23-24 Feb 2027
Western Sydney
One of Australia’s hottest regions
250+
Delegates from across the country
100,000+
Community voices represented
Australia’s first
A national gathering led by the people living through the heat.
Sweltering Cities is Australia’s national community voice for heat safety. In February 2027 we’re bringing community leaders, organisations, experts and storytellers together in Western Sydney to set the national agenda on extreme heat.
01
Community voices, national stage
250+ delegates representing more than 100,000 community voices from every corner of the country.
02
Hosted where the heat hits
Western Sydney is one of the hottest parts of Australia. We’re meeting here to amplify local expertise and connect it with new national networks.
03
Learn from the best
Plenary sessions, hands-on workshops, leading international experts and powerful storytelling.
04
A Heat Action Statement
Delegates will shape a community-led Heat Action Statement and set national policy priorities.
05
Power in the room
Frontline leaders connect directly with media, decision-makers and national allies.
06
Culture and celebration
Artists, musicians and writers bring the Summit to life, because movements are built on more than policy.
Most importantly, we’ll build lasting structures for a nationwide movement led by the people most affected by heat.
Australia is in an era of increasingly dangerous, record-breaking heat.
Yet the scale of impacts isn’t being met with the solutions we need. Heat isn’t seen as a crisis and people in hot homes, baking suburbs, and unsafe workplaces are paying the price.
Led by Sweltering Cities, the National Community Heat Summit will be a landmark political and cultural moment. It will create a new layer of national community leadership and will transform how Australia understands and responds to extreme heat.
60%+
of people say cost-of-living concerns make it harder for them to stay cool.
Sweltering Cities 2026 Summer Survey
Why now?
Temperatures are rising and people can’t afford to keep cool.
The summer of 2026–27 is projected to be extreme, fuelled by climate change and a ‘Super El Niño’ weather event. Public awareness of heat as a health and justice issue has never been higher.
The Summit will channel that attention and momentum into a defining national event and will turn attention into lasting political change.
Get involved
There’s a place for everyone.
Whether you’re a long-time supporter, a community organisation with members on the frontlines, or a funder who wants to invest in lasting change, we’d love to have you with us. To sign up to be the first to know about Heat Summit news, or to let us know how you want to be involved, click here.
Community Leaders and Individuals
Take part in the national listening project and make sure your community – and your story – are part of this landmark moment.
Organisations
Commit to attending the Summit, run active listening over summer with your community, contacts, staff or network, and share your research or engagement work to help shape the Summit and Heat Action Statement
Funders
Invest in movement infrastructure, delegate support and lasting policy impact – and help make sure the people most affected by heat have a seat at the table.
The road to the Summit
Listen. Gather. Act.
The Summit is the start of a national push, not the end of it.
Summer 2026–27
Listen
A national community listening campaign. Communities, organisations and supporters talk with the people around them about the impacts of extreme heat and the solutions they want.
February 2027
Gather
250+ delegates meet in Western Sydney to bring together what they’ve heard and agree on a community-led Heat Action Statement and national policy priorities.
2027 and beyond
Act
We take the Heat Action Statement directly to community, government and decision-makers as the basis for an ongoing national advocacy campaign.
In good company
Participating organisations include:
The Sydney Alliance · Anti-Poverty Centre · Sydney University Heat Health Research Centre · Doctors for the Environment · Arab Council NSW · The Nature Conservation Council · Tomorrow Movement · Better Renting · Blacktown Regional Uniting Church · Greater Western Sydney Advocacy Network · Parents for Climate
More partners to be announced. Want your organisation listed here? Join us as a partner.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Who can attend the Summit?
The Summit brings together community leaders, community organisations, experts and storytellers from across Australia.
What is the Heat Action Statement?
A community-led statement of national policy priorities on extreme heat, shaped by delegates at the Summit and by what we hear during the summer listening campaign. After the Summit we’ll take it directly to government and decision-makers as the basis for an ongoing national advocacy campaign.
What is the summer listening project?
Over summer 2026–27, community leaders, supporters and partner organisations will talk with their communities, contacts, staff and networks about the impacts of extreme heat and the solutions they support. What we hear will shape the Summit agenda and the Heat Action Statement.
My organisation already has research on heat. Can it help?
Yes, please. We welcome research, listening or engagement work from the past three years to help shape the Summit design and the Heat Action Statement.
Where and when exactly will it be held?
The Summit will be held in Parramatta in February 2027. We’ll share the exact dates on this page, and directly with registered participants, as soon as they’re confirmed.
Help shape the national agenda on heat.
Sign up soon to secure your spot and help us shape the agenda. Already working with us? Reach out to your contact at Sweltering Cities.
