Art! Music! Creativity! Bring it on!
Port Macquarie attracts world class creatives through its galleries, international-standard performing arts venue, a beloved sculpture trail, and a community of artists who call this gorgeous region home. There's way more going on here than people expect….
Top ways to experience the Arts in Port Macquarie
The Glasshouse (Theatre, Regional Gallery, Gift Shop & Visitor Information Centre)
The Glasshouse is an architecturally striking building right in the heart of town, and is Port Macquarie's premier arts and culture destination. Located within its dramatic facade is a high-spec 550-seat theatre, the Regional Gallery, a gift shop and the official Visitor Information Centre.
The Regional Gallery is the real deal. It hosts a rolling programme of exhibitions ranging from thought-provoking local work to major national and international touring exhibitions, so there's always something new to see. Locals will tell you it's worth popping back regularly because things change.
Beyond the gallery, the Glasshouse is a state-of-the-art performing arts venue, hosting everything from big-name touring acts to intimate theatre productions. Check the website and book ahead.
When you've had your cultural fill, swing by the Glasshouse Gift Shop for locally made homewares, accessories and art pieces you genuinely won't find anywhere else, including the popular Hello Koalas sculptures and merch range. It's the kind of place where you go in for a browse and come out with something special. The Visitor Information Centre is also right here on site, staffed by people who actually know and love the region. Great place to pick up mags and maps and chat to a local tourism ambassador with valuable intel.
Details: 30-42 Clarence Street, Port Macquarie | glasshouse.org.au Glasshouse hours: Mon-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat/Sun & Public Holidays 9am-2pm Regional Gallery hours: Tue-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat/Sun & Public Holidays 10am-2pm (Closed Mondays) Phone: 02 6581 8888
Hastings Valley Fine Art Gallery
This one's a genuine local gem and it's been going strong since 1983, which is saying something. The Hastings Valley Fine Art Association (HVFA) is a not-for-profit community of artists, beginners through to pros, who are united by a love of making art and a love of this region. It shows in their work.
They're based in a gorgeous little heritage cottage right opposite Town Beach at 2 William Street, which is a pretty good setting for creativity if you ask us. Inside, you'll find original local works across a huge range of styles, all for sale at very reasonable prices. Landscapes, wildlife, florals, abstracts, and more.
The HVFA runs regular workshops and exhibitions throughout the year, so if you're visiting and fancy having a go yourself, keep an eye on what's coming up. Or if you're a local looking to develop your skills, get amongst it. This is the community for you. They also run The Hastings Valley Open Art Prize (March/April), showcasing some seriously impressive regional talent.
2 William Street, Port Macquarie | hastingsvalleyart.net.au
Lighthouse Gallery
Out on Matthew Flinders Drive opposite the beautiful Lighthouse Beach, this charming boutique gallery is dedicated entirely to the work of one artist, and trust us, that's more than enough. Nicola McLeay is a local realist oil painter whose incredibly detailed brushwork has earned her international recognition. Her work is that kind of painting that makes you stop and lean in closer.
The gallery showcases a rotating collection of one-of-a-kind originals, covering landscapes from around our region and beyond, wildlife, portraiture, and even custom-painted snowboards (yes, really). Because pieces come straight off the easel, every visit offers something fresh. There's also a timelapse display showing Nicola's painting process in action, which is genuinely fascinating to watch.
Commissions are welcome and high-quality prints of some works are available too, which makes this a brilliant spot if you want to take a piece of Port Macquarie home on the wall. Call ahead before you visit to make sure it’s open, or look out for the sign out the front to check if it’s open.
159 Matthew Flinders Drive, Lighthouse Beach | Open Wed-Sun 10am-3pm Ph: Jacki 0448 380 725 | nicolamcleay.com
The Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail
Okay, this one is not just for the kids. Port Macquarie's Hello Koalas Sculpture Trail is one of those things that sounds quirky until you're actually doing it, and then you're completely obsessed. It's an outdoor art trail featuring 91 one-metre-high koala sculptures, each uniquely designed and painted by a different artist. It's a treasure hunt, a public art gallery, and one of the most Instagrammable things you'll ever do, all rolled into one.
The showstopper is The Big Koala, Spirit of All Koalas, a whopping 2.5-metre fibreglass beauty out at Guulabaa (Place of Koala) in the Cowarra State Forest. Painted by local artist Pauline Roods with 31 mini koalas worked into the design, it was crowned Best Landmark Sculpture in Australia in 2024. Get that selfie sorted.
