Shepparton Art Museum has landed its white whale.

The museum announced that it would host the Archibald Prize in 2026, Australia’s most prestigious portraiture exhibition.

SAM will be the only Victorian venue on the national tour and the very first stop after the exhibition closes at the Art Gallery of NSW.

SAM artistic director Danny Lacy said he was “thrilled” for both the gallery and the Goulburn Valley to have secured such a significant event.

“As the first destination on the regional tour — and the only opportunity for Victorian audiences to experience these works in their home state — we look forward to welcoming thousands of visitors to SAM,” he said.

Renowned for capturing the faces and stories that define Australia, the Archibald Prize features an eclectic collection of portraits — from cultural icons and contemporary figures to activists and everyday Australians — painted by some of the country’s leading artists.

Beyond its artistic prestige, the exhibition is expected to benefit the region culturally and economically, drawing collectors, curators and art connoisseurs from across the nation to Greater Shepparton.

The Archibald Prize 2026 will be on display at SAM from September 5 to November 1, 2026.

Further details — including the announcement of finalists and their sitters, the popular Packing Room Prize, ticketing information and public programming — will be released by the Art Gallery of NSW and Shepparton Art Museum in 2026.

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Thursday, 19th March 2026

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