Editing Newcastle, New South Wales (section)

===Festivals===
Newcastle holds a variety of cultural events and festivals.

The [[Newcastle Regional Show]] is held in the Newcastle Showground annually. There are a mixture of typical regional show elements such as woodchopping displays, showbags, rides and stalls and usually fireworks to complement the events in the main arena.<ref>{{cite web |author=Nellie Ayres |date=25 October 2007 |title=Show must go on |url=http://newcastle.yourguide.com.au/news/local/general/show-must-go-on/1075275.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711003328/http://newcastle.yourguide.com.au/news/local/general/show-must-go-on/1075275.html |archive-date=11 July 2012 |access-date=13 April 2008 |publisher=Yourguide Australia (reprinted from The Newcastle Star) }}<br />{{cite web |title=Newcastle Regional Show website |url=http://www.newcastleshow.com.au/ |access-date=15 October 2008 |publisher=Newcastle A.H. & I. Association Inc. |archive-date=11 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211123339/http://www.newcastleshow.com.au/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:The Great Northern Hotel, Newcastle CBD, I (7405739078).jpg|thumb|The Great Northern Hotel]]
The [[Mattara festival]], founded in 1961, is the official festival of Newcastle with a more traditional "country fair" type program that combines a parade, rides, sporting events, band competitions and portrait and landscape painting exhibitions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitnewcastle.com.au/accom_result1.asp?Code=22460|title=Mattara Festival 4–12&nbsp;October 2008|publisher=[[Newcastle City Council]]|access-date=15 October 2008|archive-date=14 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080714131859/http://www.visitnewcastle.com.au/accom_result1.asp?Code=22460|url-status=dead}}</ref> Mattara means "hand of friendship" in the local [[Awabakal language]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|date=2020-08-27|title=Mattara Festival to find a sunnier spot on the calendar|url=https://newcastleweekly.com.au/mattara-festival-to-find-a-sunnier-spot-on-the-calendar/|access-date=2021-03-10|website=Newcastle Weekly|language=en-AU|archive-date=16 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816184017/https://newcastleweekly.com.au/mattara-festival-to-find-a-sunnier-spot-on-the-calendar/|url-status=live}}</ref> Originally held at Civic Park and then moved to Newcastle foreshore in 2006<ref name=":0" /> In 2017 the festival was moved to [[Wallsend, New South Wales|Wallsend]] Park.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bielby|first=Nick|date=2017-10-06|title=Mattara Festival may have new permanent home|url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/4970827/mattara-festival-may-have-new-permanent-home/|access-date=2021-03-10|website=Newcastle Herald|language=en-AU|archive-date=18 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818030709/https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/4970827/mattara-festival-may-have-new-permanent-home/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Newcastle Jazz Festival]] is held across three days in August, and attracts performers and audiences from all over Australia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitnewcastle.com.au/accom_result1.asp?Code=22525|title=Newcastle Jazz Festival 28–30&nbsp;August 2009|publisher=[[Newcastle City Council]]|access-date=15 October 2008|archive-date=14 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080714131914/http://www.visitnewcastle.com.au/accom_result1.asp?Code=22525|url-status=dead}}<br />{{cite web|url=http://www.newcastlejazz.com.au/|title=Newcastle Jazz|publisher=Newcastle Jazz Club|access-date=10 November 2010|archive-date=24 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101024014501/http://www.newcastlejazz.com.au/|url-status=live}}</ref> The first festival was held in September 1988 as part the NSW Bicentenital Festival of Music which was organised by the Newcastle Jazz Action Society.<ref>{{cite web|last=Saxon|first=Doug|date=2017-08-24|title=Thirty years of all that jazz|url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/4871835/thirty-years-of-all-that-jazz/|access-date=2021-03-10|website=Newcastle Herald|language=en-AU|archive-date=27 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927190714/https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/4871835/thirty-years-of-all-that-jazz/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Shoot Out 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival]], first started in Newcastle in 1999. This is the film festival where film-makers come together in one place to make a short film in 24 hours. It is run annually in July.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitnewcastle.com.au/accom_result1.asp?Code=22115|title=The Shoot Out Film Festival 11–13&nbsp;July 2008|publisher=[[Newcastle City Council]]|access-date=15 October 2008|archive-date=14 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080714131854/http://www.visitnewcastle.com.au/accom_result1.asp?Code=22115|url-status=dead}}<br />{{cite web|url=http://www.theshootout.com.au/newcastle|title=The Shoot Out – Newcastle|access-date=15 October 2008|archive-date=19 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719153104/http://www.theshootout.com.au/newcastle/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[This Is Not Art]] is a national festival of new media and arts held in Newcastle each year over the October long weekend. Since its humble beginnings in 1998, it has become one of the leading arts festivals in Australia dedicated to the work and ideas of communities not included in other major Australian arts festivals. The umbrella program includes the independent festivals Electrofringe, the [[National Young Writers' Festival]], Critical Animals, [[Sound Summit]], Crack Theatre Festival and other projects that vary from year to year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sydney.citysearch.com.au/arts/1137605802573/This+is+not+Art|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714102810/http://sydney.citysearch.com.au/arts/1137605802573/This+is+not+Art|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 July 2012|title=This is not Art Editorial Review|publisher=citysearch Sydney|access-date=15 October 2008}}</ref>

The Newcastle Entertainment Centre, located inside the Newcastle Showground is a popular venue for regular events including wrestling, concerts and monster truck shows.