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

Some weeks the town empties out. This isn't one of them. Eddie Izzard brings the Remix Tour to Civic Theatre on Thursday, a comic who's been at it long enough to treat his own back catalogue like a setlist. Saturday belongs to Professional Bull Riding Origin I at the Entertainment Centre, which is exactly what it sounds like and somehow more. Hunter Drama holds down the Playhouse all week with A Midsummer Night's Dream. Flamingos Live in Lambton swings between the Faulty Towers Dining Experience and a Sunday session with folk-jazz singer-songwriter Ami Williamson, because why pick a lane. Reconciliation Week runs its own current of community events across the region. The Merewether May Markets land on the weekend. Pace yourself, or don't.

Eddie Izzard - The Remix Tour Live

The legendary British comedian, actor, and marathon runner brings his Remix Tour to Newcastle for one night only. Expect sharp political comedy, surreal tangents, and a stage presence that has barely dimmed in four decades.

•When: Thursday 28 May, 8pm

•Where: Civic Theatre, Newcastle

•Price: From $89.90

•More info: Book via Civic Theatre

PBR Origin I - Professional Bull Riders

Australia's best bull riders go head-to-head in the first instalment of the PBR Origin series, pitting NSW against QLD in a format that borrows the intensity of State of Origin and applies it to one of the most demanding sports in the world.

•When: Saturday 30 May, 7pm

•Where: Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Broadmeadow

•Price: From $94.50

•More info: Buy tickets via Ticketek

Stars of The Hunter 2026

Local community leaders and personalities take to the stage at Maitland Town Hall for a night of dancing, auctions, and entertainment, all in aid of Cancer Council NSW. Includes a two-course meal. Doors at 6pm, show starts 7pm.

•When: Saturday 30 May, 6pm–11pm

•Where: Maitland Town Hall, 263 High St, Maitland

•Price: $140 (includes 2-course meal)

•More info: Book via Humanitix

Kingswood: Midnight Mavericks Album Tour

Newcastle-born rock band Kingswood return to their home turf for a night at Full Throttle Ranch in Buttai, playing tracks from their Midnight Mavericks album alongside classic hits. One of the better live rock acts in the country, in one of the better small venues in the Hunter.

•When: Saturday 30 May, 8:30pm

•Where: Full Throttle Ranch, 160 Lings Road, Buttai

•Price: $45 (adult general admission)

•More info: Book via StickyTickets

Ami Williamson: Live at Flamingos

Award-winning Australian folk-jazz singer-songwriter Ami Williamson plays a Sunday afternoon show at Flamingos Live. Her live shows are known for being funny, intimate, and genuinely moving, a rare combination.

•When: Sunday 31 May, 2pm–4pm

•Where: Flamingos Live, 31 Morehead St, Lambton

•Price: $45

•More info: Book via Humanitix

Saturday Night Showcase: Newcastle Comedy Club

Newcastle Comedy Club's flagship weekly show features five or six comedians back to back, with a rotating lineup of local and touring acts. Doors at 8pm, showtime 8:30pm. Dinner and show deals available with the Barracks Hotel next door.

•When: Saturday 30 May, 8:30pm

•Where: Newcastle Comedy Club, 139 Maitland Rd, Islington

•Price: From $25

•More info: Book via Humanitix

A Midsummer Night's Dream: Hunter Drama

Hunter Drama's production of Shakespeare's most beloved comedy runs across four sessions this week at the Playhouse. A reliable choice for a mid-week night out with something more substantial than a pub trivia.

•When: Thursday 28 May 7pm, Friday 29 May 7pm, Saturday 30 May 2pm & 7pm

•Where: The Playhouse, Civic Theatre Precinct, Newcastle

•Price: $49

•More info: Book via Civic Theatre

Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience

The long-running interactive theatre experience returns to Flamingos Live for two nights. Basil, Sybil, and Manuel serve a three-course meal while the chaos unfolds around you. The show is different every night — no two performances are the same.

•When: Wednesday 27 May & Thursday 28 May, 7pm

•Where: Flamingos Live, 31 Morehead St, Lambton

•Price: $109 plus booking fee (includes 3-course set menu)

•More info: Book via Flamingos Live

Brian Robinson: Multiverse: Newcastle Art Gallery (Free)

Torres Strait Islander artist Brian Robinson's major solo exhibition opens at the newly expanded Newcastle Art Gallery. Robinson's work draws on the cosmologies, histories, and visual cultures of the Torres Strait, rendered in intricate linocut prints and sculpture. One of the most significant First Nations artists working in Australia today.

•When: Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10am–4pm; runs through 30 August

•Where: Newcastle Art Gallery, 1 Laman St, Newcastle

•Price: Free

•More info: Newcastle Art Gallery

Salote Tawale: The Tide Continues — MAC yapang (Free)

Salote Tawale presents a new exhibition at MAC yapang inspired by Lake Macquarie, exploring waterways, mangroves, and colonial impacts. Tawale is a Fijian-Australian artist whose work spans video, performance, and installation.

