The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Australia has unveiled its 2026 artistic program, announcing a year of exhibitions, commissions and international premieres led by Australian contemporary art and a strong focus on First Nations artists.
The program will feature more than 50 artists across 10 new exhibitions and three major commissions, alongside touring shows, public art and offsite projects across Sydney and regional New South Wales. The museum said the year ahead would balance major international works with emerging Australian voices and large-scale commissions activating the MCA’s galleries and public spaces.
The 2026 program opens on 5 March with the Australian premiere of Drama 1882 by Egyptian artist Wael Shawky, first presented at the 2024 Venice Biennale. The immersive moving-image opera will be shown in the MCA’s Macgregor Gallery until late June.
In May, leading First Nations artist Tony Albert will present Tony Albert: Not a Souvenir, his largest exhibition to date and the MCA’s major winter show. Running from 21 May to 19 October, the exhibition brings together works across sculpture, photography, installation and painting, alongside new commissions, and is supported by Destination NSW.
Throughout the year, the MCA’s building and surrounds will host new commissions, including works by John Prince Siddon in the Circular Quay Foyer from April, and Australian artist Nell – with her signature style fusing of religious iconography, rock ’n’ roll aesthetics and Buddhist philosophy – on the Sculpture Terrace from August. The museum’s façade will also be transformed for Vivid Sydney with a nightly projection by an MCA Collection artist.
Primavera 2026: Young Australian Artists will return in June, showcasing emerging artists from across the country, while July will see sculptor Hany Armanious present a major solo exhibition in the Macgregor Gallery.
In August, Collection: MCA x Tate will open, presenting Australian art on a global stage through works from the joint acquisition program with Tate.
‘This exhibition examines Australia’s recent and ancient cultural histories through a First Nations lens, bringing together works by 32 Australian artists and featuring key works from the 2016–2022 MCA x Tate International Joint Acquisition Program for Australian contemporary art,” reads a press release from the MCA.
October will bring the first major Australian exhibition of Aotearoa New Zealand painter Robyn Kahukiwa, followed by a major international summer exhibition from November.
MCA Australia Director Suzanne Cotter said the program placed Australian artists at the centre of a global contemporary art conversation.
“In 2026 we offer a dynamic program that spans Sydney and across NSW of inspirational experiences, big ideas, big questions and big thinking,” she said.
NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said the program would attract visitors and support the state’s cultural economy.
“By curating some of the very best contemporary artists from around the world, the MCA not only enriches our state’s vibrant arts scene but also attracts visitors from across the country and the globe, supporting businesses and jobs and showcasing NSW as Australia’s leading destination for world-class cultural experiences,” said Kamper.
The museum will also continue its C3West projects in Western Sydney, including C3West: Bonnie Huang – Dare to Dream in partnership with ACON and curated by Pedro de Almeida — project dates are set to be announced later in 2026.
You can find out more info at the MCA Australia website.
