Thousands of sports fans will descend on Newcastle this weekend as the city plays host to two major national events, offering a taste of what is to come during an action-packed April.
The harbour will become a hive of activity from Saturday when the Sailing Champions League Asia Pacific brings its qualifying regatta to Newcastle for the first time, with some of the country's best sailors battling it out over two days of fast-paced action on the water.
Football fans in their thousands will converge on Newcastle when McDonald Jones Stadium hosts a historic A-league double-header on Sunday, with Wellington Phoenix clashing with Brisbane Roar before hometown heroes the Newcastle Jets take to the pitch against heavyweights Adelaide United.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the bumper weekend was just the beginning of what was to come over the next month, providing the city with world class events and generating a welcome economic boost for the city's tourism and hospitality sectors.
"Newcastle has well and truly become your events city with an action-packed schedule, supported by the City of Newcastle, set to create a buzz across the region throughout the next month," Cr Nelmes said.
"From all the action of the historic A-League double-header, to the excitement of welcoming the world's best surfers back to Newcastle for the Rip Curl Newcastle Cup, there will be plenty to keep sports fans entertained, while a host of food festivals are sure to entice and provide a range of diverse culinary options.
"Events and festivals are providing a welcome economic boost for businesses still recovering from the impacts of COVID-19, while also creating an invaluable opportunity to showcase our city's broader attractions to the visitors on the ground and those watching the televised events across Australia and around the world."
The schedule kicks off this weekend with elite-level sailing and football, with both events delivered with the support of City of Newcastle's event sponsorship programs. The Sailing Champions League will return in April for a finals series as part of SailFest on April 10 -11, adding another world class event to the schedule of the Newcastle Regatta.
Sporting stamina will be put to the test for a good cause when the Tour De Cure charity ride for cancer research powers out of Newcastle on 26 March for the 800km journey to Coffs Harbour.
The action-packed April begins with the world's highest ranked surfers taking to the waves at Merewether Beach to kick off the Australian leg of the World Surf League's Championship Tour, across an 11-day period from 1 April.
Newcastle Food Month will be cooking up a storm from 1 April, with local chefs, eateries and producers dishing up more than 30 feature lunches, tastings and masterclasses, three festivals and a world-renowned dining experience, Le Dîner en Blanc, during the month-long menu of culinary celebrations.
SailFest, Woman's University Rugby 7s and Newcastle's annual running festival, NewRun, will pick up the pace from the middle of April with more sporting spectacles to enjoy from the sidelines or as part of the action. Later that month the next generation of sports stars will put their skills to the test in the second half of the month at the Hunter Academy of Sport Your Local Club Academy Games.
To keep up to date with what's on every month across the city, visit newcastle.nsw.gov.au/whatson
Upcoming City of Newcastle sponsored events
- Sailing Champions League Asia Pacific qualifying regatta, 20-21 March, Newcastle Harbour
- A-League double-header, Wellington Phoenix vs Brisbane Roar (4pm), Newcastle Jets vs Adelaide United (6.40pm), 21 March, McDonald Jones Stadium
- Tour De Cure charity ride, 26 March, setting off from Newcastle to Coffs Harbour
- Rip Curl Newcastle Cup, World Surf League Championship Tour event, 1-11 April, Merewether Beach
- Newcastle Food Month, 1-30 April, more than 30 events at various locations
- SailFest Newcastle Regatta and Sailing Champions League finals series, 10-11 April, Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club, Newcastle Harbour
- Newcastle Seafood Festival, 10-11 April, Throsby Creek Precincts and Surrounds
- AON Woman's University Rugby 7s, 10-11 April, No.2 Sportsground Newcastle
- NewRun Newcastle Festival of Running, 11 April, Newcastle Foreshore
Hunter Academy of Sport - Regional Academy Games, 16-18 April, various locations
