2009 Festival Calendar for the Northern Territory
This page offers a list of arts and cultural community festivals across the Northern Territory. If your festival is not included, contact the Communications Officer at arts.office@nt.gov.au
To find out more about 'What's On in the NT', visit Top End Arts Marketing and Red Hot Arts Central Australia.
Both organisations offer the most comprehensive listings for arts and cultural events in the Northern Territory.
May I June I July I August I September I October
|
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-3 May | WIDE OPEN SPACE, Music, Arts and Desert Culture Festival - a new all ages open air festival celebrating music, arts and culture in Central Australia, showcasing inspiring local and national music and arts... |
Alice Springs |
 |
1 – 4 May |
Eye of the Storm - the Northern Territory Writers’ Festival, crammed with literary feasts, poetry slams, workshops, children’s activities, panels, readings and unique special events tailor-made to the gorgeous Arrernte landscape… |
Alice Springs |
 |
2 – 10 May |
Nightcliff Seabreeze Festival - a free family festival offering a mixture of music and culture including the Seabreeze Visual Arts Exhibition and Award, the Seabreeze Sand Sculpture Award and the Multicultural Community Parade… |
Darwin
|
|
30 – 31 May |
Merrepen Arts Festival - a major regional cultural event and a solid community enterprise based on cultural pride and Indigenous knowledge, with some of Australia’s finest musicians
and visits to the Arts Centre to meet local artists... |
Victoria-Daly Shire |
 |
31 May |
Palmerston Festival - a great day of free enjoyment with plenty of fun and entertaining activities to keep the kids busy and various businesses, craft and display stalls for the adults... |
Palmerston |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
5 – 8 June |
Barunga Cultural and Sports Festival - one of Australia’s major and longest-running Indigenous community festival with contemporary and traditional musicians and dancers from all over the Northern Territory... |
Roper Gulf |
 |
| 13 June | Timber Creek Festival - a fun filled family day with Indigenous bands, traditional dance, fire sculptures, whip cracking, story banners, kids circus, bush toy making, boab nut painting, didj, art, spear throwing competition, bush foods and market stalls,
300kms west of Katherine... |
Victoria-Daly Shire |
 |
| 19 - 21 June | Gapuwiyak Festival - coinciding with the opening of the Gapuwiyak cultural & arts centre... | East Arnhem Shire |
 |
26– 27 June (tbc) |
Pine Creek Goldrush -
a damper-making competition, nugget hunt, food and bar stalls and more. Highlight of the festival is the free concert in the Miners Park...
|
Victoria-Daly |
|
26 – 29 June |
Alice Springs Beanie Festival - an unique event that celebrates the beanie as great Australian icon with more than 4,000 beanies displayed at the Araluen Cultural Precinct... |
Alice Springs |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
5 – 12 July (tbc) |
Boonu Boonu Festival - brings together traditional dance groups and musicians and features contemporary music and visual art at the Borroloola art centre, which represents over 40 artists from the Yanyula, Garrawa, Gudanji and Marra languages... |
West Arnhem |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
1 Aug |
Lingalonga Festival - takes visitors on a journey through Batchelor's colourful history to enjoy a cultural banquet of the senses and meet some friendly locals - feather and furry... |
Litchfield |
|
1 – 2 Aug |
Walking with Spirits - a performance event in an ancient playground, when the Wugularr (Beswick) Community invite visitors to share their songs, stories, dance and music... |
Roper Gulf |
|
7 - 11 Aug |
Garma Festival - a celebration of the Yolngu cultural inheritance, aimed at sharing knowledge and culture, and opening people’s hearts to the message of the land at Gulkula. The festival is designed to encourage the practice, preservation and maintenance of traditional dance (bunggul), song (manikay), art and ceremony on Yolngu lands in Northeast Arnhem Land... |
East Arnhem |
|
11 – 23 Aug |
Darwin Fringe Festival -
a festival with emphasis on collaborative arts experimentation in various forms and styles using the space inside the
old Commonwealth Bank on Bennett Street. Artists will work with local arts organisations to create, perform, display and interact with the public. |
Darwin |
|
13 - 30 Aug |
Darwin Festival - is recognised locally, nationally and internationally as the premier festival for the ‘Top End’ of Australia and the Asia Pacific Region.The Darwin Festival presents local and touring performances and events including outdoor concerts, workshops, theatre, dance music, comedy and cabaret, film and visual arts... |
Darwin |
 |
14– 22 Aug |
Katherine Festival - a variety of community events, including the art and craft awards, a street parade, exhibitions, workshops, Chinese Dragon Boat races on Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk), flying fox walk and talk, markets, and plenty of live entertainment... |
Katherine |
|
21 - 23 Aug |
Freedom Day Festival - full of community and arts activities, workshops and displays and tours of heritage sites. The festival culminates with the Freedom Day Concert at night... |
Victoria-Daly |
 |
29 Aug |
Stone Country Festival (Gunbalanya Open Day) - visitors are welcome to share the local sports carnival, rock art tours, cultural dancing, basketball games, scenic flights, bush tucker samples, didgeridoo playing demonstrations and visits to the local community art centre... |
West Arnhem |
|
29 - 31 Aug |
Desert Harmony Arts and Cultural Festival -
celebrates cultural diversity through dance, performance, street parade and markets, music and art ... |
Barkly Shire |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
11 – 20 Sept |
Alice Desert Festival - an unique annual event showcasing the thriving community of visual and performing artists, both Indigenous and non Indigenous from the Central Australian region... |
Alice Springs |
 |
12 Sept (tbc) |
Kakadu Mahbilil Festival -
traditional owners welcome visitors to become involved in the day’s celebrations... |
West Arnhem |
|
25 - 26 Sept |
Binjari Festival -
a fun filled family day with Indigenous bands, traditional dance, fire sculptures, film, story banners, bush toy making, didj, art, spear throwing competition and market stalls,
15 kms west of Katherine... |
Katherine |
 |
25 - 27 Sept (tbc) |
Gattjirrk Milingimbi Cultural Festival -
draws people together to celebrate and strengthen cultural expression and promote the spiritual and physical well being of the community... |
East Arnhem |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
mid Oct (tbc) |
Ramingining Yindi Bungul |
East Arnhem |
|
mid Oct (tbc) |
Galiwinku Gumurr Marthakal Health Festival |
East Arnhem |
|
24 Oct |
Milpirri Festival - an event based on traditional ceremonies that bring people together for celebration and reconciliation. Milpirri assists Warlpiri young people to discover their culture through their old people, and enables them to express this culture in new forms... |
Central Desert |
 |
