| Hive Festival returns to the Art Gallery of New South Wales this July school holidays with its first-ever winter edition, offering a free, fun-filled program for kids and families. This much-loved event invites young audiences to unleash their creativity through a dynamic program of artist-led experiences for all ages, including art-making, music, storytelling and interactive tours, plus discounted access to Avatar: Forms of Vishnu.
Taking place on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 July 2026 and spanning both the Naala Nura and Naala Badu buildings, this edition of Hive Festival celebrates the living world – from our furry and feathered friends to the lands and waters of our home in Sydney.
Coinciding with NAIDOC Week, the program includes First Nations-led activities, from drop-in workshops designed by Dharug artist Billy Bain to tours of the Art Gallery’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Yiribana Gallery, alongside a special storytime celebrating Country.
 Performance with Diva Cups at Hive Festival 2026, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Anna Kucera
***These images may only be used in conjunction with editorial coverage of ‘Hive Festival’ at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and strictly in accordance with the terms of access to these images see www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/info/access-to-agnsw-media-room-tcs . Without limiting those terms, these images must not be cropped or overwritten; prior approval in writing is required for use as a cover; caption details must accompany reproductions of the images; and archiving is not permitted.***
Media contact: media@ag.nsw.gov.au  Visitors enjoying ‘Hive Festival’ at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Anna Kucera
***These images may only be used in conjunction with editorial coverage of ‘Hive Festival’ at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and strictly in accordance with the terms of access to these images see www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/info/access-to-agnsw-media-room-tcs . Without limiting those terms, these images must not be cropped or overwritten; prior approval in writing is required for use as a cover; caption details must accompany reproductions of the images; and archiving is not permitted.***
Media contact: media@ag.nsw.gov.au Art Gallery of New South Wales Director Maud Page said: ‘Growing in popularity year after year, Hive Festival continues to bring a buzz of energy and imagination to the Art Gallery. It’s always a joy to see families from right across Sydney engaging with art and artist-led workshops, and even more special that these programs are free and accessible to all.’
Each iteration of Hive Festival has the work of an inspiring contemporary artist at its heart. This winter Billy Bain has developed a series of activities inspired by themes from his solo exhibition By the River, on display at the Art Gallery from 4 July to 8 November 2026. The exhibition draws on Bain’s experience of growing up on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, where surfing shaped his early connection to place. It is also where the saltwater meets freshwater at the mouth of the Dyarubbin/Hawkesbury River.
| Bain has developed a drop-in workshop, titled Surf’s up, encouraging young creatives to make their own surfboard design and take part in a giant ‘paddle out’ installation to celebrate beach lifestyle and First Nations connection to water. In Frame your world, a second activity designed by Bain, visitors are encouraged to make their own picture frame with imagery of objects, animals and places that tell a story of who they are and where they live.
Bain said: ‘For Hive, I wanted to create a large-scale beach landscape that families can actively contribute to. In surfing culture, a paddle out is a powerful act of coming together, whether to celebrate, remember, support or stand alongside one another. I hope visitors enjoy being creative together and leave with a sense that even small, individual contributions can be part of something much bigger.’
Other festival highlights include:
- Bop along to a live performance of cheery folk-pop tunes by ARIA award-winning children’s music group Teeny Tiny Stevies at 10.30am each day.
- Discover physical expression and explore your own unique movement in a playful workshop for people of all experience levels with Sydney Dance Company’s Teaching Artists.
- Listen to a special storytime with Dharug author Jasmine Seymour, reading her much-loved book Open your heart to Country.
- Dance your afternoon away at a kids disco party with DJ Diva Cups, held in Mike Hewson’s underground art park, The Key’s Under the Mat.
- Create your own wearable paper shells in different shapes and colours, inspired by Bidjigal artist and elder Esme Timbery (1931–2023).
- Weave your own tortoise using colourful yarns and threads, drawing on Hindu mythology and Desmond Lazaro’s paintings in Avatar: Forms of Vishnu.
- Design an imaginative mural of your favourite furry animals, inspired by the wall mural Pet Palace by Little Orange Studio, or pop into our children’s art library to design a patterned pet portrait.
- Draw a scene inspired by the vibrant Indian paintings of animals, people and nature on display in the Asian Lantern galleries.
- Join a roving art-making tour looking at artworks that feature pets, hear the stories behind them, and create your own artworks.
- Discover the stories of our First Nations art collection in a dynamic educator-led tour of Yiribana Gallery.
- Head along to Cinémathèque Junior and enjoy two free film screenings per day. Films include The pout-pout fish, directed by Ricard Cussó, and Happy feet, directed by George Miller.
- Move freely in the Art play soft play spaces filled with toys, play equipment, rugs, cushions and couches for under 5s.
- Enjoy a pop-up pizza stall and Messina gelato, plus other family-friendly options across the Art Gallery’s food outlets.
The children’s gallery space ສູ້ສູ້ Sou Sou by Mechelle Bounpraseuth will be open daily in Naala Nura, inviting visitors to create an offering to leave on the steps of an elaborate fruit shrine or decorate a canned-food label to add to the shelves. Free and suitable for all ages and abilities.
Visitors with different abilities and sensory needs can enjoy a range of accessible activities and spaces, including a low-sensory chill zone; sensory-friendly early-entry from 9am; and a sensory storytime, featuring a book reading accompanied by tactile materials. To learn more about accessibility at the Art Gallery, visit the website.
Entry to the Art Gallery and all Hive Festival activities is free, with some bookings required. Children under 12 receive free admission to the Art Gallery’s winter exhibitions, Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2026 and Avatar: Forms of Vishnu, along with free self-guided children’s trails. Discounted family tickets to Avatar are also available during Hive Festival.
Hive Festival is proudly supported by The Bayard Foundation. For full details, visit the Art Gallery of New South Wales website and subscribe to the Art Gallery’s Artmail e-newsletter to stay up to date on Hive Festival news and announcements. |
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