Overview
- Powerhouse Parramatta, which opens Saturday November 7, 2026, will welcome a sold-out launch weekend for more than 20,000 visitors and about 22,000 people have registered for opening events.
- The opening program features five inaugural exhibitions, including major immersive works by Es Devlin and James Turrell, and a 23-day festival with roughly 65% of performances, talks and workshops free to the public.
- Designed by Moreau Kusunoki with Genton, the steel‑latticed building offers about 18,000 square metres of public space and an 18‑metre‑high, roughly 2,000‑square‑metre column‑free ground gallery to host large installations.
- Leadership and governance remain under scrutiny: long-serving director Lisa Havilah stood aside in late August and Abbie Galvin is acting chief executive while investigations into procurement and administrative practices continue.
- The museum is meant to anchor a wider riverside and Metro precinct development, provide new school programs and visitor facilities, and could boost local tourism and jobs even as public debate continues over transparency and consultant use.