15 Incredible First Nations Events Around Australia

Stopping in major cities and regional centres, Bangarra Dance Theatre’s annual nationwide tour blends First Nations and contemporary dance to tell stories drawn from millennia of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Illume, its 2025 production, is a collaboration with visual artist and Goolarrgon Bard man Darrell Sibosado that pays homage to light as a “glowing bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds”. Expect luminous sets, kaleidoscopic projections and mesmerising choreography with works exploring everything from shadow spirits to light pollution. 

Until 13 September 2025.

In 2025, the Garma Festival on Yolŋu Country in remote north-east Arnhem Land will mark its 25th anniversary, returning with its renowned program of traditional Yolŋu storytelling, miny’tji (art), manikay (song) and bunggul (dance). Hosted by the Yothu Yindi Foundation, this four-day event is also the location of the Key Forum policy conference, where First Nations community leaders, politicians and guests gather in the spirit of garma, meaning “two-way learning process”.

1  to 4 August 2025.

Every August, the walls of the Darwin Convention Centre on Larrakia Country come alive with the creations of more than 1,500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. Over four days, more than 70 art centres from across Australia sell directly to visitors, generating millions in sales ($4.38 million in 2024 alone), with art-lovers also able to shop the fair online. In Darwin, visitors can meet the artists in person, watch a weaving demonstration or join a jewellery-making masterclass. There’s also a kids’ program with interactive activities such as lino printing. 

7 to 10 August 2025.

Tens of thousands flock to outback Queensland each August for the Mount Isa Mines Rodeo, the biggest rodeo in the Southern Hemisphere. While the three-day event involves all kinds of bull riding and barrel racing, the Indigenous Rodeo Championships draw especially enthusiastic crowds. In 2025, there’s also a free First Nations rodeo clinic for young riders led by National Rodeo Champion and Kalkadoon man Donovan Rutherford and bull riding champ Jake Curr, along with live music from country star Luke Geiger.

10 August 2025.

Bringing together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, corporate organisations and government bodies, this annual two-day event is hosted by First Nations enterprise network Supply Nation. In 2025, it returns to the International Convention Centre Sydney on Gadigal Land. The Knowledge Forum on day one features discussion panels on topics such as First Nations innovation, while the Tradeshow on day two is the chance for enterprises, from creative marketing agencies to drink brands made with native ingredients, to display their products. There’s also a black tie Gala Awards Dinner celebrating the Supplier Diversity Awards 2025 finalists and winners.

20 to 21 August 2025.

One of Australia’s longest-running First Nations art events, Desert Mob features a jam-packed program of exhibitions, artist talks, studio tours and hands-on events like ceramic workshops in Mparntwe (Alice Springs). Purchase works directly from the artists at the Marketplace on the first Saturday and don’t miss Desert Mob After Dark – an intimate after-hours tour of the Araluen Galleries led by festival curators, followed by a hearty bush-food dinner and live music performances.

11 September to 26 October 2025.

Every October Tarnanthi Art Fair in Tarntanya (Adelaide) showcases a diverse range of works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists at both in-person and online marketplaces. There are ceramics, sculpture, woven pieces, jewellery, textiles, fashion and homewares, along with paintings like those by the Artists of Ampilatwatja, known for their vibrant depictions of bush medicine and desert landscapes. Prices at the fair range from $50 to upwards of $5000, with all proceeds going directly to artists and their community-run art centres. Presented by the Art Gallery of South Australia, the broader Tarnanthi program includes a touring exhibition and mentorship programs. 

17  to 18 October 2025.

One of Australia’s largest one-day celebrations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, Yabun drew some 45,000 people to inner-city Sydney’s Victoria Park this year. Founded in 2001 as a continuation of Survival Day events from the 1990s, the festival takes place every 26 January and features a live music line-up with artists such as Troy Cassar-Daley and electro-pop duo Electric Fields. There’s plenty more to enjoy than just music, including dance groups, arts and crafts workshops, market stalls, panel discussions and AFL games.

26 January 2026.

Performers from across Cape York, the Torres Strait and beyond take centre stage at this three-day camping festival in Far North Queensland — a biennial exhibition of storytelling through movement and song. In addition to witnessing powerful performances by the likes of The Deaf Indigenous Dance Group, festival-goers can try their hand at basket weaving, join a yarning circle and tour the Quinkan Country rock art, some of the best-preserved in the world. 

2026 dates to be announced.

Karrimanjbekkan An-me Kakadu (Taste of Kakadu) serves up a rich culinary and cultural experience in World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park every May. Activities include cooking demonstrations by Traditional Custodians, guided walks and all manner of bush-tucker feasts. A standout is the sunset outing with First Nations-owned Yellow Water Cruises – you’ll snack on canapés made with native ingredients as you watch for saltwater crocodiles gliding through the billabong. 

2026 dates to be announced.

See the 300-million-year-old Tjoritja (MacDonnell Ranges) in a new light at Parrtjima, an annual festival that transforms the outback into a dazzling open-air gallery, featuring illuminated installations such as Grounded, an immersive projection that turns the red earth into a swirling canvas of colour and pattern. Held over 10 nights in Mparntwe (Alice Springs), this free, family-friendly event also has music, film screenings, performances and workshops. 

2026 dates to be announced.