Latest news with #GarmaFestival
SBS Australia
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
NITV and SBS to celebrate the significance and spectacle of the 25th Garma Festival
As the Garma Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary this year from 1-4 August, NITV and SBS will deliver comprehensive, multiplatform, and multilingual coverage across the four-day event, giving all Australians a front row seat for all the agenda-setting conversations and an iconic celebration of Yolŋu culture. Taking place in Gulkula, northeast Arnhem Land, the Garma Festival is one of Australia's largest Indigenous gatherings and most significant Indigenous affairs forum. Hosted by the Yothu Yindi Foundation, the event brings together political leaders, policy makers, corporate leaders, and community representatives. It provides a globally recognised platform for debate about issues affecting First Nations people, while also celebrating the culture, ceremony, visual art, dance, music, and storytelling of the Yolŋu people. In 2025, NITV returns to Gulkula as Media Supporter for the tenth year, to provide its unique First Nations focussed coverage of the festival. Together with SBS, it will be sharing all the key forums, major announcements, and highlights like the Opening Ceremony and the daily buŋgul (traditional dance), with a national audience across the network. The event will also be shared with global audiences through the World Indigenous Broadcasting Network. 'Each year, the Yolŋu people open their arms and their hearts to more than 2,500 people at Gulkula, and we're honoured to extend that invitation to all Australians through our coverage of this significant event,' said Tanya Denning-Orman, SBS Director of First Nations. 'This year we will deliver more of the key moments and ceremonial spectacle of the Garma Festival across our platforms than ever before, as we continue to grow and expand our coverage across the entire SBS network, led by NITV as the official Media Supporter. We will ensure you don't miss a moment and are proud to be delivering unparalleled access for every Australian, and around the world. 'This 25-year milestone for the Garma Festival is also an opportunity to reflect on the event's significance, legacy, and impact. We'll also highlight this history and celebrate the many achievements of Yolŋu leaders and the strengths of the region.' Natalie Ahmat from NITV News at Garma Festival Daily live coverage, updates, and highlights – including a two-hour live special on Sunday 3 August from 10am - will be presented by NITV's Indigenous News and Current Affairs team including Head of Indigenous News and Current Affairs, Natalie Ahmat; SBS National Indigenous Affairs Editor and host of The Point, John Paul Janke; NITV News Presenter and Senior Producer, Michael Rennie; and more. In addition to NITV and SBS's live simulcast of key events, SBS News will report from Garma, providing updates on SBS World News and its platforms, with Chief Political Correspondent, Anna Henderson, on the ground. SBS will also provide unique multilingual coverage with representatives from SBS's Chinese and Arabic teams also reporting from Gulkula, with news and insights to feature across the SBS Audio network in more than 60 languages, in addition to NITV Radio. NITV Muy Ngulayg on SBS On Demand will be the home for all Garma Festival content, with audiences able to tune into live streams, as well as catch up on all the forums and speeches, buŋgul, and NITV News' programs. You can visit the NITV Muy Ngulag collection HERE .
SBS Australia
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
NITV and SBS to celebrate the significance and spectacle of the 25th Garma Festival
Comprehensive coverage across the network will connect all Australians with the culture, ceremony, and critical conversations from the landmark event. *WATCH PROMO HERE* As the Garma Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary this year from 1-4 August, NITV and SBS will deliver comprehensive, multiplatform, and multilingual coverage across the four-day event, giving all Australians a front row seat for all the agenda-setting conversations and an iconic celebration of Yolŋu culture. Taking place in Gulkula, northeast Arnhem Land, the Garma Festival is one of Australia's largest Indigenous gatherings and most significant Indigenous affairs forum. Hosted by the Yothu Yindi Foundation, the event brings together political leaders, policy makers, corporate leaders, and community representatives. It provides a globally recognised platform for debate about issues affecting First Nations people, while also celebrating the culture, ceremony, visual art, dance, music, and storytelling of the Yolŋu people. In 2025, NITV returns to Gulkula as Media Supporter for the tenth year, to provide its unique First Nations focussed coverage of the festival. Together with SBS, it will be sharing all the key forums, major announcements, and highlights like the Opening Ceremony and the daily buŋgul (traditional dance), with a national audience across the network. The event will also be shared with global audiences through the World Indigenous Broadcasting Network. 'Each year, the Yolŋu people open their arms and their hearts to more than 2,500 people at Gulkula, and we're honoured to extend that invitation to all Australians through our coverage of this significant event,' said Tanya Denning-Orman, SBS Director of First Nations. 'This year we will deliver more of the key moments and ceremonial spectacle of the Garma Festival across our platforms than ever before, as we continue to grow and expand our coverage across the entire SBS network, led by NITV as the official Media Supporter. We will ensure you don't miss a moment and are proud to be delivering unparalleled access for every Australian, and around the world. 