Sydney FINAL – AUSTRALIAN POETRY SLAM
Story Week 2026

Poets Run Sydney!

They rip scrawled leaves of passion from their notebooks. They climb an ancient trunk and throw their verses into the current for you to catch.

Get inside the venue. Grab a seat. The Sydney slam-storm is brewing.

Poets have jumped on the mic in neighbourhood slams from Katoomba to Blacktown to Double Bay, from Wollongong to The Rocks to Newcastle and a bunch o’ places in between.

Now the city’s top wordsmiths, elected by their communities in local heats, stanza and deliver for one night of roar, whisper and finger-snap action.

Word Travels, the non-profit organisation bringing you the Australian Poetry Slam (APS) since 2010, invites you to ignore that wrinkled cushion begging your bum to curl into couch.

Be spellbound by writers slamming live in this exclusive event staged in Word Travels own home – the International Performing Writers Centre.

Audience judges will select two reps for a place in the 2026 APS NSW Final at the State Library on 16 October!

There will be tears and cheers in this nation-wide search for the people’s poet.

The ultimate prize is about $20k worth of publishing and gigs at Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, Singapore Writers Festival and more.

HOST: Dai Moret
FEATURING: The Australian Poetry Slam 2026 Sydney Finalists

Doors 6.30pm | Start 7pm

Support new and emerging performing writers by making a tax-deductible donation with your ticket purchase.

See the full Story Week 2026 program at Word Travels when it is announced later this year.

Dai Moret is a Brazilian-born, mixed-race performance poet and actress. A bilingual writer, she works across poetry, theatre and music, and is the resident poet for Latin jazz band Ally.
A two-time Bankstown Grand Slam winner (2018, 2022) – Australia’s largest poetry slam – Dai is one of the few poets to achieve this twice. Her work moves between political, sensual, and personal themes. With a background in psychology and acting, she brings emotional depth and theatrical presence to her performances. Dai has performed at major festivals including Sydney Writers’ Festival, Vivid Sydney, Melbourne Spoken Word Festival and the Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival.

At the heart of her work is a belief in spoken word as a force for empathy and social change - creating space for stories to be felt, shared and understood.

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Australian Poetry Slam is presented by the non-profit organisation Word Travels.

Word Travels transforms lives through great writing, powerfully performed. Donors to Word Travels support diverse performing writers to engage and inspire communities across Australia and the world. With your support, we create inclusive activities, performances and professional development that helps communities feel seen and heard. Please consider becoming a supporter today.

Make a tax-deductible donation with your ticket purchase or at the Word Travels website.

This project is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW. Also supported by Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, Mumbai LitFest, Singapore Writers Festival and Byron Writers Festival.

Content Warning: Most Poetry Slams are all ages and some content may not be suitable for children. Performances may include strong language and / or adult themes.

Before booking your tickets, please read the information on our website regarding any health safety measures.

APS 2026 Sydney Final artwork features performing writer Dai Moret. Artwork design: APS 2026 artwork design: Rachel Stone Designs, DEFNE and Adara Enthaler. Concept: Miles Merrill and the Word Travels team. Poem excerpt in design: APS Champion 2025 – Arantza Garcia Ferrand.

Photo Dai Moret – Nimbin Poetry highlights 2025 photo credit@reelpixs Charlie Azzopardi.

Word Travels acknowledges that we work, live, and tell stories on the unceded lands of the Gadigal People. We pay respect to their Elders past and present. Always was, always will be First Nations land.

Contact the host of Sydney Final APS '26, Australian Poetry Slam – Story Week 2026