John Wayne Parsons was a teenager when he met — and was told to look out for big changes to come — by Eddie Koiki Mabo.

Decades later, he's proud to celebrate the late Uncle Eddie's legacy, Zenadth Kes culture, and a spiritual connection to home on the day celebrated in the land rights giant's honour.

The Torres Strait took over Naarm on Wednesday night with music, language, food, and recognition of the path carved for others at the Mabo Day Celebration Concert in Federation Square.

Mr Parsons and his band The Dukes took to the stage on the night, with musician social historian and cultural practitioner, Jessie Lloyd, and 'pop soul songbird' Kee'ahn also playing for local Torres Strait, Indigenous and broader community members in the crowd.

"Uncle Eddie began to tell me 'there's going to be some things changes in this country, and one day you'll know about it'," Mr Parsons, a Yuggerabul and Meriam Le man, recounted when he, aged 17, met Uncle Eddie in Townsville.

He recognises the lasting impact made by the man across the entire country.

For Mr Parsons, Mabo Day is about coming together to celebrate Torres Strait culture, embrace Uncle Eddie's legacy and all other Torres Strait Islanders who have made their own impact.

He's sung at the Opera House, performed and collaborated with names such as Deborah Cheetham and Uncle Archie Roach, but said a special level of emotion, spiritual connection, and feeling of home comes from singing for his people and family.

"When you sing language, that's like my sovereign space," he said. "Even though I was never brought up to speak in fluent language, just phrases...when I come to get to know some of these songs it's like, 'Hey, this is like gold, it's like treasure.' So it's my sovereign space."

Mabo Day is observed annually on June 3, celebrating Uncle Eddie's life on the anniversary of the historic 1992 land claim decision in the High Court.

It also coincides with the final day of Reconciliation Week.

Uncle Eddie passed six months before the High Court of Australia's landmark determination overturning terra nullius, recognising the Meriam people's rights to their land after a 15-year fight, and setting the foundations for the Native Title Act.

It was a fight he, alongside others, had led.

The Australian Parliament passed the Native Title Act in 1993.

"The biggest thing for me is to make sure that we acknowledge the Torres Strait contribution within Australian society and Australian history," Mualgal, Kaurareg, Guguu Yimithirr and Burri Gubba musician Jessie Lloyd told National Indigenous Times.

"A lot of the old songs that I sing are records and evidence of all the contribution that the Torres Strait Islander families have brought to the mainland."

On stage, Ms Lloyd shared history lessons of travel, settling, cultural exchange and songs passed along Pasifika, Torres Strait and Aboriginal communities.

Ms Lloyd said Torres Strait representation through celebration in Melbourne is important, to honour and acknowledge the local community and their culture for generations with connections to the Islands who call the city home.

The evening's MC and Kemer Kemer Meriam, Moalgal, Kaurareg and Kuku Yalanji man, Leon Filewood, shared language knowledge through the night.

Aunty Pauline Cassidy and University of Melbourne chair of Indigenous Health, Professor Kerry Arabena, also spoke briefly on the night.

Kee'ahn said the occasion was a special opportunity to perform, celebrate her community, and honour her Country and people.

"It's important to be here, because we're honouring Aboriginal and Torres Islander resistance, particularly Torres Strait Islander resistance" she said, while highlighting Uncle Eddie's efforts to "push forward our strength and our connection, and take down these systems that we actually resist constantly".

The concert was presented by the Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT) in partnership with the City of Melbourne and its arm Aboriginal Melbourne and Fed Sqaure.

Kulkalgal, Kemer, Kemer Meriam man and KHT chief executive, Tim Mosby, said it's an important celebration of Eddie Koiki Mabo, the Mabo Decision and "a great get-together of Torres Strait Islanders".

"Reconciliation Week is something that we all should be doing," he said. "It's about reconciliation between Indigenous, non-Indigenous peoples."

"And the fact that it finishes with Mabo Day is a fantastic acknowledgement of Torres Strait Islanders and the role we actually play in terms of the first people here in Australia."

At this week's AIATSIS Summit on the Gold Coast, Mabo Day was acknowledged for its momentous chapter in history, and important of ongoing truth-telling, cultural authority and community-led change.

Uncle Eddie's grandson, Kaleb Mabo, spoke at the summit.

Meriam Traditional Owners also announced plans to pursue a new community-led governance model grounded in culture, traditional authority and self-determination