Every sculpture on the trail tells a story, whether it's about Aboriginal cultural heritage, conservation, wildlife or community. It's genuinely moving when you take the time to read them.
Grab a trail map and start planning your route at the Hello Koalas Gallery and Gift Shop at 2/1A Blackbutt Road (open 2 days p/w), or the Glasshouse gift shop (open 7 days). Both shops stocks exclusive Hello Koalas merchandise including the much-loved jigsaw puzzles, koala-themed gifts, the Port Macquarie & Big Things Special Editions of Monopoly (with their very own Hello Koalas tokens, naturally).
Visit hellokoalas.com | Ph: 0416 641 482
Long Point Vineyard & Art Gallery
Located around 20 minutes south of Port Macquarie, this lovely vineyard has a charming cellar door which hosts regular exhibitions by local artists. There are also delightful sculptures to be found around the grounds. Sip while you browse at Long Point Vineyard & Art Gallery.
Cassegrain Wines
Cassegrain Wines is now hosting regular local art exhibitions, paint n sip events, and creative workshops including photography, cooking and kids art. Check out their website for a list of upcoming creative events.
ARTWALK - Port Macquarie’s premier cultural festival
Port Mac's art scene spreads well beyond the main galleries. The Artwalk festival in June is the Mid-North Coast’s premier arts festival, where the town comes alive with music, lighting, shows and art installations, attracting tens of thousands to the foreshore precinct for a magical evening for the whole family. Over the weekend, there’s also the Hastings Arts Trail, where local artists also throw open the doors to their galleries, with workshops and valuable insights into their creative processes. Definitely worth timing a visit around it.
More artistic delights around the region
And then there's the wider region, which is absolutely peppered with creative talent. If you're heading south towards Kendall (it's a gorgeous drive, and the hinterland village is very much worth the trip), pop into the Kendall Craft Co-op, a charming little spot bursting with handmade works from local makers. A proper find.
If you're out Wauchope way (only 20 minutes from Port Mac and well worth the detour), the Wauchope Creative Hub at 87 Cameron Street is a huge country shed showcasing the work of over 25 local artists and craftspeople, with rotating exhibitions and creative workshops on site.
Check out our local monthly markets for a bunch of creative talent too. You never know what you'll find.
For public art around the region, the team at portmacquarieinfo.com.au have a great guide to help you explore what's out there. Art really is everywhere here. You just have to know where to look.
Live Music in Port Macquarie
From Symphonies to Swing, Rock to Rap, there’s usually a live muso or band on somewhere in this musical town! For more info on live music in Port Macquarie, see here.
History & Culture in Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie has one of the longest and richest backstories on the New South Wales coast. The Birpai people are the traditional custodians of this land and have lived here for more than 40,000 years, deeply connected to the rivers, rainforest and coastline that still define the region today. Their culture, stories and knowledge remain a living part of the area, and you can experience it firsthand on Birpai-guided cultural tours at Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, where rangers share bush tucker, traditional practices and tens of thousands of years of connection to Country. Visitors can also connect with Culture & Country through Bunya Land Council at Guulaba-Place of Koala.
The European chapter began in 1818, when explorer John Oxley charted the Hastings River, followed in 1821 by the establishment of one of Australia's earliest penal settlements, named after the then Governor of NSW, Lachlan Macquarie. It started life as a place of punishment for convicts who had reoffended, and that convict era left landmarks you can still walk through today. St Thomas' Anglican Church, built by convict hands between 1824 and 1828, is one of the oldest churches in the country and still home to a rare 1857 barrel organ (visitors are welcome to tour this slice of history for a small fee). By the 1830s free settlers had arrived, and while the town grew, this period brought profound hardship and loss to the Birpai people through disease, displacement and conflict, a history the region acknowledges openly.
These days you can dig into the whole story across town. Start at the multi award winning Port Macquarie Museum on Clarence Street for everything from convict origins to modern day, explore the National Trust classified Innes Ruins with NSW National Parks, catch the free nightly Wakulda: Weaving Our Stories as One light show on the Historic Courthouse (1869), or visit the heritage-listed Tacking Point Lighthouse and the Mid North Coast Maritime Museum. Old soul, plenty of stories, well worth slowing down for.
