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Community groups, councils and businesses across the Hawkesbury are being encouraged to register now to take part in the 2026 Australian Heritage Festival, one of Australia’s largest celebrations of heritage.
Coordinated by the National Trust of Australia (NSW), the month-long festival will run from 18 April to 18 May 2026, launching on World Heritage Day. Organisers say the event offers a valuable opportunity for Hawkesbury organisations to attract visitors, engage new audiences and showcase the region’s rich cultural, natural and historical heritage.
Now in its 46th year, the Australian Heritage Festival has been bringing heritage to life since 1980 and is recognised as the nation’s largest community-driven heritage event. Participation is free and open to organisations of all sizes, including not-for-profit and community groups, local councils, museums, galleries, libraries, tourism operators, conservation groups and cultural organisations.
Events can be newly developed for the Festival or registered as existing activities, provided they run during the Festival period and celebrate heritage in some form. The Festival program typically includes a diverse range of offerings, from guided tours, talks and workshops to exhibitions, performances, markets, First Nations ceremonies, family events and online activities.
National Trust (NSW) Chief Executive Officer Debbie Mills said the Festival plays an important role in connecting communities and recognising the work of organisations that preserve and interpret heritage across the state.
“History is not fixed in the past; it is a constantly evolving living force that shapes our present and guides our future,” Ms Mills said. “By breathing new life into the places, objects and traditions of the past, we can imagine where they might take us next.”
She said the Festival invites people to explore stories from Sydney’s historic streets through to regional towns and culturally significant Indigenous sites, encouraging reflection on how heritage is reinterpreted by each generation.
With its strong agricultural history, colonial sites, river landscapes and deep First Nations connections, the Hawkesbury region is well placed to feature prominently in the 2026 Festival program.
Registrations for events will close soon. Organisers can register via australianheritagefestival.org.au.
The Australian Heritage Festival is supported by the NSW Government through Heritage NSW, which is the principal sponsor of the Festival and the National Trust Heritage Awards.
For more information, visit the Australian Heritage Festival website.
