Welcome to this week's edition of The Newy List!

It's a short week ahead, which means you've got even more time to figure out how to spend your long weekend. We've got the full rundown on ANZAC Day dawn services and where to find the biggest two-up rings in town, plus Newcastle Food Month is serving up some serious feasts before it wraps up for the year. Whether you're heading to the Civic Theatre for some live music or just trying to avoid the traffic on the Inner City Bypass, we've got your week sorted. Read on for the full list.

ANZAC Day Dawn Service & Fort Scratchley Open Day

Pay your respects at the city's main dawn service at Camp Shortland, featuring a band, choir, and a four-gun salute from Fort Scratchley. The Fort will also be open later in the day with historic gun firings at 1pm and 3pm.

•When: Saturday 25 April, 5:00am (Dawn Service) & 12:00pm (Fort Open Day)

•Where: Camp Shortland & Fort Scratchley, Newcastle East

•Price: Free

•More info: Newcastle RSL

ANZAC Day Two-Up at The Del

Head to The Del for what they claim is Newy's biggest two-up ring, complete with a three-tier grandstand. Expect a massive day of tradition, cold drinks, and proper pub grub.

•When: Friday 25 April, 12:00pm

•Where: The Delany Hotel, Cooks Hill

•Price: Free entry

•More info: The Delany Hotel

King of Concrete: Bar Beach

Australia's premier bowl skateboarding championship returns to Bar Beach. Watch some of the country's best skaters tear up the bowl in this massive all-day competition.

•When: Sunday 26 April, 10:00am

•Where: Bar Beach Skatepark, Bar Beach

•Price: Free for spectators

•More info: King of Concrete

Richard Marx: After Hours Tour

The award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer brings his chart-topping hits to the Civic Theatre for an intimate evening of classic tracks.

•When: Wednesday 22 April, 8:00pm

•Where: Civic Theatre, Newcastle

•Price: From $109

•More info: Civic Theatre

Tijuana Cartel

Fusing deep electronic grooves with flamenco guitar, Tijuana Cartel are bringing their high-energy live show to the bay for a massive Friday night set.

•When: Friday 24 April, 7:00pm

•Where: Shoal Bay Country Club, Shoal Bay

•Price: From $45.40

•More info: Oztix

Cody Pennington Country Show

Get ready for a massive night of country music featuring top hits from Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen, alongside Cody's own original tracks.

•When: Saturday 25 April, 7:00pm

•Where: NEX, Newcastle West

•Price: From $55

•More info: Homestead Presents

Drum Tao: Samurai of the Drum

After captivating millions worldwide, Japan's Drum Tao returns with a breathtaking production that makes 400-year-old taiko drums feel like the pulse of tomorrow.

•When: Friday 24 April, 7:30pm

•Where: Civic Theatre, Newcastle

•Price: From $69.90

•More info: Civic Theatre

Naavikaran: The MYSTIQ Tour

Catch Naavikaran on their first national tour, bringing a unique blend of music, poetry, and performance to Bernie's Bar.

•When: Friday 24 April, 5:30pm

•Where: Bernie's Bar, Newcastle

•Price: From $25

•More info: Humanitix

The Gum Ball Music & Arts Festival – 21st Birthday Edition

The Hunter Valley's most beloved boutique festival turns 21 at Dashville. King Stingray, Meg Washington, and Don Walker headline a stacked all-Australian lineup across multiple stages, with camping, arts, and family-friendly activities throughout the long weekend.

•When: Friday 24 – Sunday 26 April 2026

•Where: Dashville, 103 Kirkton Rd, Lower Belford

•Price: Final release passes available

•More info: Book via Humanitix

Salote Tawale: The Tide Continues – Exhibition Launch

Australian-Fijian artist Salote Tawale opens her new body of work at MAC yapang, created during her 2025 Lake Macquarie residency. The works explore waterways, colonial histories, and living between cultures. The launch event also celebrates new exhibitions by Richard Tipping and Print Circle.

