After a ten-year run at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre, Junior Theatre Festival (JTF) is making its move to a new home in Melbourne, marking the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for young performers, theatre-goers and live entertainment lovers. From October 2027, the festival will launch at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. With capacity growing from 1,400 participants to over 5,000, the move will create room to welcome thousands more young performers and educators in the years ahead. Melbourne, here we come!
Pre-register here to stay up to date with Junior Theatre Festival Australia – including special guests, event announcements, and more.
And this isn’t just a change of address. The move reflects the huge growth of youth musical theatre across Australia, with schools, academies and community organisations embracing the art form like never before. In fact, more than 50 percent of Broadway Junior licences in Australia are presented in Victoria, making Melbourne a fitting new home for the festival.
For those new to JTF, the festival is about far more than taking to the stage. Over the course of the event, young performers can take part in Broadway Junior adjudications, student workshops, masterclasses and new musical showcases, while educators can get involved in professional development sessions and keynote events. There are also opportunities to connect with the wider musical theatre industry through networking events and special guest performances. With a bigger stage, more opportunities and room for thousands more young performers to take part, JTF Australia is gearing up for an exciting new chapter in Melbourne.
JTF Australia is proudly sponsored by Music Theatre International Australasia and presented in association with iTheatrics.
