you’re a seasoned art lover or a curious traveler, the Biennale of Sydney 2026 offers a once-in-a-lifetime cultural experience. Entry is completely free, making it one of the most accessible major art events in the world.

Highlights include:

• Immersive installations and site-specific commissions
• Youth and children’s programming to inspire the next generation
• Community engagement initiatives led by newly appointed ambassadors Claudia Chidiac and Paula Abood
• The return of Badu Gili: Healing Spirit, a breathtaking projection of First Nations art on the Sydney Opera House sails

Biennale of Sydney 2026

When: March 14 – June 14, 2026.
Where: Venues across Sydney.
Price: Free!.

Whether you’re exploring the cobblestone streets of The Rocks, discovering Western Sydney’s rich artistic pulse, or soaking in the atmosphere at Circular Quay, the Biennale of Sydney is your passport to understanding the stories that make Sydney what it is today.

Stay tuned for the full artist lineup and event program later this year on biennaleofsydney.art.