Garrmalang Festival

Name: Garrmalang Festival
Address: 93 Mitchell Street, Darwin, NT, 0800, AU
Telephone: 0889803333

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Garrmalang Festival

Garrmalang Festival is a celebration of the artistic richness of First Nations culture in the heart of Darwin city.

Friday 12 & Saturday 13 June 2026, AANT Centre. See the full program at yourcentre.com.au
Garrmalang Festival is a celebration of the artistic richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, right in the heart of Larrakia country. For the traditional custodians, Garrmalang is the name of what is now Darwin's CBD. The city's only dedicated First Nations festival appro

aches its 7th year in 2023 and has cemented itself as an event of national importance, honouring the oldest living culture in the world. Join us at Darwin Entertainment Centre the last weekend of May each year, as we celebrate age-old ingenuity on a contemporary stage. Garrmalang Festival acknowledges the Larrakia People as the traditional custodians of the Darwin region and pays respect to their elders, community leaders and emerging warriors. We also acknowledge all other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, clans, and communities that make Darwin and the Top End region such a diverse and inclusive place, where we can all come together and celebrate as one.

05/06/2026

We've always loved the work of self-taught Larrakia artist Jason Lee, so we asked him to paint one of his designs on our wall!

On Friday 12 June at 7.15pm, we'll officially reveal Jason's new mural in Garrmalang Alley, our newly named social and art space beside the Studio Bar in AANT Centre.

Jason started learning his gulumerrdjin (Larrakia) culture from a young age, which was further cultivated during his teenage years and through learning Larrakia language. Jason’s dreaming is the dragonfly which is Bidjipidji (pronounced Beedj-peedjee) in Larrakia language - and Garrmalang Festival’s icon!

Come along from 6pm for the official Welcome to Country, then stay to experience new art, culture and community as Garrmalang Festival comes to life.

📍AANT Centre, Fri 12 June 6pm-9pm, Sat 13 June 10am-2pm & 5pm-9pm
🎟FREE
See the full program at www.yourcentre.com.au

04/06/2026

🖤💛❤️DARANIGI GULWA | OUR SONGS🖤💛❤️ On Saturday 13 June, enjoy live music flowing from local First Nations musicians on the Forecourt and Balcony Bar during Garrmalang Festival.

We’re happy to announce:

✨ Prayer & Doug Corby | 10am–2pm
A soulful set from rising Darwin singer/songwriter Prayer Corby and her father, longtime musician Doug Corby.

✨ Eddie Kitching | 6pm–7pm
Respected Elder and storyteller Eddie Janama Kitching shares songs reflecting culture, connection and life on Larrakia Country.

Free to enjoy as part of Garrmalang Festival.

Power and Water INPEX Australia Off The Leash
Tourism and Events NT Tourism Top End

03/06/2026

Paparliwi amintiya awirankuwi ngini jilamara ngirramini
Emerging artists carrying on designs and stories from our ancestors

As part of Garrmalang Festival, in collaboration with Laundry Gallery and Jilamara Arts, experience a powerful exhibition from artists on Wulirankuwu Country, Tiwi Islands.

Featuring contemporary works in locally sourced earth pigments on stringybark, canvas and carved ironwood, this exhibition celebrates Tiwi artistic traditions grounded in jilamara (ochre body paint designs), ceremony, clan totems, yoyi (dance) and storytelling. From ancient creation stories to more recent histories, including the bombing of Darwin, these works carry culture, knowledge and connection across generations.

Join us for the official opening at 6.30pm on Friday 12 June and explore the exhibition throughout Garrmalang Festival and beyond.

📅Garrmalang Festival Exhibition Opening Hours
Official Opening & Speeches 6.30pm, Friday 12 June
Friday 12 June 6pm-9pm, Saturday 13 June 10am-2pm and 5pm-9.15pm

📅Exhibition Opening Hours beyond the Festival
Monday 15 - Saturday 27 June
Mon-Fri 10am-4pm and 1 hour prior to events at AANT Centre

📍AANT Centre
🎟FREE
See the full program at www.yourcentre.com.au

INPEX Australia Power and Water Off The Leash Tourism Top End Larrakia Nation We Are Locals - Darwin Tourism and Events NT

29/05/2026

🖤💛❤️FREE EVENTS THIS GARRMALANG FESTIVAL🖤💛❤️

Across the Festival, AANT Centre transforms into a welcoming place of gathering where you are invited to explore visual art, enjoy live music, relax and yarn with old friends and new friends.

On Friday night, join us for a special Welcome to Country, experience the opening of our art exhibitions, and gather on The Balcony from 7.45pm for MAYIMA, a special menu of bush food-inspired bites created by Fire and Forage, celebrating native ingredients. It’s the perfect way to round up an evening of culture, conversation and celebration.

On Saturday, from 10am-2pm, soak up the Festival atmosphere across the venue with coffee and refreshments around a long communal table outdoors, live music, the Marketplace and other activities, before the nighttime celebrations begin.

