Powerhouse Parramatta will open its doors in November with a 23-day Opening Festival featuring 179 events spanning First Nations culture, science, technology, design, music, food and film.

Running from 7 to 29 November across three weeks and four weekends, the festival will bring together Australian and international artists, designers, scientists and thinkers, alongside a strong program developed with Western Sydney communities.

Powerhouse Parramatta. Photo © Powerhouse studio

Sixty-five percent of festival events will be free, while all visitors under 16 will receive free entry to exhibitions. During the festival, the museum will open seven days a week, with extended hours until 9pm from Thursday to Sunday. From Monday to Wednesday, it will open from 10am to 5pm.

The program includes appearances by veteran astronaut and former NASA administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr., who will reflect on his career in space exploration, while a panel featuring space architect Melodie Yashar, artist and engineer Xin Liu, spacesuit developer Kiriti Rambhatla and artist Tavares Strachan will consider what it means to live in space.

Science fiction author Ted Chiang will discuss the pursuit of immortality, with his short story Tower of Babylon having inspired the design...