Western Sydney creative collectives are claiming the rooftop of the new $1 billion Powerhouse Parramatta for a series of free events throughout November, with Kerfew’s Sidd Sharma saying the venue changes the lack of infrastructure for the area’s cultural talent.
In front of a wall draped in multicoloured saris, Jeevi Bola performed a traditional Bharatanatyam dance atop the museum on Sunday as part of a Diwali party organised by Kerfew, a western Sydney-based South Asian creative collective. The event drew inspiration from day raves thrown by the UK’s South Asian diaspora in the 1980s and 1990s.
Powerhouse Parramatta opened on Saturday after 11 years of planning, three years of construction, two parliamentary inquiries and four NSW premiers. The moment could not have come soon enough for Fernando Benavides of Beat Kitchen Records.
“The people, the talent, the audiences are there. What has not been there is the infrastructure. And I think Powerhouse Parramatta really changes that,” Sharma said. “It’s a billion-dollar venue with state-of-the-art rooms, state-of-the-art spaces, and a lot of eyeballs.”
The rooftop series, running until November 27 with free entry, features a range of practices and genres curated by leading musicians, DJs and collectives. Country Always, an all-female First Nations acoustic group, opened the series on Saturday. Three Rivers Ensemble, a seven-piece group inspired by Islamic devotional music, will perform this Friday, November 13, and ARIA winner BOY SODA will take the stage on November 21.
Fernando Benavides of Beat Kitchen Records, a western Sydney record label and creative collective that will take over the rooftop next Sunday, said his father worked on the museum’s construction, fitting the air conditioning system. “I come from like a very working-class family, and my dad’s always just kind of worked a trade,” he said. “When I’d see him, I’d always be like, ‘How’s the Powerhouse, how’s the Powerhouse?’ And then it was exciting when I got to tell him about us working there.”
Benavides said the melting pot of backgrounds and class origins makes western Sydney an exciting region for music production. “It’s a meeting point between different cultures and what breeds from that is hip-hop, reggaeton and garage and all these fun genres that are innovative and new and exciting,” he said.
Powerhouse senior program curator Nikki Brogan said the museum’s approach was to select emerging young music makers and collectives “hungry” for spaces to make their own. “That idea of [the rooftop series is to draw in] young people or creatively kind of minded people who are connected in some ways to these creatives and the shows that they put on,” Brogan said. “But also when we’re thinking about families who are visiting the museum, when we’re thinking about local communities … we’ve really tried to look across what a nice cross-section might look like to have different offerings that could potentially resonate with different groups of people.”
Artist Nooky, who engineered the Country Always opening rooftop show, said western Sydney creatives now have a cultural institution where they can perform without having to travel into the city. “Starting to set up these cultural institutions and precincts in the heart of western Sydney will definitely alleviate [that travel],” he said.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The free rooftop series signals that Powerhouse Parramatta is being programmed as a community hub rather than a museum alone, flipping the typical city-centre cultural model.
- For decades, western Sydney creatives have argued they lead the city's culture but were starved of public investment; this series is a direct test of whether a billion-dollar venue can shift that.
- The series draws on a mix of First Nations, South Asian and hip-hop scenes, reflecting the diverse demographics of the area that have long been underrepresented in major institutions.
Background
Powerhouse Parramatta, the new $1 billion museum and cultural precinct in western Sydney, opened on Saturday November 7, 2026, after an 11-year planning and construction process that survived two parliamentary inquiries and four premiers. The venue is intended to bring major cultural infrastructure to an area that has long been a creative heartland but received relatively little state investment. The rooftop music series runs for most of November with free entry.
Key Perspectives
Sidd Sharma (Kerfew collective): Says the talent and audiences were always there but the infrastructure was missing, and Powerhouse Parramatta changes that.
Fernando Benavides (Beat Kitchen Records): Notes his personal connection as his father worked on the museum's air conditioning, and says western Sydney’s mix of cultures makes its music production innovative.
