Four days of art, ideas, people and plenty of surprises are heading to Kandos.
There are not too many places where contemporary art can pop up in a paddock, a hall, a shopfront or somewhere you would never expect to find it. But then again, there aren’t too many places quite like Kandos.
From Thursday 17 to Sunday 20 September, CEMENTA26 will bring artists, visitors, locals, conversations, performances and a healthy dose of the unexpected together for four days in one of the Mid West’s most distinctive communities.
Cementa is an artist-centred and community-driven regional arts organisation based right here in Kandos on Wiradjuri Country. Since beginning in 2013, its biennial festival has grown into something much bigger than an exhibition or collection of artworks.
Cementa takes contemporary art out of the traditional gallery setting and places it within the town, its landscape and its community. And that’s where the fun begins.
CEMENTA26 will feature more than 30 artists and collaborations, with works exploring regional culture, community, Country, environmental change and the stories already sitting within the places around us. This year’s curator, Sebastian Henry-Jones, has approached the festival with the idea that art can help people notice what is already there – local culture, creativity, history, stories, Wiradjuri culture and Country.
It means visitors shouldn’t arrive expecting a conventional trip to an art gallery.
Instead, come prepared to wander. Come prepared to talk to people. And definitely come prepared to stumble across something that makes you stop and wonder exactly what is going on. That’s part of Cementa’s charm. The festival has developed a reputation for socially-engaged and place-specific art – work that responds directly to communities and landscapes rather than simply being dropped into them.
For Kandos, it also means welcoming people from across the region and further afield into town for four days – exploring the streets, meeting locals, visiting businesses and discovering a community with an extraordinary industrial, cultural and creative story.
Cementa describes its 2026 festival as bringing the “wonder and weirdness” back to Kandos, and that might just be the best way to approach it. You don’t need to understand contemporary art. You don’t need to know the artists. You certainly don’t need to stand quietly in front of something pretending you know what it means. Just turn up, have a look, ask questions and enjoy the ride.
For locals who have never experienced Cementa before, this is the year to see what all the fuss is about. For returning visitors, there will once again be plenty to discover.
For four days in September, Kandos becomes the gallery. And everyone is invited.
CEMENTA26 | 17–20 September 2026 | Kandos! Full artist information and the festival program can be found through the Cementa website – cementa.com.au
Featured image: What’s in a Postcard Baby, I Just Wanted To Make You Smile 2024, Sophie Dumaresq.
