Mark Hughes Foundation Magic Ball

The Mark Hughes Foundation is back with its tenth annual Magic Ball at the Newcastle Exhibition & Convention Centre (NEX) on Saturday 15 August. It's a black-tie gala that's become one of the Hunter region's most anticipated nights out, and this year marks a decade of the event.

If you've been around the NEX ballroom in previous years, you'll know the night is built around a theme that transforms the whole space. In 2025 it was downtown Miami; in 2023 it was the Boulevard de Clichy in Paris; and back in 2019 it was a 1950s Cabana Club. The 2026 edition follows that same pattern, with the evening centred on premium cuisine and wines, high-calibre entertainment, celebrity MCs and prestigious auction items. It's a full-dress affair, so you'll want to dust off the black tie.

The night raises money for the Mark Hughes Foundation, which Mark Hughes and his wife Kirralee started after Mark's own battle with brain cancer. The foundation has grown into a broad operation: the Beanie for Brain Cancer campaign launched in 2014, and the Adventure Treks began in 2015, with those treks alone raising more than A$4.3 million since 2016. The ball is one of the foundation's biggest annual fundraisers, and the money goes toward supporting MHF patients and their families in the fight against brain cancer.

It's a high-water mark for the foundation's fundraising, too. The gala has raised millions over the years, and the 2025 edition set a record by bringing in A$315,000. The 2026 Magic Ball takes place on Saturday 15 August at the NEX in Newcastle.