Presented by AANT Centre, Garrmalang Festival will return in 2026 promising a vibrant celebration of First Nations storytelling, culture and connection.
The festival will bring together music, performance, art and immersive experiences across two unforgettable days in Darwin.
Among the first major program announcements is a concert event uniting two generations of Torres Strait Islander artists for a rare, shared performance experience - Australian icon Christine Anu and her daughter ZIPPORAH (Saturday June 13, 7pm, The Playhouse).
The evening will begin with individual solo sets from both artists before culminating in a special collaborative finale celebrating family, legacy and the passing of stories through song.
Audiences will experience ZIPPORAH's blend of R&B, Neo-Soul and jazz-inflected sounds from her debut mixtape NAUNGU URUI, alongside the unmistakable voice and spirit of Christine Anu, whose extraordinary career has shaped the Australian cultural landscape for more than three decades.
Also announced is Together We Are Beautiful (Saturday June 13, 9.15pm, Studio Theatre), a bold late-night experience from Naarm / Melbourne surreal artists and partners The Huxleys - Garrett and Will Huxley.
Combining immersive visuals, performance art, music, video installation and dancefloor celebration, the event invites audiences into a joyful and unapologetically theatrical world celebrating queer creativity, First Nations artistry and connection through shared experience.
Leading the Festival's next chapter is acclaimed First Nations designer and storyteller Jacob Nash.
With ancestral ties to the Daly River through his mother's side, alongside Chinese, Malay and Scottish heritage, Nash brings more than two decades of experience shaping First Nations stories for stages across Australia and internationally.
Best known for his award-winning work as Head of Design at Bangarra Dance Theatre, Nash also served as the inaugural Creative Artist in Residence for Sydney Festival in 2021, curating the celebrated Blak Out program.
"This is mine and Libby's first Garrmalang, and we're honoured to carry on what Ben Graetz founded in 2014 as its inaugural Creative Director — big shoes to fill," he said.
"And now we're looking to the future. We've spread right across the whole building this year and we'd love you to spend some time with us over the weekend.
"Buy your tickets, come down to AANT Centre, and be part of it. Garrmalang 2026."
Joining him is Tiwi storyteller and producer Libby Collins, whose work spans film, television, production and community engagement.
Born and raised in Darwin, Collins has contributed to productions including Top End Wedding, Top End Bub and First Inventors, while continuing to champion storytelling grounded in culture, community and place through her Darwin-based company Hello Dear Productions.
"I'm so proud of being able to contribute to the legacy of Garrmalang, that's been going for over a decade," she said.
"It's been such a pleasure to work with Jake Nash in pulling this exciting program together, especially for me as a Darwin girl, having my Christmas concerts in the Entertainment Centre, as a kid in the '90s to now, bringing the likes of Christine Anu to the main stage.
"We'll have something for everyone and in every space within the Centre. Whether it's hanging out in the forecourt, bringing the kids to check out the Blak Library, listening to live music, hitting up the flea market or seeing the exhibition in the gallery - bring the mob!"
Together, Nash and Collins will shape a Festival that celebrates contemporary First Nations creativity while creating spaces for gathering, joy and shared experience.
More program announcements for Garrmalang Festival 2026 will be revealed in the coming weeks, including the FREE two-day program across Friday the 12th of June from 6pm-9.30pm and Saturday the 13th of June from 10am.
Tickets are on sale online now. Garrmalang Festival will take place from the 12th-13th of June 2026, at AANT Centre.
For more fashion, arts, culture and lifestyle news subscribe for free to the Style Up newsletter.