Nikki Brogan (Powerhouse senior program curator): Says the series was curated to draw in young people and creatively minded individuals, while also offering something for families and local communities.
Nooky (artist who engineered the opening show): Points out that western Sydney creatives previously had to travel into the city to perform; the new venue alleviates that.
What to Watch
- Attendance figures for the free rooftop events will show whether the community engagement strategy succeeds.
- Announcements of further programming at Powerhouse Parramatta in 2027 will reveal whether the museum maintains its focus on local collectives.
- The reception of BOY SODA’s performance on November 21 may indicate the venue’s pull for ARIA-winning acts.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedWestern Sydney collectives will take over the Powerhouse Parramatta rooftop for free events.The Age - Latest News: “Throughout November, numerous western Sydney collectives and musicians will take over the rooftop for free events.”
- SupportedPowerhouse Parramatta is described as a new $1 billion venue.The Age - Latest News: “Jeevi Bola launches into a transfixing traditional Bharatanatyam (a classical Indian dance) atop the shiny new $1 billion Parramatta Powerhouse.”
- SupportedThe series includes Kerfew, Beat Kitchen Records, BOY SODA and Country Always.The Age - Latest News: “Country Always, an all-female First Nations acoustic group opened the series on Saturday”
- SupportedSidd Sharma said Powerhouse Parramatta changes the lack of infrastructure for western Sydney’s talent and audiences.The Age - Latest News: ““The people, the talent, the audiences are there. What has not been there is the infrastructure. And I think Powerhouse Parramatta really changes that,” Sharma says.”
- SupportedSharma said, “It’s a billion-dollar venue with state-of-the-art rooms, state-of-the-art spaces, and a lot of eyeballs.”The Age - Latest News: ““It’s a billion-dollar venue with state-of-the-art rooms, state-of-the-art spaces, and a lot of eyeballs.””
- SupportedJeevi Bola performed Bharatanatyam at Kerfew’s Diwali party, which drew inspiration from UK South Asian day raves of the 1980s and 1990s.The Age - Latest News: “The Diwali party organised by western Sydney-based South Asian creative collective Kerfew drew inspiration from the day raves thrown by the UK’s South Asian diaspora in the 1980s and 1990s”
- SupportedPowerhouse Parramatta opened on Saturday after 11 years of planning, three years of construction, two parliamentary inquiries and four NSW premiers.The Age - Latest News: “The Powerhouse received a joyous reception when it opened on Saturday, after 11 years of planning, three years of construction, two parliamentary inquiries and four NSW premiers.”
- SupportedThe free rooftop series runs until November 27 and includes a range of practices and genres curated by musicians, DJs and collectives.The Age - Latest News: “The series spans a range of practices and genres, curated by leading musicians, DJs, and collectives.”
- SupportedCountry Always opened the series on Saturday; Three Rivers Ensemble was scheduled for Friday, November 13, and BOY SODA for November 21.The Age - Latest News: “Country Always, an all-female First Nations acoustic group opened the series on Saturday, and will be followed Three Rivers Ensemble, a seven-piece group inspired by Islamic devotional music, this Friday, November 13 and by ARIA winner BOY SODA on November 21.”
- SupportedBenavides said his father worked on the museum’s construction, fitting its air-conditioning system.The Age - Latest News: “Benavides’ father worked on the museum’s construction, fitting the air conditioning system”
- SupportedBenavides said the meeting of different cultures produces innovative music genres in western Sydney.The Age - Latest News: ““It’s a meeting point between different cultures and what breeds from that is hip-hop, reggaeton and garage and all these fun genres that are innovative and new and exciting,” he says.”
- SupportedNooky said western Sydney creatives can perform at a local cultural institution without travelling into the city.The Age - Latest News: “Artist Nooky, who engineered the Country Always opening rooftop show, says western Sydney creatives now have a cultural institution where they can perform without having to travel into the city.”