As AI pervades our lives, the performing arts offer us something that can’t be replaced – a live experience, happening in real time, that connects us person to person. Actors, dancers, musicians and singers not only entertain us, but touch us emotionally and help us decipher the world around us. Once again, our team of expert writers – Jansson J. Antmann, Paul Ballam-Cross, Steve Dow, Yvonne Frindle, Deborah Jones and Jo Litson – explores the challenges, themes and highlights in the year ahead.
Orchestras and Choirs
by Yvonne Frindle
It’s no surprise to see Australian orchestras resisting the AI trend and reminding audiences they offer something that even the most ingeniously crafted prompt could never deliver – authentic, original music-making.
Small to Medium Ensembles
by Paul Ballam-Cross
Variety is the spice of life, as we all know, and variety is at the heart of so many ensembles’ programming in the year ahead. From exciting collaborations to instruments from around the world, from Baroque spectaculars to intimate chamber connections, it’s hard not to feel that there will be something tailored for you, no matter what your taste.
Opera and Dance
by Deborah Jones
Whether a company is big or small, shiny new things are dangled before you and beloved repertoire is brought back. As you decide what to see, spare a thought for the artistic teams whose job it is to build a season that will appeal to audiences, showcase artists’ talents and extend the boundaries of the art form so it doesn’t end up like a fly in amber. A program will reflect those things and more.
Theatre
by Steve Dow
The new Australian play can explore territory “uncomfortable, untested and necessary”, playwright Jordan Shea said recently; it can be a “bridge between different histories, cultures and experiences” and provide audiences with “worlds intensely personal and deeply connected to collective memory”.
In 2026, Australian mainstages champion local plays, although once again adaptations, remounts and proven voices far outnumber first-time authors.
Musicals
by Jo Litson
Musicals with a proven track record – traditionally the realm of commercial producers – used to be a sure-fire hit; a way to attract a broad, general audience to the theatre.
It’s a difficult time to be mounting large-scale shows, even those that come with a glowing track record. Nonetheless, there are still plenty of musicals scheduled for 2026.
Festivals
by Jansson J. Antmann
This year’s festival programs are a degustation deeply imbued with community, reconciliation and the civic role of the arts.
They feature boundary-pushing virtuosity, works about love, identity and resilience, and a spirit of hope amid adversity.
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