Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) - Archibald Prize Exhibition
Details
To BOOK you must GET a TICKET from the Nomads website by following: https://thq.fyi/se/1a959395ae0b. Click on Get Tickets.
Note: An RSVP on Meetup is NOT a booking.
Please visit the Nomads website for full and early details of events and to Contact Leader.
The 2026 Archibald Exhibition is on display in Victoria from Saturday 5th September to Sunday 1st November.
The annual Archibald Prize is eagerly anticipated by artists and audiences alike. Judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW, the prize is awarded to the best portrait painting. Since 1921, it has highlighted figures from all walks of life, from famous faces to local heroes, reflecting back to us the stories of our times.
This touring exhibition at SAM (only site in Victoria) is an opportunity to see the finalists in the Archibald Prize 2026. Travel by public transport is recommended as the event will include walks to/from Shepparton Station. Time to enjoy a pub lunch then a walk to the Museum for a 2PM entry (last entry is at 3 PM).
SAM traces its history back to 1936. The current purpose built complex, sitting opposite the man made Lake Victoria on the main north/south route in the city, was opened in 2021. SAM holds over 4,000 artworks, including one of the largest ceramic art collections in Australia.
GRADE | LENGTH | TYPE: Grade 1 - Easy and Social, 4 km in total via multiple walks on sealed paths (graded according to the AWTGS: Australian Walking Tracks Grading System).
ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION: Departing the train at Shepparton Station, we will walk some 7 minutes or 500 metres to the GV Hotel for lunch. Following lunch there will be a 22 minutes or 1.5 kms walk to SAM. The final walk will be via a different route of 20 minutes or 1.4 kms to Shepparton Railway Station to catch the final train back to Melbourne at 5:03 PM (arriving at Southern Cross at 7:39 PM).
For 2026 there were 1,034 Archibald Prize entries from which 59 were selected for judgement and display. A total of 42 per cent of Archibald finalists were painted by first-time nominees. From the remainder, the S. H. Ervin Gallery at The Rocks in Sydney selected works for an alternative display called the Salon Des Refusés, which has existed since 1992.
Archibald Prize 2026 is a timed-ticket exhibition, with entry at sixty-minute intervals on the hour until the last entry at 3pm. Adult entry is $24 (+47 cent fee), while Concession is $19 (+44 cent fee) (Humanitix system). The Nomads booking will be scheduled for 2pm.
BOOKING: by Thursday 15th October or ASAP to ensure you don't miss out on getting tickets for the gallery!
( 2 Tickets - Nomads event ticket plus the Gallery ticket)
- Entry Tickets: Purchase your ticket for 2pm on Saturday 17 October via Humanitix Archibald Tickets
- Nomads: To register for the walk and lunch.
- To BOOK you must GET a TICKET from the Nomads website by following: https://thq.fyi/se/1a959395ae0b. Click on Get Tickets.
Note: An RSVP on Meetup is NOT a booking.