•When: Sunday 26 April 2026, 11:00am–1:30pm

•Where: Museum of Art and Culture yapang, 2A First Street, Booragul

•Price: Free (bookings appreciated)

•More info: Book via MAC yapang

Cakeboi x Roundhouse High Tea

MasterChef alumni Reece Hignell and Crystalbrook Kingsley Executive Chef Joey Ingram team up for a high tea that leans into spectacle: a rose-kissed tower of sweets and savouries, live strings, and panoramic harbour views from Level 9.

•When: Saturday 25 April 2026, 11:30am–3:30pm

•Where: Roundhouse at Crystalbrook Kingsley, 282 King St, Newcastle

•Price: TBC

•More info: Book via Newcastle Food Month

6-Course Modern Korean Degustation

Experience CorEat's signature style with a refined six-course menu that blends gentle Korean influences with fresh seasonal Australian ingredients.

•When: Thursday 23 April, 11:30am & 5:00pm

•Where: CorEat, Newcastle

•Price: $110

•More info: Newcastle Food Month

Got Your Back Sista Beer & Wine Trivia

Join FogHorn Brewery and First Creek Wines for a fun-filled trivia night raising funds for Got Your Back Sista. Includes a two-course dinner and a drink on arrival.

•When: Thursday 23 April, 6:00pm

•Where: FogHorn Brewery, Newcastle

•Price: $85

•More info: OpenTable

From Velvet to Vine: A Hungerford Affair

A beautifully curated five-course wine-pairing dinner at Jana, in collaboration with Hungerford Hill. Expect rich textures and deep savoury flavours.

•When: Friday 24 April, 6:00pm

•Where: Jana Restaurant and Bar, Newcastle

•Price: $159

•More info: SevenRooms

Mare Nostro

A special evening inspired by the Italian coast, featuring a curated four-course fish menu that celebrates Mediterranean flavours, with optional Italian wine pairings.

•When: Wednesday 22 April, 5:30pm

•Where: Sapori at Tailors, Islington

•Price: $120

•More info: Square

Newcastle Jets vs Central Coast Mariners

Get behind the Jets as they take on their F3 Derby rivals in what promises to be a massive clash at home.

•When: Saturday 25 April, time TBC

•Where: McDonald Jones Stadium, Broadmeadow

•Price: From $20

•More info: Newcastle Jets

Mega Creatures Night Safari

Wander through the Hunter Valley Gardens as night falls and the space transforms into a glowing fantasy world filled with illuminated dinosaurs and dragons.

•When: Friday 24 April to Sunday 26 April, 5:00pm

•Where: Hunter Valley Gardens, Pokolbin

•Price: From $31

•More info: Hunter Valley Gardens

April Sunday Muster Artisan Market

A boutique artisan market featuring creative locals, artists, and designers set on the grounds of the iconic Mortels Sheepskin Factory.

•When: Sunday 26 April, 9:00am

•Where: Mortels Sheepskin Factory, Thornton

•Price: Free entry

•More info: Mortels

Taste of Soul

Four Newcastle chefs: Ross Morgan, Mark Hosie, Andy Wright, and Tim Montgomery, are joining forces for a charity dinner at Soul Hub, with all proceeds going directly to support the charity's work with Newcastle's most vulnerable. Tables of four are $320 all in, which works out to $80 per person for a four-course meal with premium wine pairings from Glandore Estate. It's a genuinely good night for a genuinely good cause, and the kind of event that tends to sell out quietly without much fanfare.

•When: Thursday 23 April 2026, 6:00pm

•Where: Soul Hub, 437 Hunter Street, Newcastle

•Price: $320 per table of four

•More info: Newcastle Food Month

Ride the Cyclone

This darkly hilarious and surprisingly moving musical about a group of teens trapped in a mechanical fortune teller's game is hitting the Civic Theatre Playhouse next week. It's gained a massive cult following online, so grab your tickets before it sells out.

•When: Wednesday 29 April to Saturday 2 May

•Where: Civic Theatre Playhouse, Newcastle

•Price: From $59

•More info: Civic Theatre

That's your week, Next time Knights! 4-3. See you out there. 🙌

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