WELCOME Get ready to party because it’s that time of year again: the nights are perfect, the streets are buzzing – Darwin Festival is on at last! We’ve put together a Festival program that places Darwin at the heart of an international conversation. As we celebrate 40 years of Territory independence, we explore our past, reflect on our present and dream of our future. We celebrate the strength and creativity of Australian Indigenous culture and arts practices, and invite incredible international First Nations artists to join them. Across the Festival, local legends will share the stage with the very best from around the globe.
FELIX PREVAL Darwin Festival Artistic Director
There’s definitely a place for everyone at Darwin Festival – ask me personally if you can’t find something here you love! It’s a program full of lights, laughter and reasons to celebrate, as well as stirring stories, powerhouse performances and captivating contemporary arts. Join us for 18 days and nights of Festival moments that we hope will keep you coming back night after night and staying out well past your bedtime to make the very most of this wonderful Territory life.
MICHAEL GUNNER Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
Darwin Festival is part of our city’s identity. It is a dry season tradition, and the quality of art and performances are markers of Darwin’s emerging status in the country and the region. That’s why my Government is proud to offer unprecedented support. Funding for events like Darwin Festival are a key part of our Turbocharging Tourism package, the most significant investment ever from a Northern Territory Government to stimulate tourism growth. The Festival’s future is secure and it is bright. I thank the fantastic board and staff and wish everyone another great festival.
KON VATSKALIS
IAN KEW
Lord Mayor of Darwin
Darwin Festival Chair
Darwin Festival is always a highlight of the year with a program full of international, national and local shows.
Festivals drive tourism and stimulate local economies in cities around the world, and Darwin is no exception. This year, Darwin Festival is investing in reaching out to national and international visitors to invite them to enjoy a Festival that we, as locals, are privileged to have at our doorstep each year.
This year’s Festival will be especially welcome as the city recovers from Cyclone Marcus. Some of the outdoor locations may look a little different this year, with the loss of some beautiful trees, but it will be wonderful to see these spaces illuminated by the magic of the Festival. Once again, City of Darwin is a proud supporter of this iconic event, including the Teddy Bears’ Picnic on The Esplanade. The vibrancy and diversity of the Festival program has something to offer everyone. It’s a wonderful time to be in our city!
We thank the Northern Territory Government and City of Darwin for their significant support. We also thank our corporate partners who enable us to deliver 18 nights of wonder, relaxation and entertainment. My recognition and thanks to my fellow board members and to the staff for their vision and untiring efforts. See you at Festival Park.
Darwin Festival takes place on the land of the Larrakia people. We wish to pay our respects to the traditional custodians of this Country and to their ancestors. As the Festival welcomes contemporary artists and art from around the world, we also celebrate the continuing culture of the Larrakia.
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SANTOS OPENING NIGHT CONCERT
BURIED COUNTRY ROGER KNOX L.J. HILL WARREN H. WILLIAMS BUDDY KNOX LEAH FLANAGAN LUKE PEACOCK JAMES HENRY
Image: Jon Langford
The 2018 Darwin Festival kicks off with the ultimate celebration of our Indigenous country music tradition Long before Aboriginal painters, filmmakers and dance companies were becoming household names, generations of Indigenous musicians were finding a voice in white Australia through country music. Now these hidden gems are the stars of the show in the entertaining and moving concert event Buried Country. Performers from across generations and across the country bring to life a selection of Australian country music’s greatest hits forgotten by many. Darwin’s own Ali Mills will perform a Welcome to Country to get the night started, before a chorus of local community choirs sing a rousing tribute to the Territory’s Indigenous country traditions – including Kathy Mills’ ‘The Arafura Pearl’, a song regarded by many as Darwin’s anthem and one that is now officially registered as a Northern Territory social and cultural heritage icon.
Make a night of it by treating your tastebuds to the delicious food served up onsite by Elijah’s Kitchen, Slide in and Bao, Pandalicous Dumplings and Trampoline Gelato, and enjoy beer, wine or soft drinks from the bar. MUSIC // FAMILY Northern Territory / Australia T he Amphitheatre Thu 9 Aug
7pm Gates open 5.30pm
Duration
2hrs
FREE NOTE BYO and unsealed bottles not permitted Supported by
darwinfestival.org.au FESTIVAL MULTIPACK buy 4 or more events and save 10%
#DFEST18
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