Good morning, Newcastle.

Big week. The Digest Dinner Club is officially off the ground, launched to the waitlist on Friday, and spots are moving. If you've been keen, jump on it. More below, along with everything else going on around the city this week.

Tucked below The Beach Hotel, Larries has quietly become one of the best takeaway spots in Newcastle. The menu goes well beyond your standard fish and chip shop, from classics like battered barramundi and potato scallops through to housemade prawn toast and sashimi plates; there's something for whatever mood you're in.

The real kicker, it doubles as a bottleshop. Grab your food, grab a drink, and eat overlooking Merewether Beach. Pretty hard to beat.

📍Lower Ground, 99 Frederick St, Merewether

Coyote - Eddie's Lane, 148 Parry St, Newcastle West

A new Mexican cantina has opened on Parry Street. COYOTE sits tucked into Eddie's Lane and brings high ceilings, a big bar, pool table and lucha libre on the projector. On the food side, expect tacos, ceviche, chicharrón and bar snacks built for sharing. Open Thursday to Saturday from 3pm. On my list.

Last Friday, the Digest Dinner Club officially launched to the waitlist, and the response has been great, with nearly 50% of spots already filled in the first few days.

For those who missed the announcement, the Digest Dinner Club is a curated dining experience built around good food, great conversation, and meeting people you wouldn't otherwise cross paths with. The first edition is being hosted at Parry Street Garage on the 9th of April.

Spots are limited by design, this is meant to be an intimate night, not a mass event. If you're keen, click below to complete the personality quiz and secure your place. We'd love to have you at the table.

👉 Secure your spot

Glendale City Centre 30th Birthday Celebration – Glendale City Centre | 1 March – 31 March
A month of celebrations including giveaways, family activities and nostalgic moments marking 30 years of the centre. Free event. More info.

Music in the Podium – Warners Bay Foreshore | 13 March 6pm – 9pm
A free Friday evening live music series on the foreshore featuring popular local musicians, hosted by Lake Macquarie City Council. Family-friendly and relaxed by the lake. More info.

Friday Chill – Pacific Park, Newcastle East | 13 March 6:30pm – 8:30pm
A free, family-friendly summer series with chilled local music, food trucks, kids activities and picnic vibes. BYO picnic or grab a bite from local vendors. More info.

Newcastle Surfest - Various beaches in the region | Monday 9 – Sunday 15 March 2026
Newcastle Surfest is the largest surfing festival in the southern hemisphere, with more than 800 male and female competitors from across the globe competing across nine events throughout February and March 2026, culminating with the final event of the World Surf League, Challenger Series from March 9 -15. More info.

Crumb Turns One – Lambton & The Junction | 12 March – 18 March
Crumb celebrates its first birthday with a week-long pastry archive bringing back favourite bakes and special releases. More info.

Twilight Fridays – MAP mima | 13, 20, 27 March
A free Friday night series with live music, pop-up food and themed creative events. More info.

Fringe Feast – Beaumont Street, Hamilton | 14 March 4pm – 9pm
A street party with local food, live entertainment and roving Fringe performers. Free entry. More info.

Artspace: Free Family Artmaking – MAC yapang, Booragul | 15 March
A free creative session encouraging families to explore art together. More info.

Inflatable Day – Beresfield Pool | 15 March 11am – 2pm
Three hours of inflatable fun included with standard pool entry. More info.

Rathmines Scavenger Hunt Launch – Rathmines Recreation Area | 14 March 10am – 12pm
A family-friendly scavenger hunt with clues around Rathmines and prizes for the first finishers. More info.

International Women’s Month – The Pavilion Kitchen, Carrington | Saturdays in March
Live music series celebrating female artists with performances every Saturday throughout March. Free entry. More info.

Jimmy Carr: Laughs Funny – Newcastle Entertainment Centre | 11–12 March
Jimmy Carr returns with his fast-paced stand-up tour packed with sharp one-liners. More info.

Coffee and Claytime Workshop – Grounded By Designs, Carrington | 12 March 10am – 12:30pm
A relaxed pottery workshop combining hand-built ceramics and coffee, with all materials provided. Tickets $120. More info.

Occasional Combustible Disaster – Civic Theatre Playhouse | 12 March – 21 March
A debut play by local writer Daniel Cottier exploring family, secrets and growing up in regional NSW. Tickets from $39. More info.

SailFest – Newcastle Harbour | 13 March – 15 March
A harbour festival combining sailing events with waterfront food, drinks and live entertainment. Free entry. More info.

Art for Impact – Earp Distilling Co., Carrington | 13 March – 15 March
A three-day event pairing artists with scientists to raise funds for Hunter Medical Research Institute. More info.

Josh Setterfield - 'Up Close & TOO Personal' - Wallsend Diggers | 14 March, 7:00pm
The Up Close and TOO Personal Tour is here — and nothing about it is predictable. These stripped-back, intimate acoustic shows are a complete contrast to the high-energy spectacle of the Josh Setterfield concerts you know and love. Raw and real, they’re full of off-the-cuff moments, unfiltered chaos, and the unexpected. More info.

Wickham St Studios Community Open Day – Wickham | 14 March
Five-year anniversary event with $10 classes, free reformer sessions and giveaways. More info.

Peter Allen Songbook: Time is a Traveller – The Royal Exchange | 14 March
A live showcase of Peter Allen classics performed by Annaliesa Rose and musical director Daryl Wallis. Tickets from $25. More info.

