There’s a lot on this week, with plenty of weird and wonderful sights on offer. Photo: National Gallery of Australia.
Get set for a busy week in the Riverina, with something in store for everyone – including races, a livestream of the Sydney Writers’ Festival, book fairs, orchestral performances, stand-up comedy, art events and more.
Bookworms rejoice as the Sydney Writers’ Festival is set to be streamed directly to the Museum of the Riverina. Gain invaluable insight from some of the biggest writers making waves in the world of literature, with a chance to ask questions in a Q&A segment at the end.
Southern Stars and Western Skies brings together four choirs, including one from the USA, for a special two-night concert featuring more than 130 singers performing works from both Australian and American composers.
All this and more in our weekly guide to the best to see and do in the Riverina.
Multiple Days
You don’t have to go all the way to Sydney to get the scoop on the Sydney Writers’ Festival. Photo: Wagga Wagga City Library.
Sydney Writers’ Festival Live & Local
When: 21 to 24 May
Where: Museum Of The Riverina – Historic Council Chambers, corner Baylis and Morrow streets
Cost: Tickets $7 | Book online.
The Sydney Writers’ Festival Live and Local Livestream is bringing all the best literary events from the festival straight to the regions, so you won’t miss out on the excitement.
Australia’s largest annual celebration of reading and writing, the Sydney Writers’ Festival brings together authors and thinkers to share their ideas and experiences with exciting conversations and discussions.
Just as an example, this Thursday’s session includes a talk with A.C. Grayling on the future of democracy, a talk with the Man Booker Prize-winning novelist who wrote Life of Pi, and Booker Prize-winning writer David Szalay, recognised for his book, Flesh.
Audiences will also get a chance to take part in live Q&As with the speakers.
That’s just a taste of the bookish excitement to come.
A unique interpretation of one of the most enduring science fiction stories at the CSU Playhouse. Photo: Visit Wagga Wagga.
War of the Worlds – Play at the CSU Riverina Playhouse
When: Performances from 21 to 30 May
Where: CSU Riverina Playhouse, 8 Cross Street, Wagga
Cost: Tickets from $25 | Book online.
Freeroam Theatre is presenting an exciting, reimagined vision of H.G. Wells’ classic novel War of the Worlds, adapted for Australia.
This adaptation is centred around two intrepid reporters, Paul and Tess, as they follow a lead into the remotest corners of the country. They come across two town characters, a pub owner and an eccentric larrikin.
What starts as an interesting but expected lead ends up being something with extraterrestrial implications.
Pick up your next read at the Rotary Club’s Book Fair. Photo: Visit NSW.
Rotary Club of Wagga Wagga – Book Fair
When: 16 May, 8 am to 5 pm and 17 May, 9 am to 3 pm
Where: Kyeamba Smith Hall, Wagga Showground, Bourke Street, Wagga
Cost: Free entry.
Wagga’s Rotary Club is holding its Book Fair, with a whole lot on offer for bookworms to get stuck into at Kyeamba Smith Hall. This massive book sale will include thousands of second-hand books, including fiction and non-fiction, all conveniently sorted by category. There will also be plenty of material for kids and young adults, so if you’re looking to pick up some cheap presents for the kids, you can’t pass this up.
There will also be a barbecue available all weekend.
More than 130 singers come together for an amazing concert. Photo: Visit NSW.
Southern Stars and Western Skies – Four Choirs International Festival – Wodonga
When: 16 and 17 May, 2:30 to 4:30 pm
Where: Various locations, see individual performance page for more info
Cost: Tickets from $20 to $25 | Book performance one and performance two.
Four choirs are combining to present an exciting concert, with musicians from the local area as well as Arizona, USA, coming together for a special evening of music inspired by their respective countries.
The concert repertoire will consist of pieces by Australian and American composers, with Albury natives Daniel Brinsmead’s The Firebird and Paul Tasker’s setting of Henry Kendall’s poem, Sutherland’s Grave, representing Australia.
This combined choir will include more than 130 singers and a full orchestra of 45 musicians across two hours and two days of performance.
Don’t miss the most exciting musical event this week in the Riverina.
Friday
Catch all the excitement on the track this Friday. Photo: Visit Albury Wodonga.
Albury Sprint Classic Race Day
When: 15 May, 11:30 am
Where: Albury Racing Club, 46 Fallon Street, North Albury
Cost: Free entry.
Head to the Albury Racing Club this Friday for the excitement of a full day of country racing, with eight races on the day, as well as a full bar, cafe and plenty of vibrant energy.
If you live for the thrill of the track or you just want an excuse to get dressed up and enjoy a day out at the club, this is the place to be to cap off the week.
Internationally touring comedian Ash Fils-Aime comes to town. Photo: Visit NSW.
Riverina Comedy Club: Ash Fils-Aime
When: 15 May, 8 pm
Where: Tilly’s, 109 Baylis Street, Wagga
Cost: Tickets about $30 | Book online.
Ash Fils-Aime discovered a love for comedy at the age of just 18 and he hasn’t looked back. He performs on stage with a relentless energy and his talent on stage has taken him from the United States to Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and now, Australia.
He has made appearances on MTV’s Sink or Swim and SiTV’s Stand-up Comedy Showcase, and he currently boasts a feature role in the Australian comedy How I Became A Vegetarian.
Cap the week off with some laughs at the Riverina’s only comedy club.
Saturday
A unique artistic experience lights up the sky. Photo: Visit NSW.
Skywhales Across Australia
When: 16 May, 5:30 to 7 am
Where: Temora Recreation Grounds, 75 Britannia Street, Temora
Cost: Free.
Patricia Piccinini’s Skywhales is coming to Temora, bringing these now-iconic works from the national collection to the Riverina for a spectacle of the bizarre.
Launched in Canberra in 2021, Skywhales has expanded its reach, lighting up the skies across NSW with inflatable creatures both strange and compelling. There will be themed music playing as they reach the sky, as well as coffee vans, bacon and egg rolls, book readings from the artist herself, an art experience at the library and an artist talk at the Town Hall Theatre.
The best music of the 50s and 60s comes to life. Photo: Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre.
Life in the Spotlight Presents: Jukebox Revival
When: 16 May, 2 pm
Where: CSU Riverina Playhouse, 8 Cross St, Wagga
Cost: Tickets from $53.5 to $58.5 | Book online.
Jukebox Revival is a hearty celebration of the sounds of the 50s and 60s, with a great cast performing hit after hit from icons of the era.
Beloved local performers will perform music from The Four Tops, Elvis, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5, James Brown, Aretha Franklin and The Beach Boys.
There will be plenty of amazing costumes, stunning choreography and some of the most iconic music of the mid-century. Don’t miss out on this celebration of music and 50s optimism.
Wednesday
Mental health advocacy through a rural lens. Photo: Visit NSW.
The Unbreakable Farmer – Mental Health Talk
When: 20 May, 5:30 to 8:30 pm
Where: Lockhart Recreation Ground, 16 Day St, Lockhart
Cost: Free | RSVP online.
Warren Davies has been dubbed The Unbreakable Farmer for his work as one of the country’s leading rural mental health speakers.
Davies’ life has been moulded by financial pressures, farming and the experience of rebuilding after personal and professional loss, a sentiment common to many in the bush.
Testing his resilience and determination, his experience has shaped how he advocates for mental health, especially in the regions. He is inviting listeners across the Riverina to this conversation about how pressure accumulates and how recovery and wellbeing really work.
