What's on this weekend in Newcastle and the Hunter

Holy Holy plays the Cambridge Hotel on Saturday, April 15. Picture by Paul Dear

FRIDAY

Ramadhan Kareem Iftar, 5-7pm, Heaton Park, Jesmond. Bring a plate of food to share.

SATURDAY

Megacreatures Night Safari Saturday-Sunday and nightly through April 30, 5pm to 10pm, Hunter Valley Gardens, Pokolbin.

Newcastle Knights play host to defending National Rugby League champions Penrith Panthers, 5.30pm, McDonald Jones Stadium.

The Party. A risque night of cabaret fun created by Strut & Fret. Spiegeltent, Civic Park. Saturday 5pm and 7.45pm and Sunday 4pm and 6.30pm.

The Newcastle Knights play the Penrith Panthers on Saturday, April 15, at McDonald Jones Stadium.

SUNDAY

Newcastle City Farmers Market, 7am to 1pm, Newcastle Showground, Broadmeadow.

Clairewood Matt perform Tales from the Night, Royal Exchange Theatre, 7.30-8.30pm. Their show is a unique collection of lesser-known folk tales from different parts of the world (Japan, Scotland, Bulgaria, and Germany), co-narrated by the duo, who use accompanying sound effects, music, and multi-lingual dialogue. Adapted for contemporary audiences, the stories are brought to life and infused with whimsy, theatricality, and tenderness. 34 Bolton Street, Newcastle.

PBR Bullriding at Newcastle Entertainment Centre on April 22.

MUSIC

Holy Holy, Cambridge Hotel, Saturday, April 15.

Meg Mac, Cambridge Hotel, Sunday, April 16

None For One, I Hate People. Strapped In, The Hamilton Station Hotel

Lo Monaco, Cambridge Hotel, Sunday, April 16

Ryan Daley, The Road Hogs, Wickham Park Hotel, Sunday, April 16

Tyrants (Single Launch), Bad Witch (Single Launch), Butterknife, Goon Gremlins, The Hamilton Station Hotel, Saturday, April 15

Art

Loud Sky, at The Lock Up creative space. Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday 11am-3pm. 90 Hunter St, Newcastle.

Wednesday, April 19, 5.30-7.30pm join Artists Peter Gardiner, Damien Linnane and Clare Weeks in conversation with Curator Dr Rod Pattenden as they discuss their work featured in Loud Sky. Listen as the artists speak about the processes involved in making their works in response to stories of survivors of institutional church-based child sexual abuse uncovered through the hearings of the Australian Child Sexual Abuse Royal Commission.

Colonial Truth, works by Doug Heslop, The Creator Incubator, opening 6pm on Saturday, April 15. On show through April 23, noon to 5pm. 15a/50 Clyde St, Hamilton North.

Velvet Rewired starring Marcia Hines opens at the Civic Theatre on April 19.

COMING UP

Brian Cadd, April 21, Lizotte's.

Steve Balbi, April; 22, Lizotte's.

Groovin The Moo, Saturday, April 22, Maitland Showground. Amy Shark, Ball Park Music, Fat Boy Slim, Confidence Man, The Chats, Denzel Curry, Genesis Owusu, Skeggs, Sophie May, Teenage Dads and more.

The Gum Ball, April 21-23, Dashville, featuring Paul Dempsey, The Baby Animals, The Sheep Dogs, and more.

Helmet, Cambridge Hotel, Thursday, April 20.

Newcastle Jets v Central Coast Mariners, Saturday, April 22, 5pm, McDonald Jones Stadium.

Newcastle Races, Hunter Melanoma Foundation Race Day, Saturday, April 22.

PBR Origin 1, Bullriding Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Saturday, April 22

The Stranglers, Cambridge Hotel, Sunday, April 23.

Velvet Rewired, a musical focused on the 1970s disco era, starring Marcia Hines, April 19-23, Civic Theatre.

The World is a Vampire Tour, April 29, Newcastle Entertainment Centre. Smashing Pumpkins, Jane's Addiction, Amyl & The Sniffers, plus pro wrestling.