Lasers & fireworks – Open Streets festival set to light Macksville
Published on 18 September 2026
The Nambucca Valley Open Streets Festival is on tomorrow, Saturday 19 September, and it is promising to be bigger than ever.
With over 2000 people turning up despite intermittent rain, the February 2026 festival felt like a community really finding its home.
Nambucca Valley Mayor Gary Lee said delivering the third festival in Spring has allowed the festival team to try some new ideas from the local Nambucca Valley Youth Council, with streets set to come alive with light and laser installations, fire shows and fireworks.
“At tomorrow’s Open Streets festival in Macksville, there is going to be loads to see and do and the night will be topped off with a fireworks display at 8pm,” he said.
“There will be pony cycles mustered in Wallace Lane and a new offering of inflatables that will have even the adults scrambling to stay on top.
“As always, there will be plenty of great activities for children, with a take-home clay art stall, Council and MidWaste’s chia seed house making station, and the OzGreen river bug discovery activity where nature lovers can see and explore what lives in our waterways.
“So, I encourage all of our residents and families to get out and visit Macksville tomorrow from 3pm to 9pm for the third and best yet, Open Streets festival.”
Street performance is always a key feature at Nambucca Valley Open Streets and tomorrow there will be Tyler Impossible back to crack whips, play piano, all atop of his unicycle. Australian veteran contortionist, Bendy Em, is also returning to comedically bend and contort her body into mind-boggling positions. The Phoenix All Stars roving performers will be there as well.
And of course, what would Open Streets be without the food and music! Local food businesses will be open again with their festival menus and complemented by the curated street food vendors from across the region. The big Street Stage will host the most eclectic all-ages music, offering yet and River Stage will round out the program with local tunes, creative performances, and cultural experiences.
The music menu features the warm vintage vocals of Amellia Rose & The Collective, bringing their soul and jazz-imbued Blues. Local female-fronted rock powerhouse, Temperate, is back again, this year on the big stage just ahead of their first international tour of Japan in October.
Winners of Best Bush Ballad at the 2026 Australian Country Music People’s Choice Awards, The Redeemed, is bringing their blues-rock grit with a warm country-folk heart, joined by the Valley Line Dancers.
This free, all-ages festival is proudly funded by the NSW Government’s Open Streets Program, led by Transport for NSW. Nambucca Valley Council was successful in receiving $350,000 through the Open Streets Program over three years.
Minister for Transport, Minister for the Arts and the Night-Time Economy John Graham said:
“Too often our main streets are something we drive through, rather than drive to. As this event highlights, we can use our streets to bring communities together and drive revenue for local businesses,” he said.
“Through the Open Streets program, the Minns Labor Government is making it easier for councils across NSW to activate their streets, cutting red tape and supporting local events like the Nambucca Valley Open Streets Festival.”
For more information about the Program, visit the NSW Government Open Streets program website.
To facilitate the festival, Council has, in pursuance of the provisions of The Roads Act 1993, allowed the temporary road closure of the following Macksville streets between 9am Friday 18 September and 5pm Sunday 20 September:
- River Street (west)
- Wallace Lane
- Princess Street (north of McKay St)
- McKay Street Carpark.
ALL MEDIA ENQUIRIES TO:
Mr David Moloney
ACTING GENERAL MANAGER
02 6568 2555
DATE: 18 September 2026