Hive Festival at Art Gallery of NSW

Get ready for a whirlwind of creativity and fun because Hive Festival is buzzing into the Art Gallery of New South Wales these summer school holidays!

Perfectly timed to keep kids entertained and inspired, this FREE family-friendly festival is a haven of art-making, performances, and storytelling magic.

Hive Festival at Art Gallery of NSW

Part of Sydney Festival 2025, Hive Festival is perfect for kids who love to create. All workshops are hands-on with fun direction from creative artists, with all materials provided–all you have to bring is your creative spirit!

This year's festival centrepiece is Flights of fancy, a whimsical project from Sydney-based artists Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro. Families can join a drop-in workshop to design and decorate panels for an enormous collaborative kite. Yes, your creations will literally take flight in this imaginative celebration of kites, dreams, and all things that soar. Don't forget to drop in over the weekend to see the kite grow! 

Join Hong Kong-based Japanese artist and architect Hikoko Ito in Birthday card wishes, another hands-on workshop where kids can contribute to a real-life artwork by decorating birthday cards designed by Hikoko Ito. Each card will become part of Hikoko Ito's artwork and installation, titled Happy Birthday 2U2.

Artist Bonnie Hung will be leading Dreaming on the picnic blanket, a fun workshop where you can create the picnic of your dreams! Using colourful, textured papers and other craft materials, kids can add sweet treats and cute critters to their own woven-paper picnic blanket.

There will also be storytelling sessions in the children's art library, roving art-making tours, and a children's film program, plus, there's a dedicated soft art play space, especially for kids under five.

Sensory-friendly Hive

The Art Gallery of NSW is also hosting a special sensory-friendly early-entry visit on Sunday 19 January 2025 starting at 9 am. This earlier session is designed for visitors who prefer a calmer, quieter environment, offering a chance to explore the Gallery with reduced sensory stimuli.

Families can drop into a sensory-friendly creative workshop – including Flights of fancy with Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro, Dreaming on the picnic blanket with Bonnie Huang, and Birthday card wishes by Hikoko Ito – or a sensory storytime in the children's art library.

Grab the kids and make a day of it - there's no better way to spend the holidays than getting creative at Hive Festival!

Where:   Art Gallery of NSW
When:    Saturday 18 January 2025 | 10 am to 4.30 pm
               Sunday 19 January 2025 | 9 am to 4.30 pm
Cost:      FREE, no bookings required

More to Discover This Summer

Set Sail on an Exciting Adventure at Cockatoo Island
The Best School Holiday Activities in Sydney
Sydney's Top Kid-Friendly Beaches

Have you signed up for our newsletter? Join ellaslist to get the best family and kid-friendly events, venues, classes and things to do NEAR YOU!