Book tickets to a stage show or concert and enjoy a memorable outing with your kids. This guide brings together the best kids shows and family-friendly theatre experiences happening across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, the Central Coast and the Hunter region.
From live theatre and musical shows to interactive performances and family concerts, these local stage events are designed to entertain children of all ages. Whether you’re planning a special day out, a school holiday treat or a first theatre experience, you’ll find plenty of kid-approved options close to home.
Looking to make a weekend of it? We’ve also included a selection of family-friendly kids shows in Sydney, with major theatre productions and concerts playing throughout 2026/2027 — perfect for a day trip or a short family getaway.
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Newcastle, Lake Macquarie & Hunter Valley
Peter and the Wolf and other tales
This fun and magical musical adventure is headlined by Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev. Follow brave little Peter as he outsmarts the wolf and saves the day! The perfect way for kids to discover the magic of music and meet the instruments of the orchestra.
Date: Sunday 22 November 2026
Location: Warners Bay Theatre
Age Group: All ages
Cost: GA $50 plus booking fee, Child (12 and under) $35 plus booking fee
Website
Beauty & The Beast Jnr
Newcastle’s own What Theatre Company brings this Broadway-based Disney musical to the Playhouse, with a young local cast telling the classic tale of Belle and the Beast. It runs a tight 70 minutes with no interval, so it’s an easy watch for younger kids, and there are two casts alternating across the season.
Date: Wednesday 25 – Sunday 29 November 2026
Location: Playhouse, Civic Theatre, 375 Hunter Street, Newcastle
Age Group: Recommended for ages 7+
Cost: Standard Tickets $45
Website
Pevan & Sarah in Concert
If your kids know every word to a Pevan & Sarah song (and chances are they do), this live show at the Civic Theatre is worth putting in the diary. It’s an interactive 50-minute concert with all their favourite songs, and kids under 2 get in free on the knee.
Date: Tuesday 1 December 2026
Location: Civic Theatre, Newcastle
Age Group: Kids (under 17)
Cost: All tickets $24
Website
Seussical KIDS
Presented by Hunter Drama. Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat and all of your favorite Dr. Seuss characters spring to life onstage in Seussical KIDS, a fantastical musical extravaganza. Shows at 10am & 2pm.
Date: Sunday 13 December 2026
Location: Civic Theatre Playhouse, Newcastle
Age Group: All ages
Cost: All tickets $35
Website
The Magic and Circus Show Live on Stage
Jason the Magician and Rhett the Circus Star bring a wildly entertaining live show packed with mind-blowing magic, jaw-dropping circus tricks and laugh-out-loud comedy. With audience participation, big surprises and plenty of laughs, this fast-paced show keeps kids amazed and parents smiling from start to finish. 10am & 1pm shows.
Date: Tuesday 12 January 2027
Location: Warners Bay Theatre
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Tickets $29 + booking fee
Website
The Bubble Spectacular Starring Dr Hubble
Dr Hubble brings his bubble show to The Nex these school holidays, with giant bubbles, tornado bubbles, square bubbles and even a few fiery ones. Expect plenty of audience participation. The show finishes with a big bubble party where kids can pop, bounce and dance.
Date: Tuesday 12 January 2027
Time: From 11am
Location: The Arena, The Nex, 309 King Street, Newcastle West
Age Group: Kids and their grown-ups
Cost: From $34.90 (A Reserve)
Website
The Magic and Circus Show Live on Stage
Jason the Magician and Rhett the Circus Star bring a wildly entertaining live show packed with mind-blowing magic, jaw-dropping circus tricks and laugh-out-loud comedy. With audience participation, big surprises and plenty of laughs, this fast-paced show keeps kids amazed and parents smiling from start to finish. 10am & 1pm shows.
Date: Wednesday 13 January 2027
Location: Maitland Town Hall
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Tickets $29 + booking fee
Website
Dinosaur World Live
Dare to experience the delights of Dinosaur World Live in this Olivier Award-winning interactive show for the whole family, featuring the biggest and best dinosaur puppets live on stage!
