Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown (second from left) and State Member for Heathcote Maryanne Stuart (centre) at the event announcement with representatives from the Thirroul Arts and Entertainment District. Photo: Wollongong City Council.
A multi-day mix of music, activations and activities is set to bring the suburban streets of Thirroul to life, with a new family-friendly festival allowing residents to enjoy an event in their own backyard.
Thirroul has been announced as the next Illawarra location hosting an Open Street Festival, bringing exciting opportunities to residents outside the Wollongong CBD.
The festival will boast a two-day program with free outdoor performances featuring a mix of local and national artists, business activations, lighting and visual arts elements, and activities for the whole family.
“We saw that post-COVID, people want to enjoy things in their own community and enjoy their neighbourhood, and that’s why we’re making sure we’re pushing for these events out there,” Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown said.
“These events build community and we’ve seen that and want to make sure we continue to deliver them in all suburbs so everyone can get out and enjoy.”
It will coincide with the Thirroul Music Festival, now in its fifth year, which showcases the area’s intimate and unique venues.
The street festival model has already achieved great success, with Port Kembla hosting a similar event last October.
“It was wonderful,” Cr Brown said.
“We closed off the main street, there was a big stage, lots of local bands came through and the community really came out and enjoyed it, and that’s what I want to see in Thirroul.”
The festival is funded through a grant from the NSW Government’s Open Streets Program (2025-28), which aims to transform streets into vibrant, walkable public spaces by delivering recurring street-based events.
The Thirroul Open Street Festival will be in King Street from 29-30 November.
“There will be music and food and I encourage everyone to get out there and enjoy it,” Cr Brown said.
More information and the line-up of artists are expected to be released closer to the event.
