Sydney Contemporary reveals the line-up for its 10th edition

Since its first outing in 2013, Sydney Contemporary has welcomed more than 250,000 visitors to Carriageworks, the historic railway workshop on Gadigal land that has hosted the Fair from the beginning. For its anniversary edition, the Fair turns to reflect on a decade of collecting and championing the arts community, a stretch in which it has become one of the most anticipated dates on the cultural calendar in the Southern Hemisphere.

The 2026 edition spans four sectors – Galleries, Futures, Works on Paper and the return of Photo Sydney following a strong inaugural outing last year. Around the gallery presentations sits a wide-ranging public program, with Installation and Performance curated by Director of UNSW Galleries José Da Silva, Talks curated by Vivid Minds curator Mitchell Oakley Smith, and an artist-led Kid Contemporary space for younger visitors.

Tim Etchells, founder and co-owner of Sydney Contemporary, described the milestone as a celebratory moment that speaks to both the Fair’s growth and the vitality of the broader art community. He recalled the original ambition of building a world-class fair in Sydney that could hold its own internationally, and reflected on a decade of building that vision alongside collectors, galleries and artists.

Returning as Principal Partner is MA Financial Group, which also brings back the MA Art Prize for a fourth consecutive year. The acquisitive award has been increased to $25,000 and goes to one early-career artist exhibiting at the Fair. Andrew Martin, Managing Director and Head of Asset Management at the group, said the prize was established to champion emerging and early-career artists across Australia, offering a platform to build profile and reach a wider audience.

The 2026 cohort threads long-standing exhibitors through a fresh wave of new and returning galleries. Among those present since the inaugural edition are 1301SW | STARKWHITE (Naarm/Melbourne, Warrane/Sydney, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland), Alcaston Gallery (Naarm/Melbourne), Ames Yavuz (Warrane/Sydney, Singapore, London), Art Collective WA (Boorloo/Perth), Gow Langsford (Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland), MARS Gallery (Naarm/Melbourne), Martin Browne Contemporary (Warrane/Sydney), OLSEN (Warrane/Sydney), Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery (Warrane/Sydney), Sullivan+Strumpf (Warrane/Sydney) and Utopia Art Sydney (Warrane/Sydney). They are joined by newer and returning names including Sutton Gallery (Naarm/Melbourne), FOX JENSEN & FOX JENSEN McCRORY (Warrane/Sydney, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland), LON Gallery (Naarm/Melbourne), Everywhen Art (Shoreham), day01. (Warrane/Sydney) and NO FANTASY (Naarm/Melbourne).

Across the four sectors, galleries will show work by artists from 33 countries. Among the local highlights are Abdul Abdullah (Ames Yavuz), Michael Zavros (The Renshaws’), Karen Black (Sutton Gallery), Betty Kuntiwa Pumani(Alcaston Gallery), Kenny Pittock (MARS Gallery), Yhonnie Scarce (NO FANTASY), Aida Tomescu (FOX JENSEN & FOX JENSEN McCRORY) and Lillian O’Neil (The Commercial). International names include Laurence Edwards and Nicola Hicks (Messums), Tony Cragg (Gow Langsford), Koo Bohnchang (Gallery LNL), Mark Francis (FOX JENSEN & FOX JENSEN McCRORY) and teamLab (Martin Browne Contemporary).

Zoe Paulsen, Fair Director, framed ten editions as more than a decade of collectors discovering artists who have gone on to shape contemporary art in Australia and abroad. She pointed to how the local art community has matured over that period, and looked ahead to a September program that celebrates what has been built while offering a glimpse of what comes next for collecting in this country.

Further programming will be announced in the coming months. Tickets are available now at sydneycontemporary.com.au.