'This 25-year milestone for the Garma Festival is also an opportunity to reflect on the event's significance, legacy, and impact. We'll also highlight this history and celebrate the many achievements of Yolŋu leaders and the strengths of the region.' Natalie Ahmat and John Paul Janke will present coverage at the 2025 Garma Festival Daily live coverage, updates, and highlights – including a two-hour live special on Sunday 3 August from 10am – will be presented by NITV's Indigenous News and Current Affairs team including Head of Indigenous News and Current Affairs, Natalie Ahmat; SBS National Indigenous Affairs Editor and host of The Point, John Paul Janke; NITV News Presenter and Senior Producer, Michael Rennie; and more. In addition to NITV and SBS's live simulcast of key events, SBS News will report from Garma, providing updates on SBS World News and its platforms, with Chief Political Correspondent, Anna Henderson, on the ground. SBS will also provide unique multilingual coverage with representatives from SBS's Chinese and Arabic teams also reporting from Gulkula, with news and insights to feature across the SBS Audio network in more than 60 languages, in addition to NITV Radio. NITV Muy Ngulayg on SBS On Demand will be the home for all Garma Festival content, with audiences able to tune into live streams, as well as catch up on all the forums and speeches, buŋgul, and NITV News' programs. The network's comprehensive coverage includes*: NITV News: Nula 3-3.30pm, Friday 1 August Simulcast live on NITV, SBS and SBS On Demand Join Natalie Ahmat and the NITV News team for a special edition of Nula , broadcast live from the 25th Garma Festival at Gulkula, in northeast Arnhem Land. Nula will provide a preview of events and insights into the issues and ideas to be discussed across the following days of the festival, with interviews, explainers, profiles, and stories from the local region. Garma Opening Ceremony 4-5.30pm, Friday 1 August Simulcast live on NITV, SBS, SBS On Demand Join hosts Natalie Ahmat and John Paul Janke for the official opening ceremony launching a special 25th anniversary Garma Festival, rich in spirit, truth-telling, and the unbreakable connection to land and culture. The ceremony brings together Yolŋu leaders, community members, and special guests to mark this milestone moment. This year's Garma theme, 'Law of the Land: Standing Firm', reflects the strength, resilience, and cultural authority of the Yolŋu people. The opening ceremony features heartfelt speeches and reflections, followed by a vibrant buŋgul, where miny'tji (art), manikay (song), dance, and story come together in a moving expression of identity and law. It's also an important gathering for clans and families from across the region. Garma Buŋgul 9-10am, Saturday 2 August, Sunday 3 August, and Monday 4 August Simulcast on NITV, SBS and SBS On Demand Set against the breathtaking backdrop of northeast Arnhem Land, this daily program captures the spirit of Yolŋu ceremony through miny'tji (art), manikay (song), dance and storytelling, which takes place as the sun sets at the festival each afternoon. The buŋgul is a powerful cultural expression, where ancient knowledge, deep connection to Country, and ancestral stories are shared through rhythm, movement, and song. Filmed on Yolŋu Country with cultural authority, this program offers audiences a rare and respectful window into the world's oldest living culture. Each episode takes viewers on a journey, showcasing the rich traditions of Yolŋu clans as they share ceremonial dances passed down through generations. NITV's special daily program explores the cultural meaning behind each buŋgul, offering insight into the songlines, law, and kinship systems that shape Yolŋu life. Garma Forums 10am-12pm and 1.30-3.30pm, Saturday 2 August Simulcast live on NITV, SBS and SBS On Demand Join hosts Natalie Ahmat, John Paul Janke, and Michael Rennie for NITV's live coverage of the Garma Festival forums, broadcasting from the Garrtjambal Auditorium in Gulkula. The forums are a powerful platform where First Nations voices take centre stage, bringing together community leaders, Elders, academics, politicians, and young people for deep and thought-provoking conversations about the future of this nation. NITV brings viewers the most important speeches and panels, capturing powerful moments from Yolŋu leaders, the Yothu Yindi Foundation, and national figures including the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP. With expert commentary and cultural insight, NITV's Garma Forums coverage invites all Australians to listen, learn, and engage with the issues that matter most to First Nations communities. Garma 2025: 25 Years Strong 10am-12pm, Sunday 3 August Simulcast live on NITV. SBS and SBS On DemandJoin hosts Natalie Ahmat and John Paul Janke for a special two-hour program celebrating 25 years of the Garma Festival. This commemorative broadcast will take audiences on a powerful journey through the heart of Yolŋu Country, showcasing the vibrancy, resilience, and legacy of the festival. Blending panel discussions with unforgettable live performances and the best of the buŋgul, the program will reflect on Garma's extraordinary history and its role in shaping the national conversation on culture, identity, and self-determination. Featuring trailblazers, artists, community leaders, and special guests, the broadcast will honour those who laid the foundations of Garma and continue to carry its spirit forward. The Best of Garma 2025 6pm, Monday 4 August Simulcast on NITV, SBS and SBS On Demand Hosted by Natalie Ahmat, this 30-minute recap program of highlights from Garma Festival will include all the key moments from four-days of celebration and reflection. For a pdf copy of this media release, click here.