St Patrick’s Day Celebration – Harrigans Cameron Park | 14 March
Live Irish dancers, bands and entertainment throughout the afternoon and evening. Free event. More info.

Shoal Bay Food & Wine Festival – Shoal Bay Foreshore | 14 March
A seaside festival featuring local producers, cooking demonstrations, live music and sunset views. Free entry. More info.

Bed By 10 – King Street, Newcastle | 14 March
A throwback club night for the 30+ crowd featuring retro hits and early finish vibes. More info.

St Paddy’s Day – The Gladdy, Stockton | 14 March
Celebrate with Guinness, Irish food and live music from The Champion Rubies. More info.

Opera’s Bad Girl – Young People’s Theatre, Hamilton | 14 March – 15 March
A theatrical retelling of opera singer Anna Bishop’s adventurous life and music. Tickets from $20. More info.

The Australian Landscape in Poetry & Music – Young People’s Theatre | 14 March – 15 March
A performance blending Australian poetry with evocative piano music inspired by the landscape. More info.

Move For Mum Fundraiser – Foreshore Park | 15 March
A fundraising event featuring DJ-led Pilates, breathwork sessions and raffle prizes. Tickets $35 donation. More info.

Sunday Session: Life Drawing – MAC yapang, Booragul | 15 March
A hands-on life drawing workshop exploring anatomy, tone and expressive drawing techniques. More info.

Eishan Ensemble – Rathmines Theatre | 15 March
ARIA-nominated ensemble blending Persian and contemporary jazz traditions. Tickets from $40. More info.

Celtic Thunder: An Intimate Evening – Civic Theatre | 15 March 7:30pm
A live performance featuring Celtic Thunder’s greatest hits and harmonies. More info.

Lake Mac Philharmonic Orchestra: Myths & Legends – Warners Bay Theatre | 15 March
A sweeping orchestral performance featuring soprano Galatea Kneath. More info.

Lee Jones Quintet – The Grand Hotel, Newcastle | 17 March
British guitarist Lee Jones performs a night of high-energy jazz-rock originals. More info.

St Patrick’s Day – Harrigans Cameron Park | 17 March
Irish-themed celebrations with food specials, live music and Guinness giveaways. More info.

St Patrick’s Day Party – Cross Keys Hotel, Tighes Hill | 17 March
Traditional Irish food, dancing and live music from D’Bag of Spuds. Free entry. More info.

The Skin Hour: Reset After Summer – Avery Aesthetics, Newcastle | 19 March
A free educational session on post-summer skin care led by aesthetic nursing and dermal experts. More info.

Murder Mystery Night – Edgeworth Tavern | 13 March 6:30pm
A Roaring 20s themed murder mystery evening with a three-course dinner as guests work to solve the case of Big Hal Capone’s murder. Tickets $75. More info.

Seniors Festival: Grow & Gather Plant Swap – Hunter Multicultural Communities, Waratah | 14 March 10am – 12pm
A community plant swap with gardening tips, seeds, produce and sustainability conversations. Free drop-in event. More info.

Redstock Festival – Redhead | 14 March 1pm – 9pm
An outdoor music festival featuring Milestones, All Without a Spacesuit, Club Esky and Ashby Mac. BYO food, drinks and chair. Tickets $33. More info.

A Completely Improvised Show – Souths Merewether | 15 March 4:30pm
Improv Theatre Newcastle performs a fully improvised comedy show built from audience suggestions. More info.

Homegrown Markets – The Station, Newcastle | 14 March 9am – 1pm
Newcastle’s handmade and design market with over 100 stalls, street food, live music and family activities. More info.

Newcastle City Farmers Markets – Broadmeadow Showground, Griffiths Rd, Broadmeadow | 15 March
Shop direct from local farmers and makers in a classic community farmers market.

Newcastle Fringe is back for three weekends of independent arts across the city, comedy, cabaret, theatre, music, kids shows, and more, spread across venues in Hamilton, the CBD and beyond. It's one of the best things Newcastle does. Browse the full event program here.

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Newcastle defeated Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday, coming from a goal down at half-time to take all three points. Goals from Eli Adams and Mark Natta sealed it, the first time the Jets have won after conceding first this season.

Milligan's half-time message clearly landed. The Jets came out a different side, winning the physical battle and grinding out a result that speaks to the character this group has built under the former Socceroos captain.

They stay top of the ladder. Next up, Auckland FC at home this Saturday.

When the Dudley Colliery was established in 1885 in the Redhead area south of Newcastle, it sat within the most productive coalfield in New South Wales. By 1898 it employed 292 workers, but it had a troubled history. Gas had been reported sixteen times in the eleven months before the disaster, and naked lights were routinely used throughout the mine despite the known risk.

On the morning of Monday 21 March 1898, the ventilation fan had sat idle for nearly 47 hours over the weekend. At 9.20am an explosion tore through the mine, heard six miles away in Belmont. The shaft cage was propelled 23 feet into the air. All 15 men underground were killed. The youngest was 16, the oldest, 70. The mine was sealed, and the last body wasn't recovered until 4 August 1898, more than four months later.

The Royal Commission found the explosion was caused by firedamp igniting at a naked light, with inadequate ventilation a key factor. In a positive legacy, the disaster gave momentum to the Miners' Accident Relief Fund Bill of 1900, and continuous artificial ventilation became standard practice across NSW coalfields.

Today, the site is Lydon Oval - Dudley Redhead Football Club's home ground. Weekend soccer matches now take place on the same ground where 15 men went to work and never came home.

Thanks to @ourpast.au on Instagram for the inspiration on this one.