There’s plenty to get up to in the Riverina this week. Photo: Visit NSW.
It’s a busy week across the Riverina, with a packed schedule of things to see and do for just about everyone. Read on for all the best town festivals, new exhibitions, eisteddfods, Pride festivals, runs, nature events, live music and much, much more.
The Festival of Gundagai returns this year, lighting up the main street with the same vibrant spectacle as usual, along with plenty of roaming performers, dance, live music and street food.
Pride in the Paddock Festival is all about connection and visibility, inviting the local LGBTQ+ community as well as the region more broadly to enjoy performances from local drag talent, pet parades, a talent show, market stalls, music and more.
Wagga Wagga’s eisteddfod enters its final week, with plenty of drama, verse speaking, public speaking and readings across multiple days.
All this and just about everything in between in the days to come across the Riverina.
Multiple Days
YIELD Festival has enough for everyone. Photo: Visit NSW.
YIELD Festival
When: 18 to 24 September
Where: Various locations around Coolamon
Cost: Prices may vary | More information online.
YIELD Festival celebrates the significant creative arts in the Coolamon Shire, with plenty of events, workshops, performances, exhibitions, sales, walks, book fairs, town shows and comedy nights.
It’s going to be a great multi-week festival with lots of excitement for everyone, so check out the schedule and find which event is right for you.
Antarctica is in the spotlight at the Museum of the Riverina. Photo: Museum of the Riverina.
Ice Pact – Exhibition at the Museum of the Riverina
When: 19 to 24 September, during normal gallery hours
Where: Museum of the Riverina, 264 Baylis Street, Wagga Wagga
Cost: Free.
Ice Pact is an exhibition at the Museum of the Riverina blending art, science and one person’s personal experience into a fascinating exploration of the Antarctic.
The exhibition is inspired by industrial chemist Jorg Metz, who served as lab manager at Casey Station in Antarctica in 2011/12.
At the heart of the new experience at the museum is a collection of more than 30 works of art, each demonstrating the pristine wilderness of the Antarctic. Beyond acknowledging the continent’s beauty, it also shows the need to protect the Antarctic from human exploitation and damage.
The Wagga Eisteddfod is entering its Speech and Drama Week, with a wide variety of performances set to enthral audiences. Photo: Visit NSW.
Wagga Eisteddfod Speech & Drama Week – Final Days
When: 18 and 19 September
Where: Riverina Playhouse, 8 Cross St, Wagga Wagga
Cost: Tickets $12 | Book online.
Wagga Wagga’s eisteddfod is entering Speech and Drama Week, with plenty of drama, verse speaking, public speaking and readings across multiple days.
Talented young people will be presenting original poems and short stories, Australian-themed poems, religious scripture, character recitals in costume, Shakespearean monologues and more.
This is the final week of the eisteddfod, so this is your last chance to see some of the most talented young people in the region.
Check the schedule for more information.
Celebrate one of the Riverina’s conservation success stories. Photo: Visit NSW.
Narrandera Koala Festival
When: 19 September, from 11 am and 20 September, from 2 pm
Where: Brewery Flat Reserve, 1 Old Brewery Road, Narrandera
Cost: Free | Book individual events online.
Narrandera’s Koala Festival celebrates the nation’s cutest species with a weekend packed with fun bushland experiences, wildlife encounters and other events.
Since 1972, Narrandera has been home to a colony of koalas, growing from 19 reintroduced individuals to more than 300, who live along the riverbanks and in the river red gums of the region. This is your chance to check out a conservation success story.
There’s a whole lot of excitement, with live music, artisan markets, curated experiences and of course, the annual koala count.
The Festival of Gundagai has a lot of entertainment and spectacle for the whole family. Photo: Visit NSW.
Festival of Gundagai
When: 18 September, 4 to 9 pm
Where: Sheridan Street & Carberry Park, Gundagai
Cost: Free.
The Festival of Gundagai is back this year, turning the main street into an unforgettable night of colour, music and community fun. There will be a dazzling canvas with projected art, light installations, roaming performers and interactive experiences.
There will also be live music, dance and cultural performances, street food and regional produce on display.
Go for a relaxed weekend stroll or push your limits at Town2Beach. Photo: Bidgee Fitness Inc., Facebook.
Town2Beach at Narrandera
When: 19 September, 7 am
Where: Brewery Flat Reserve, Old Brewery Road, Narrandera
Cost: Registration price starts from $10 | Book online.
Town2Beach is a great chance to get out and about for a family-friendly competitive walk or run from town to the river’s edge.
There are distances to suit all abilities, from 1 km to 7, 13 and 21.1 km trails, and there will be lollies, water and Gatorade along the way for the runners. So whether you want to go for a nice relaxing spring walk with some friends or really challenge yourself with a half marathon, this is the place to be.
Pride in the Paddock opens for its inaugural year and it’s starting off strong. Photo: Pride in the Paddock.
Pride in the Paddock
When: 19 September, 11 am to 4 pm
Where: Riverside Precinct, Wagga Wagga
Cost: Free.
The inaugural Pride in the Paddock festival is all about visibility and connection, with other LGBTQ+ people and the community more broadly.
The festival is open to everyone and there will be performances from local drag talent, pet parades, a talent show, ribbon twirling, music, market stalls, food, coffee and more.
The music of Strauss comes to the Wagga Civic Theatre. Photo: Visit NSW.
Symphonic Sounds 2026
When: 19 September, 7 pm
Where: Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre, Burns Way (off Tarcutta Street), Wagga Wagga
Cost: Tickets from $17 | Book online.
Head to the Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre for a night of orchestral excellence as the Riverina Conservatorium of Music presents Symphonic Sounds 2026.
The heart of the evening’s attraction is the Overture from Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II, a beautiful piece with an infectious energy and the characteristic elegance of Viennese orchestral music.