Then, arrive early from 5pm to enjoy Our Songs at 6pm before our headline concert event GARRMALANG FESTIVAL | Christine Anu & ZIPPORAH at 7pm. The night continues with GARRMALANG FESTIVAL | Together We Are Beautiful featuring The Huxleys and special guests – a joyful love letter to the simple but radical act of getting together and having a really, really good time.

See the full program at www.yourcentre.com.au

INPEX Australia Power and Water
Off The Leash Tourism Top End Larrakia Nation We Are Locals - Darwin Tourism and Events NT City of Darwin

27/05/2026

National Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June) is a time to come together, listen, learn and keep walking forward together. This year’s theme, ‘All In’, reminds us that reconciliation belongs to all of us - through truth-telling, shared experiences and celebrating culture in meaningful ways.

That spirit sits at the heart of Garrmalang Festival. Across music, storytelling and performance the Festival creates space for connection, conversation and celebration of First Nations voices.

Featuring a special mother-daughter performance from Christine Anu and ZIPPORAH, alongside the bold late-night world of The Huxleys in Together We Are Beautiful, Garrmalang invites everyone to be part of the experience - whether through live performance, song, dance, or taking part in the Festival’s free activities across the venue.

Fri 12, Sat 13 June
Stay tuned for our full program!
🎟️ Book Now via the link in our bio

15/05/2026

FIRST PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT! ON SALE NOW

Across 12–13 June at AANT Centre, we’re celebrating First Nations storytelling, culture and connection through an inspiring program of music, performance, art and immersive experiences. We’re excited to announce two powerful Festival highlights, on sale now!

🎶 CHRISTINE ANU & ZIPPORAH
A rare shared stage experience between two generations of Torres Strait Islander artists. From solo sets to a moving finale together, this is a celebration of family, legacy and song, featuring ZIPPORAH’s striking new sound from her debut album NAUNGU URUI and the iconic voice of Christine Anu.
Sat 13 June, 7pm
https://bit.ly/GF26ChristineAnu_Zipporah

🌙 TOGETHER WE ARE BEAUTIFUL
A late-night immersive experience from The Huxleys (Garrett and Will Huxley), blending performance art, surreal visuals, music and dancefloor energy in a joyful celebration of q***r creativity and First Nations artistry.
Sat 13 June, 9.15pm
https://bit.ly/GF26_TWAB

🎟️ See both and save! Book tickets to both events and unlock a $10 discount.

More deadly program announcements coming soon, including our program of FREE events, so watch this space!

Off The Leash Tourism Top End Larrakia Nation We Are Locals - Darwin

07/05/2026

We’re proud to announce our new partnership with INPEX as a key supporter of Garrmalang Festival and our Garrmalang Presents program.

INPEX’s support helps bring audiences into contact with powerful First Nations voices and stories, supporting meaningful cultural experiences that honour Indigenous storytelling, connection and creativity across Larrakia Country.

Their investment enables us to continue presenting work that celebrates culture and community, from Festival programming through to major season highlights on our stages at AANT Centre.

We are grateful to INPEX for their support in helping us share and strengthen First Nations voices and stories through live performance in the Northern Territory.

Garrmalang Festival runs from Friday 12 – Saturday 13 June 2026. Program revealed soon at yourcentre.com.au

22/04/2026

Announcing the 2026 Garrmalang Festival Creative Team

We’re thrilled to welcome Jacob Nash as Creative Director and Libby Collins as Associate Creative Director for Garrmalang Festival in 2026.

A First Nations designer and storyteller, Jacob Nash’s ancestral Country on his mother's side is in the Daly River, along with Chinese and Malay heritage and Scottish ancestry on his father's side. Jacob brings two decades of practice shaping First Nations stories for the stage and beyond. He spent over a decade as Head of Design at Bangarra Dance Theatre, where his award-winning work toured nationally and internationally. In 2021 he was appointed inaugural Creative Artist in Residence for Sydney Festival, curating the Blak Out Program.

Joining him is Libby Collins, a Tiwi storyteller, born and raised in Darwin, with a strong national profile across production, communications and community engagement, including work with Bangarra Dance Theatre and the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples. Her work spans feature film and television (including Top End Bub, First Inventors and Top End Wedding) and is grounded in cultural knowledge and a commitment to community. She also recently established Hello Dear Productions, based in Darwin and hopes to continue to tell stories here on home ground and to grow the landscape of filmmaking locally.

Together, they’ll lead the next chapter of Garrmalang, celebrating culture, story and place.

Garrmalang Festival 12-13 June, 2026

14/04/2026

The dragonflies are out and Damibila season is on its way - and with it, Garrmalang Festival returns across Friday 12 & Saturday 13 June.

Join us as artists, performers and community come together to share stories that have been carried for generations - through music, art, language and contemporary expression. Garrmalang is a space to gather, to listen, and to celebrate the richness and diversity of First Nations voices.

Save the date and be part of the experience! Watch this space as we reveal the full program in May.

Garrmalang Festival wouldn’t be possible without the support of our partners and this year we’re proud to welcome back Power and Water. Their continued support plays an important role in bringing the Festival to life and supporting the strength and visibility of First Nations culture in our community.

Address

93 Mitchell Street
Darwin, NT
0800

Telephone

0889803333

Website

https://www.yourcentre.com.au/

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