NAIDOC Week celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, is on in Australia this month and Discover Aboriginal Experiences is highlighting ways agents can include indigenous events in client’s itineraries year-round.
In Jan, Tasmania hosts the Putalina Festival which features music, cultural performances and workshops, and Sydney has the Yabun Festival which sees artists from across the country come to showcase their skills. In Feb, the Adelaide Festival has a dedicated collection of First Nations performances, or the Perth Festival where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditions and contemporary arts practices are showcased. In Mar, Tasmania hosts the biennial Ten Days on the Island, a transformative art experience with a strong focus on Aboriginal heritage Canberra has the Heritage Festival in Apr combining Indigenous storytelling and performance art and there’s also the Parrtjima—A Festival of Light just outside of Alice Springs.
. . . May & Beyond
In May, the international arts Yirramboi Festival in Melbourne includes indigenous performances and workshops and culinary event Taste of Kakadu. Jun brings with it the Cooktown Discovery Festival, which has a program of music, dance and food, as well as art classes, reconciliation re-enactments and more. There’s also the National Indigenous Art Fair in Sydney. Clients travelling in Jul can attend the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair and the Laura Quinkan Dance Festival in Queensland, while Aug offers events such as Broome’s Shinju Matsuri— Festival of the Pearl which includes art and food events as well as live music, and Arnhem Land’s Garma Festival, offering talks, dance, arts and song. In Sep, notable options include Alice Spring’s music festival Desert Song, and Aboriginal Art Festival Desert Mob which is held across Alice Springs. Top Oct picks include Perth festival EverNow which celebrates the Noongar season of birth and renewal and Sydney’s DanceRites, showcasing emerging indigenous performers. Rounding out the list is Eden’s The Giiyong Festival, in Nov with indigenous dance, art, music, film, theatre, food, sport, workshops and cultural tours.
See more on these events and others HERE.
