With the $915 million Powerhouse Parramatta opening just around the corner, the much-anticipated museum has unveiled its official multi-week opening festival.
We’ve been counting down the days until November 7, when Powerhouse Parramatta will officially open its doors. The $915 million museum, which marks New South Wales’ biggest cultural investment since the Sydney Opera House, is looking to celebrate in style with a huge, multi-week opening festival.
Across three weeks and four weekends in November, Powerhouse Parramatta’s Opening Festival program will feature 179 events, spanning topics across First Nations culture, music, architecture, design, food, film, space, science, technology and more.
For those keen to be among the first through the doors, the new museum will be open seven days a week, from 10am to 5pm, Monday to Wednesday and until 9pm from Thursday to Sunday.
Even better, 65 per cent of the opening program will be completely free, while visitors under 16 can enjoy complimentary entry to every exhibition.
The museum has also developed the opening program with Western Sydney communities, ensuring strong representation for the area across the 23-day festival. 51 per cent of collaborators are from Western Sydney, with highlights including a major new performance by Matavai Pacific Cultural Arts and a variety of videos and digital media from Pasifika Film Festival.
Minister for the Arts, John Graham, said, “This expansive Opening Program offers 179 opportunities to come and explore the new museum, the bold ideas, the brilliant creativity of Western Sydney.
“It’s a great way to ease pressure on the budget as the majority of events are free.
“Opening late Thursday through Sunday during the Opening Festival will allow communities across Sydney time to come and explore the museum and its exhibitions; listen to great talks, performances; or simply enjoy the waterfront, gardens and summer evenings.”
You can secure free entry to the museum and four exhibitions (The Mall, The Dark, Overflow and Es Devlin: The Turning) for the opening weekend by selecting a date and your arrival time here.
Opening festival highlights
You can check out the full program for Powerhouse Parramatta’s opening here; however, with 179 events, it’s quite an overwhelming read. We’ve picked out ten events that we think should be on your radar when the museum finally opens its doors.
1. Hear from veteran NASA astronaut, Charles F Bolden Jr
One of the headline names on Powerhouse Parramatta’s opening festival is veteran astronaut and former 12th NASA Administrator Charles F Bolden Jr. Reflecting on a lifetime of space exploration, he’ll trace his extraordinary journey with Ché Bolden, from looking back at Earth from orbit and leading NASA through a period of profound change to exploring what comes next for humans in space.
When: November 8, 4pm-5pm.
Price: Free for children 16 and younger, $15 for adults.
2. Ride steam train and vintage bus rides
On the opening weekend of Parramatta Powerhouse, visitors can travel aboard steam trains and vintage buses. The Locomotive 3265, a 124-year-old steam train, will run between Parramatta and Riverstone Stations all weekend, while a vintage, single-deck bus will run continuously between Parramatta Station and Powerhouse Parramatta throughout the opening weekend.
To top it all off, the historic NSW Railway Band will perform at Parramatta Station, meaning there’ll be plenty of fanfare as you disembark your train and walk to the new museum.
When: November 7-8. The shuttle will run continuously between 10am-5pm, band will perform at 11am-1pm.
Price: Free.
3. Iconic Aussie designer Marc Newsom’s rare public appearance
Australian designer and artist, Marc Newsom, reflects on four decades of design in this rare public appearance at Powerhouse Parramatta. Forty years after the 1986 Sydney exhibition that launched his career, he’ll discuss the landmark works held at Powerhouse, the world’s largest collection of his designs, and the forms, materials and methods that continue to shape and inspire his practice.
When: November 7 2:30pm-3:30pm.
Price: Free for children 16 and younger, $15 for adults.
4. A rooftop Diwali Day Party
Inspired by iconic day raves thrown by the UK South Asian diaspora in the 80s and 90s, Diwali Day Party will be a celebration of the sounds, dances and community practices that connect South Asian communities across Western Sydney.
Curated by Kerfew and held on the rooftop of the new museum, this completely free party will feature performances from DJ Thael, OXY and Sang, as well as all the colours and creativity that are synonymous with Diwali.
When: November 8, 1pm-6pm.
Price: Free, bookings essential.
5. The Pride: Jin Wu Koon
One of Australia’s oldest lion dance groups, Jin Wu Koon, is bringing the colour, energy and spectacle of Chinese lion and dragon dance to Powerhouse Parramatta with a major new performance.
Commissioned by Powerhouse, the bespoke collection features three traditional Fut San lions, two modern lions, a colossal dragon and a lion, all of which will take centre stage in a celebratory performance especially for the museum’s opening.
When: November 7 at 4pm, November 8 at 10:30am. Performance is 30 minutes long.
Price: Free, bookings essential.
6. Ted Chiang: Do You Really Want To Live Forever?
Join acclaimed science fiction writer Ted Chiang (Stories of Your Life, Exhalation) as he asks whether it’s possible to pursue eternal life ethically, or whether the desire for immortality is inherently selfish. In an age where capitalism and technology have become increasingly intertwined, can the urge to transcend our limitations be separated from the desire to escape our obligations to each other?
When: November 8, 12:30pm
Price: Free for children 16 and younger, $15 for adults.
7. Off Earth
Space architect Melodie Yashar, artist and engineer Xin Liu, Metakosmos CEO Kiriti Rambhatla and artist Tavares Strachan come together to discuss a highly debated topic: what will it take for humans to live in space? Covering topics from space stations and our idea of home to permanent lunar habitats and Mars, this eye-opening talk will explore what the future could look like for humanity beyond Earth.
When: November 8 at 2:30pm.
Price: Free for children 16 and younger, $15 for adults.
8. Katherine Bennell-Pegg discusses Australia in space
The 2026 Australian of the Year and astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg shares her experience of training to become an astronaut and her unique perspective at the forefront of Australia’s future in space. In this keynote, she’ll reflect on the current state of space exploration and what the next chapter could hold.
When: November 8, 5:30pm.
Price: Free for children 16 and younger, $15 for adults.
9. Hear from artist Es Devlin
One of the most anticipated exhibitions at Powerhouse Parramatta’s opening is Es Devlin: The Turning, where the English artist will present five major commissions.
For those eager to delve deeper into the exhibition, you can hear directly from Devlin herself in conversation with V&A East Director Dr Gus Casely-Hayford OBE. Together, they’ll explore how collections and large-scale installations can connect with diverse communities, and how audiences can become active participants in shared acts of creation.
When: November 7, 6:30pm-7:30pm.
Price: Free for children 16 and younger, $15 for adults.
10. See Eseli’s Story for the first time in Sydney
Eseli’s Story will be performed for the first time outside the Torres Strait Islands at Powerhouse Parramatta’s opening weekend, as 44 dancers and eight singers and musicians from Badu Island share the story of James Eseli and his Badu World War II Plane Dance. This “story dance” commemorates his childhood memories of watching World War II fighter planes and bombers taking off from Ngurapai (Horn Island).
When: November 7 at 10:30am and 2:30pm, November 8 at 10am.
Price: Free, bookings essential.
