Geelong Arts Centre’s 2026 season is offering moments that are sure to shift perspective, stir old memories, and make you laugh.
Building on the record-breaking success of 2025, Geelong Arts Centre will host more than 32 shows across 86 performances, as well as a huge mix of theatre, dance, family entertainment, local productions, iconic live music, and huge comedy acts.
The 2026 season is filled with stories of powerful women from Geelong, Australia, and the world. Whether it’s the resilience of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Sydney Theatre Company’s ‘RBG: Of Many, One’ to the raw energy of ‘Amplified: The Exquisite Rock And Rage Of Chrissy Amphlett’.
Then, making its Victorian premiere is award-winning playwright Suzie Miller’s ‘Strong Is The New Pretty’. It tells the story of the power-breaking birth of women’s footy. Plus, Australian acting royalty Noni Hazlehurst stars in one-woman show ‘The Lark’ about memory, change, and holding on. . . And Alison Whyte is in Melbourne Theatre Company’s anticipated production of ‘The Glass Menagerie’.
If you’re seeking the unexpected, look no further than REWIRE, filling the theatres with bold, daring, unconventional works. There’s Connor Morel’s heartfelt musical ‘Good Man’, about masculinity and meeting your dad for the first time. . . Karma Dance Inc.’s ‘Temple Of Desire’. . . And ‘I Am In A Parasocial Relationship With Britney Spears’, a world premiere from Geelong’s Back To Back Theatre.
Add Gillian Cosgriff’s sharp musical wit, Joel Bray’s ‘Swallow’ and re:group performance collective’s ‘POV’, and you’ve got a programme sure to challenge, provoke, and remind audiences what it feels like to be moved.
There’ll be Delightful Days & Matinees too, with favourites like ‘Heart & Soul Music’, starring Simon Gleeson and Natalie O’Donnell, Denis Walter singing his favourites, ‘James Bond Classics’, and Bernadette Robinson: ‘They Sang At Carnegie Hall’.
“You can really feel the energy building across Geelong right now. Our stages have never been busier, our audiences are growing, and we’re seeing more and more artists wanting to develop or premiere their work here,” Geelong Arts Centre CEO and Creative Director Rhys Holden says.
“Next year, we see Geelong stepping into its next chapter as a cultural leader - a place where world-class art and everyday life meet. From world premieres to Victorian exclusives, season 2026 speaks directly to the bold, creative, vibrant and deeply connected community we’re proud to serve.”
