Introducing: Lane Cove Festival 2026

Published on 27 July 2026

Made in Lane Cove: Lane Cove Festival returns - bigger, bolder and unmistakably local

Lane Cove Festival @ Sydney Fringe is back this September - a month-long celebration of arts, culture and community where locals aren’t just the audience, they’re the makers.

After last year drew 7,742 people to more than 66 events, Lane Cove Festival @ Sydney Fringe returns under the theme Made in Lane Cove - transforming the area’s venues, streets, parks and plazas into a vibrant cultural precinct on Sydney’s north shore.

Presented in partnership with Sydney Fringe Festival, the 2026 program spans live music, theatre, comedy, cabaret, circus, dance, visual art and family fun - with dozens of free events and something made here for everyone. Lane Cove is the only area in the “northern neighbourhood” in the Fringe program this year.

With 80% of events being produced, created or performed by locals, the festival celebrates home grown creativity, connection and community; it is truly Made in Lane Cove.

Headline Events

• Launch Night - Friday 4 September, The Canopy, 5pm–8pm (FREE). The North Shore’s favourite free night out kicks off the month with live music, bold cabaret, circus and dance, roving performers weaving through the crowd and plenty of local food and drink. Bring a picnic, find your spot and settle in.
• Big Day Out at The Canopy - Saturday 12 September, 10am–4pm (FREE). The festival’s anchor community day: a jam-packed program of live performances, workshops and family-friendly activations, alongside the Made in Lane Cove Markets showcasing local makers - from handcrafted ceramics and origami jewellery to vintage-inspired art and homewares.
• At Your Request - Friday 11 September, Civic Centre. The much-loved jazz night where the audience writes the set list, performed by the band of the late, iconic jazz pianist and Lane Cove local Judy Bailey.
• Lane Cove Art Award - exhibition 17 September to 3 October, Gallery Lane Cove (FREE). One of Sydney’s longest-running community art prizes celebrates bold, beautiful and thought-provoking works by Australian artists, with the opening night on Friday 18 September.
• Rumours: Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show - Saturday 26 September, The Canopy. Pull up a picnic rug for a family-friendly outdoor concert spanning every era of Fleetwood Mac - Dreams, The Chain, Go Your Own Way and more.
• Lane Cove Fun Run - Sunday 13 September, Kingsford Smith Oval. A community-run celebration of fitness and fun, with 2km and 5km courses winding through Longueville’s streets and bushland.

   

  Fringe Favourites and Fresh Discoveries

  Pottery Lane Performance Space and the Civic Centre will host an eclectic Fringe line-up, including the Australian premiere of Olivier Award-winning playwright James Graham’s darkly funny one-man show The Man; All Things Must Pass, a time-bending play about The Beatles; and Algorithm of Us, a sharp satirical rom-com set under the fluorescent lights of corporate Australia.

  Back by popular demand, a Best of Fringe season features the award-winning Gia Ophelia, country-music satire Barnaby: A Country Musical, pub-muso love letter That’s Me in the Corner, and the genre-defying An Augmentation of Sitar by Ravi.

  Families are spoiled for choice with Dear Stranger, a free letter-writing adventure for curious kids at The Canopy; comedy experiment I Couldn’t Find a Babysitter!; and a magical Studio Ghibli Jazz Concert. Music lovers can catch the virtuosic Match Percussion Trio, and 50 voices lifting The Canopy as Soulfood a Cappella celebrate 50 years of Australian pop - for free.

  Made by the whole community

  Beyond the stages, the festival celebrates everything made in Lane Cove - with native plant stalls, guided bushwalks, bug hunts and spotlight walks, community garden open days, library author talks and workshops, Devonshire tea and history at Carisbrook Historic House, a community picnic, and much more, delivered by dozens of local groups and organisations.

  Councillor Merri Southwood is excited to welcome the community out this spring: “Made in Lane Cove says it all - this festival is created by our community, for our community. For 34 years, we have celebrated our place, and it’s wonderful to see the festival return bigger and bolder, with our local artists, makers and community groups at its heart. Whether you’re catching a show at Pottery Lane Performance Space, browsing the markets or picnicking under The Canopy, there’s a month of moments waiting to be discovered right here at home.”

  The full program and tickets are available at lanecove.nsw.gov.au/lcfest26. Many events are free; ticketed shows are selling now. Follow the festival at #MadeInLaneCove.

  Media enquiries

  Sarah Corry, Manager – Communications and Cultural Programs, Lane Cove Council

  media@lanecove.nsw.gov.au