The Guide: September 2026

11 Sept

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September has arrived and, as promised, the creative calendar has well and truly picked up. Spring brings a mix of exhibitions, festivals, industry gatherings and opportunities for creatives across the Coast — with some particularly big conversations happening around regional arts, music and our creative future.

This month, the Sunshine Coast finds itself at the centre of a few pretty significant things, from a national gathering of regional artists and arts workers at Artlands, to the Sunshine Coast National Art Prize, while further afield there are plenty of opportunities to get involved, apply, learn and connect.

In news closer to home, the SCCA 2026 AGM will take place on Tuesday 20 October 2026. Nominations for the Committee are now open and information can be found here.

So whether you’re looking for your next opportunity, a reason to get out and see some work, or simply want to know what’s happening in the creative sector this month, here’s a taste of what’s on.

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Artlands 2026: A national conversation comes to the Sunshine Coast

This September, the Sunshine Coast becomes the meeting place for regional creatives from across Australia as Artlands 2026 arrives on Kabi Kabi Country.

Part symposium, part think tank and part workshop, Artlands 2026 explores how creativity connects with the systems shaping regional futures, bringing together First Nations voices, creative practitioners, regional policy thinkers and industry leaders.

While expressions of interest to attend have now closed, it’s a significant moment for the Sunshine Coast creative sector, with the national conversation about regional arts and culture happening right here on our doorstep.

23 – 25 September 2026
Find out more about Artlands 2026

Artlands is presented by Regional Arts Australia

Exhibition: 21 August – 11 October 2026
Winners Announcement: Thursday 24 September
Judge’s Walk & Talk: Friday 25 September

Find out more about Caloundra Regional Gallery here.

Sunshine Coast National Art Prize: the winner is nearly here

Forty contemporary artworks from across Australia are currently on display at Caloundra Regional Gallery as part of the 2026 Sunshine Coast National Art Prize.

With a prize pool of more than $35,000, the award celebrates contemporary artists working across 2D and new media, with the winning artwork acquired into the Sunshine Coast Art Collection.

September is a big month for the prize, with the winners announced at Caloundra Regional Gallery on Thursday 24 September, followed by a judge’s walk and talk on Friday 25 September.

Visitors can also vote for the People’s Choice Award while the exhibition is on display.

If you’ve been waiting for an excuse to make your way to the gallery, this is it.

ARTIST SHOWING | Think Big 2032

SCCA and UniSC invite you to join Think Big 2032 artists in residence Lyndon Davis (Kabi Kabi) and Cameron Deyell (in-person) with Ashley Saltner Jnr (Wulgurukaba) and Kyle Page (via video) as they provide an update on the first stage creative development of their Think Big artist residency.

Built around shared experiences at pre-dawn and sunrise, and, through cultural exchange and time on Country, join these incredible artists as they share in the process of bringing this ambitious project to life and preview the work-in-progress.

1pm - 3pm
Saturday 19 September 2026
UniSC, 90 Sippy Downs Dr, Sippy Downs QLD 4556

**Free, RSVP essential**

QUEENSLAND REGIONAL ART AWARDS

There’s still time to enter the 2026 Queensland Regional Art Awards.

With a record $326,800 prize pool, the QRAAs offer regional, rural and remote Queensland artists the chance to access cash prizes, solo exhibitions, residencies and professional development opportunities.

Established in 2011 by Flying Arts Alliance, the awards celebrate the breadth of contemporary visual art being created outside Brisbane.

Entries close Friday 18 September at 3pm.

Enter the Queensland Regional Art Awards

RESIDENCY: CAMERATA QUEENSLAND

Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra is inviting emerging composers to apply for its Composer-in-Residence program.

The residency provides an opportunity to develop a new work for Camerata’s regional touring program, combining creative development with a regional component.

Applications close 28 September 2026.

Find out more about the Emerging Composer-in-Residence program

FUNDING: YOUNG PEOPLE: FIRST NATIONS ARTS & CULTURE PROJECT FUND

Creative Australia is offering $10,000 – $20,000 for projects supporting young people and First Nations arts and culture.

Applications close Tuesday 15 September at 3pm AEST, with activities commencing from February 2027.

Find out more at Creative Australia⁠

FESTIVAL: MITCHELL CREEK ROCK ‘N’ BLUES FEST

The Sunshine Coast Hinterland gets loud for the 15th anniversary of Mitchell Creek Rock ‘N’ Blues Fest.

With more than 120 artists across three days and nights, the festival brings rock, blues and roots music to the Mary Valley, alongside camping and a multicultural food festival.

18 – 20 September 2026
Upper Kandanga, Sunshine Coast Hinterland

EXHIBITION: MAKE, BELIEVE, MAGIC

The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company

This world exclusive exhibition is about to open in Brisbane with puppets, props and even a full-size set from The Jim Henson Company.

Immense and immersive, the exhibition will explore the Company’s dynamic trajectory from practical puppetry to today’s animatronic and digital innovations, as well as its ongoing dedication to the craft of creature design and trailblazing developments in on-screen puppeteering.

Opens 12 September 2026
Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane

FESTIVAL: SWELL SCULPTURE FESTIVAL

From Currumbin Beach to Flat Rock, Tugun Queensland’s largest outdoor sculpture festival is now open.

The annual SWELL Sculpture Festival is a free and all-inclusive 10-day outdoor sculpture exhibition, by the people for the people. Each sculpture tells its own unique story and collectively the exhibition speaks the story of SWELL Sculpture Festival 2026, marking the 24th exhibition, a celebration of connecting people, art and place.

11 - 20 September 2026
Currumbin & Tugun, Gold Coast

Image credits (from top): Image: Water Connects Everything. Courtesy of Regional Arts Australia/Artlands 2026 / Image: think Big Artists gathering, Stumers Creek, Coolum. Courtesy of Tricia King Photography / Image: Rare by Naomi Hobson. Courtesy of the artist and Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery / Image: Alison McDonald, For Annie Slade, 2025. Winner of the 2025 Queensland Regional Art Awards/ Image: Milan Dhiiyaan at Baiame’s Ngunnhu Festival 2023 Credit Stephen Wilson Barker / Image: Production still from Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock 2022–present / © Apple. As seen on Apple TV. All Rights Reserved / Image courtesy: Apple, The Jim Henson Company / Image: Jina-Lee_Evolution Courtesy Leximagery.