West Australian
19-07-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley making second visit out West in a fortnight with a trip to the Kimberley
Federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is heading back to WA, this time to visit remote and Indigenous communities across the Kimberley region. Fresh from a three-day-visit to Perth this week, Ms Ley has pencilled in August 1-4 for a visit up north, visiting communities like Broome, Kununurra and Wyndham. She will be joined by Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians, Kerrynne Liddle, and local Member for Durack, Melissa Price. 'The Coalition's vision is for a country that works alongside Indigenous Australians, in dignity, opportunity and mutual respect,' Ms Ley said. 'We want Indigenous communities to be places where everyone, especially women and children, feel more than safe – but empowered. 'I promised a fresh approach at the outset of my leadership and part of that will be listening to Indigenous Australians where they are, with my outstanding colleague Kerrynne Liddle.' Ms Ley said Liberal MP Julian Leeser would represent the Coalition at the Garma Festival, Australia's largest Indigenous gathering, in north-east Arnhem land at the same time. 'We value the opportunity to be part of Garma and I know Julian will bring the insights of the festival back to our Shadow Cabinet table,' Ms Ley said. Ms Ley's decision to make two visits to WA in a space of a fortnight highlights how important the west is to the Coalition's chances of of becoming a political phoenix. The Federal Liberals hold just four out of 16 seats here in WA and desperately want to improve on that at the expected 2028 federal poll. Senator Liddle said attention was often on the Northern Territory. But she said the Coalition was aware of communities with significant challenges in regions across the country, like far north-west Australia. 'This trip is an opportunity to understand why the local rates of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, family violence, suicide, hospitalisations for chronic illness, diabetes and heart failure are some of the highest in the nation,' she said. 'We are also keen on hearing good stories where progress is being made and that includes understanding what's needed for greater economic prosperity, social inclusion and progress.'
ABC News
09-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Garma Festival ceremonial leader B Yunupiŋu dies after alleged violent attack
A revered Arnhem Land leader of quiet power and dignity, who fought for the rights of his Yolŋu people right into the last weeks of his life, has died aged 70. Note to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers: B Yunupiŋu's name and image are used here in accordance with the wishes of his family. Mr B Yunupiŋu was an elder of the renowned Gumatj clan on the Northern Territory's Gove Peninsula. He was also a board member of the Yothu Yindi Foundation (YYF) and a fixture at the annual Garma Festival, where he would lead ceremonies and greet visitors from across Australia, including successive Australian prime ministers. Mr B Yunupiŋu was also a holder of extensive Yolŋu cultural knowledge, a former musician, a rock-and-roll fan, and a brilliant pub storyteller with a ready chuckle and a grin. In a statement, Gumatj leader Djawa Yunupiŋu said his brother was "a strong and decent man who walked tall in all worlds". "Words cannot say how much he will be missed," he said. "He starts his journey now to be reunited with our fathers, mothers and kin, who wait for him now, on our sacred land. "He will be received by our ancestors with great respect and honour." YYF chief executive Denise Bowden described Mr B Yunupiŋu as a "softly spoken family man". "He had great love for his grandchildren — they meant the world to him. "They were the reason he was so passionate about education and schooling. "As a senior ceremonial leader for the Gumatj clan, he has been an intrinsic part of the Garma Festival throughout its history, the master of ceremonies for the nightly buŋgul." The Gumatj Corporation said Mr B Yunupiŋu "oversaw the ceremonies and like a rock, he was always present in the hosting of Prime Ministers and the conduct of important business". Mr B Yunupiŋu hailed from an important family dynasty in Arnhem Land. He was the brother of the clan's former leader, the late Yunupiŋu, and late former Yothu Yindi lead singer, Dr M Yunupiŋu. He was a founding member of the Gumatj Association, who said in a statement Mr B Yunupiŋu had led the clan's drive "to self-determination, economic development and prosperity in the modern world". "Mr Yunupiŋu had a deep love of his family and his land," the association said. "He was a man of loyalty and patient determination. "Schooled at Yirrkala and then Batchelor College, he was a friend to all. "He loved Creedence Clearwater Revival and country music, he was an expert hunter, and he never left his Gumatj homelands." Mr B Yunupiŋu was allegedly beaten in an attack at his home in the community of Gunyaŋara on April 19, after which he fell into a coma from which he would never wake. He died at Royal Darwin Hospital on the night of May 8, surrounded by dozens of Yolŋu family members and clan leaders who travelled from north-east Arnhem Land to farewell the beloved elder. The family has thanked hospital staff and "nurses of ICU who cared for him so carefully and enabled the final ceremonial rites to be performed". A 42-year-old relative has been charged with domestic violence offences over the incident and is due to face the Darwin Local Court on June 18. The NT Police Force said in a statement that an investigation into the incident remains ongoing. Mr B Yunupiŋu had been involved in the social and political affairs of his people up until the last weeks of his life, fighting for a better future for Yolŋu in north-east Arnhem Land. Most prominently, he was involved in the Gumatj's historic High Court victory against the Commonwealth in March, which sought restitution over a long-running land rights dispute in his region.
