The New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) has announced the program for its 2026 Winter Blooming Festival, to be held from Friday, 21 August, to Sunday, 23 August.
The three-day festival celebrates diversity in arts and culture, with a program of performances, discussions, workshops and social events.
Highlights include:
- The festival launch and opening of the exhibition Boundaries: Transcended.
- Todd Fernando’s ‘You Weren’t Meant to Hear This’ performance, sharing the intricacies, beauty and humour of Aboriginal life without explanation or apology.
- An Art, Identity and the Power of Voice panel featuring Amera Ali, Jeremy Goldstein and Alice Neikirk, who will discuss how art can empower stories that too often go unheard.
- Art and sustainability workshops aimed at helping participants save money and explore their creativity.
- The Winter Blooming Ball, described as the prom many people always dreamed of, with DJ Betty Bilby, drag shows and performances throughout the evening.
- Queer Brunch, a social meet-up for the LGBTQIA+ community at NERAM’s Six Counties restaurant.
The Winter Blooming Festival was established in 2019 by University of New England sociologist Christina Kenny and NERAM director Rachael Parsons to address a lack of visibility, events and spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community.
“Winter Blooming has grown enormously since we first started the festival in 2019, but at its heart it is still about creating a space where people can come as they are, feel welcome and celebrate.” said Parsons.
“What I love most about the festival is that it isn’t just one thing. It’s serious conversations and challenging ideas, fabulous performances, creative workshops, and, of course, a spectacular party. There really is something for everyone.”
The festival has since grown into an annual event and expanded its focus to celebrate First Nations and multicultural communities in north-west NSW.
It now attracts visitors from across the region and has become a fixture on the New England events calendar.
Tickets are on sale at www.neram.com.au/event/winter-blooming-festival-2026.
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