Date: Tuesday 19 & Wednesday 20 January 2027
Location: Civic Theatre, Newcastle
Age Group: Recommended for ages 3+ (that age comes from the Sydney season)
Cost: Tickets from $59.90 (B Reserve)
Website
Sydney & Central Coast
Cirque du Soleil: KOOZA
A spectacular circus production combining jaw-dropping acrobatics, comedy and vibrant costumes. While not traditional theatre, KOOZA is a huge hit with families and older kids who love big performances.
Date(s): Saturday 17 October – Sunday 22 November 2026
Location: The Big Top, Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park
Age Group: All ages
Cost: From $79
Website
Young Refugee
An unforgettable performance of Treehouse Theatre’s Young Refugee. Experience the powerful narratives of child refugees, now teenagers, as they bravely share their real-life journeys of escaping war and persecution to start anew in Australia. Young Refugee invites audiences to engage and connect with the refugee experience, fostering empathy and understanding.
Date(s): Thursday 12 – Saturday 14 November 2026
Location: The Seymour Centre, Chippendale
Age Group: Recommended for ages 12+
Cost: Adult $30, Concession $25
Website
The 78-Storey Treehouse
Andy and Terry’s treehouse gets taken over by a Hollywood director, with plenty of silly chaos for primary-school-age kids. Shows at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 3.30pm.
Date: Saturday 21 November 2026
Location: York Theatre, Seymour Centre, Chippendale
Age Group: Recommended for ages 6 – 12
Cost: $39 – $56 per person
Website
The Sydney Symphony Performs Forces of Nature
A family concert exploring the power of nature through orchestral music, presented as part of the Coliseum’s family entertainment program.
Date: Saturday 28 November 2026
Location: Coliseum Theatre, Rooty Hill (Western Sydney)
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Tickets from $47
Website
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in Concert
Celebrate 25 years of witchcraft and wizardry when Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone™ soars across the big screen at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall while John Williams’ Oscar-nominated score is performed live by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Date: Wednesday 2 – Friday 5 December 2026
Location: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
Age Group: Best for school-aged kids
Cost: Tickets from $105
Website
The Nutcracker on Ice
A festive, ice-skating retelling of the Christmas classic, combining figure skating with the Tchaikovsky score. A lovely way to kick off the holiday season with the kids.
Date: Thursday 10 December 2026
Location: Coliseum Theatre, Rooty Hill (Western Sydney)
Age Group: All ages
Cost: TBC — check website (waitlist currently open)
Website
The Very Cranky Bear
A stage adaptation of the much-loved picture book, following four animal friends trying to cheer up a very cranky bear. A cosy summer holiday show for preschool and early primary kids.
Date: Tuesday 15 – Wednesday 23 December 2026
Location: Playhouse, Sydney Opera House
Age Group: Young children and families
Cost: Tickets from $28 + booking fee
Website
Into Space
A spectacular circus adventure about an astronaut whose mission goes off course. Where wonder, courage and imagination take flight, with acrobatics and aerial acts.
Date: Wednesday 6 – Thursday 14 January 2027
Location: Playhouse, Sydney Opera House
Age Group: Recommended for ages 7+
Cost: $42 – $55 per person
Website
Hook’s Neverland
A circus spectacular that tells the Peter Pan story from Captain Hook’s side, with acrobatics and illusions.
Date: Saturday 9 – Sunday 17 January 2027
Location: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
Age Group: All ages (children under two sit free on a lap)
Cost: From $74.90 Sunday to Thursday, $84.90 Friday and Saturday
Website
The Quizzical Mr Jeff
Step into the extraordinary, where the impossible becomes reality in a mesmerising fusion of circus, magic & illusion. The Quizzical Mr Jeff is a versatile circus showman and magician renowned for his unique blend of object manipulation, whimsical illusions, and engaging humour.
Date: Wednesday 13 – Saturday 16 January 2027
Location: Riverside Live at PHIVE, Parramatta
Age Group: All ages
Cost: Tickets from $25
Website
Dinosaur World Live (Chatswood)
Dare to experience the delights of Dinosaur World Live in this Olivier Award-winning interactive show for the whole family, featuring the biggest and best dinosaur puppets live on stage!
Date: Friday 15 – Sunday 17 January 2027
Location: The Concourse, Chatswood
Age Group: Recommended for ages 3+
Cost: Tickets from $64.90
Website