•When: Open now through late July; open Tuesday–Sunday

•Where: MAC yapang, 2A First Street, Booragul

•Price: Free

•More info: MAC yapang

Winmark First Saturday Lunch

Winmark Wines hosts its monthly First Saturday Lunch, a relaxed long lunch in the vineyard with matched wines and seasonal produce. One of the more civilised ways to spend a Saturday in the Hunter.

•When: Saturday 30 May, 12pm–3pm

•Where: Winmark Wines, 229 Wollombi Rd, Broke

•Price: Check website for pricing

•More info: Wine Country

Merewether May Markets

The Merewether Markets return to Dixon Park for their May edition. Local makers, food stalls, and a relaxed beachside setting. Good for a Saturday morning wander.

•When: Saturday 30 May, 9am–2pm

•Where: Dixon Park, Merewether

•Price: Free entry

•More info: merewethermarkets.com.au

Hunter Valley Wedding Fair

The Hunter Valley Wedding Fair brings together local wedding vendors, venues, and suppliers at Pokolbin. Whether you're planning a wedding or just want to eat free canapés and judge table centrepieces, it's a solid Sunday outing.

•When: Sunday 31 May, 11am–2pm

•Where: Mercure Hunter Valley, Cnr Broke Rd & McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin

•Price: $10–$32.65

•More info: weddingfairsnsw.com.au

Live Music Fridays @ Bimbadgen

Bimbadgen's weekly Live Music Fridays run every Friday evening in the Tuscan-inspired courtyard. Live music, vineyard views, and a glass of something good. Bonus: Thursday 28 May is Locals Night at Esca Restaurant — 10% off for locals.

•When: Friday 29 May (and every Friday)

•Where: Bimbadgen, 790 McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin

•Price: Free entry (food and wine available)

•More info: Bimbadgen events

National Reconciliation Week 2026: All In

National Reconciliation Week runs 27 May to 3 June, with the 2026 theme “All In”, a call for all Australians to commit to reconciliation every day. Councils, community groups, schools, and workplaces across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, and the Hunter are running events throughout the week. Check Reconciliation Australia’s event finder for what’s on near you.

•When: Wednesday 27 May – Wednesday 3 June

•Where: Across Newcastle and the Hunter

•Price: Most events free

•More info: Reconciliation Australia

NRL Round 13: Newcastle Knights vs Parramatta Eels

A Saturday afternoon blockbuster! Head to McDonald Jones Stadium for the Newcastle Knights as they take on the Parramatta Eels in a crucial Round 13 clash.

When: Saturday, May 30 (Gates open 10:30am, NRL Kick-off 3:00pm)

Where: McDonald Jones Stadium, BroadmeadowTickets:

Available via TicketmasterLink: Book Tickets

Maitland's True Crime Tour

A guided walking tour of Maitland's darker history, colonial crimes, notorious locals, and the stories the heritage plaques don't tell you. Runs Saturday evening and is consistently well-reviewed.

•When: Saturday 30 May, 5pm

•Where: Maitland (meeting point provided on booking)

•Price: Adults $34, Children $25

•More info: Book via Humanitix

Young Dobell Exhibition 2026 — MAC yapang (Free)

Now in its third year, Young Dobell is an annual exhibition celebrating artworks from young artists aged 5–18 from Lake Macquarie, Newcastle, Port Stephens, Maitland, the Hunter, and the Central Coast. The exhibition opens Saturday 30 May and runs through to July. Free entry.

•When: Opens Saturday 30 May; open Tuesday–Sunday through 19 July

•Where: MAC yapang, 2A First Street, Booragul

•Price: Free

•More info: MAC yapang

The Power of the Organ: Newcastle

The Fernleigh Young Musicians Orchestra performs Guilmant's Organ Symphony at the Newcastle Conservatorium, featuring local organ soloists Stephen Aveling Rowe and Scott Thompson. One of those events that sounds niche until you're actually sitting in the room and the sound fills the space in a way no other instrument quite manages.

•When: Sunday 31 May, 4pm–6pm

•Where: Harold Lobb Concert Hall, Newcastle Conservatorium, Newcastle

•Price: From $29

•More info: Book via Humanitix

Warren Miller's Sno-Ciety: Newcastle (5 June)

The 76th annual Warren Miller ski and snowboard film comes to Five Star Tower Cinemas on King Street on Friday 5 June. If you're a skier or snowboarder — or just someone who enjoys watching people hurl themselves down mountains — this is worth booking ahead. From $22.46.

Check tickets via Eventbrite

Recommendation:

If The Newy List is what's on this week, Marram.com.au is the slower companion to it, a Sunday letter about the people and places that make this stretch of coast what it is.

Know someone who'd love this? Forward it on, they can subscribe free at thenewylist.com

Have a local event or business you think we should feature? Just hit reply, we read every message.

That's your week, Up the Knights! 8-4. See you out there. 🙌

The Newy List