The Living Smart Festival is back for 2026 on Saturday 19 September, and this year’s headline guest is YouTube sensation, author and upcycling guru Beau Miles.
Known for his quirky online videos turning “junk” into usable items like paddles, desks and chicken coops, Miles will take to the main stage to chat about the adventures he’s had while protecting and enhancing the natural environment.
Now in its 15th year, the Living Smart Festival is one of the largest sustainability events in Australia and champions environmental practices and sustainable living through a full day of talks, workshops, demonstrations, live entertainment and market stalls.
When and where is the Living Smart Festival 2026?
The one-day event will be held at Speers Point Park from 9am to 3pm on Saturday 19 September 2026.
Entry is free and the festival is family friendly, making it an easy addition to your weekend plans.
When is Beau Miles speaking at Living Smart Festival?
Beau Miles is appearing across the day, so it’s worth planning around his sessions if you don’t want to miss him.
10am to 11am, Main Stage: Miles headlines the keynote talk, sharing stories from his adventures in environmental protection and sustainability.
Noon, Wild Ideas zone: A one-hour session where Miles talks through some of his favourite tools and upcycling creations made from unwanted materials and “junk.”
2pm, Wild Ideas zone: Miles helps announce the winners of the School Garden Bed Competition, a festival favourite.
Explore 10 zones of family friendly fun
The festival is spread across 10 themed zones, so there’s plenty to keep the whole family busy for the day.
Main stage kicks the day off with a lakeside yoga session, Welcome to Country, the official opening with Mayor Adam Shultz, Beau Miles’ keynote, live music from Junkyard Beats and a kids’ environmental education show with the King and Queen of Green.
Wild Ideas runs engaging talks and activities all day, including DIY flower crowns with Acacia Play, a Youth Advisory Committee panel, Beau Miles’ upcycling chat, a session with the Blue Minds group and a panel featuring Lottie Dalziel from Banish, Gabby from Repair It Lake Mac and Mardi from ReNewy Living.
First Nations zone offers all-day activities including gum leaf art, weaving workshops and Indigenous crafts.
Upcycle zone is hands-on all day, with DIY floor cushions, dog pull toys, no-sew t-shirt bags and upcycled pens for kids and adults to make and take home.
Harvest zone starts with a morning Crop Swap and runs talks on starting a backyard growing journey, reducing food waste at home, a fermentation workshop, keeping backyard chooks and natural pest control. It’s also home to the School Garden Bed Competition, where visitors vote for their favourite entry.
Greater Bank Community Zone brings together community services and organisations for the whole family, including the Newcastle Toy Library, nature and sensory play, a free nursing pit-stop offering health checks, Lake Mac Neighbourhood Centres and a Netball NSW activation.
Nature zone features an all-day Mini Beasts activation alongside workshops on sniffer dog teams helping locate local koala populations, protecting local seahorse habitat and a hands-on native bat craft session.
Bike valet offers free, secure bike parking all day, so cycling to the festival is an easy option.
Energy zone shows families how to save on power bills with home solar and EV demos, plus free kids activities running all day.
Resilience zone is packed with demos and displays, including an SES vehicle display, garbage truck and bus displays, kids activities and a live show all about the world of waste.
More to see and do all day
Beyond the 10 zones, the festival runs a full program of all-day extras. Lake Macquarie residents can collect free native plants at the Native Plant Giveaway, roving performers will pop up throughout the grounds, and the School Garden Bed Competition winners will be announced at 2pm. There’s also a stallholder market and food vendors on-site, so you can make a day of it without needing to leave.
Getting to the Living Smart Festival
Parking at Speers Point Park is limited and the festival draws big crowds, so it’s worth planning your transport ahead of time.
Free shuttle buses will run all day to and from the festival, making it easy to leave the car at home. Cycling is another great option, with a shared pathway connecting the park from both the Warners Bay and Boolaroo and Glendale directions, plus free bike valet parking on-site all day.
2026 festival sponsors
This year’s Living Smart Festival is supported by zone sponsor Greater Bank, along with event sponsors Hunter Resource Recovery, University of Newcastle, Hunter Water, Source Separation Systems and Solo Resource Recovery.
Our Tips for the Living Smart Festival
- Closer to the event date, check the program for Living Smart event as you don’t want to miss an event or workshop. There’s lots to see and do so plan out your day.
- Arrive early. With the festival running 9am to 3pm, getting there earlier gives you more time to explore all 10 zones before it wraps up.
- Parking is limited, so consider the free shuttle buses or riding in via the shared pathway instead of driving.
- One of the easiest ways to get to Living Smart is by cycling. The shared pathway joins the park from both Warners Bay, Boolaroo and Glendale directions.
- In 2026, to make it even easier to get to the festival, there will be free, accessible shuttle buses running all day to and from the festival. Last year, shuttle buses ran from Glendale, Cockle Creek, Croudace Bay, Warners Bay, Toronto and Fennell Bay.
- Bring reusable bags as there are native plant giveaways for all Lake Macquarie residents as well as shopping opportunities at the market stalls.
- Bring a reusable water bottle as there are water refill stations.
For more information, visit the Living Smart Festival website.
You might also like: