The Yothu Yindi Foundation has announced the theme for the 26th annual Garma Festival: 'Bukmak' (Everyone), "an expression of unity and a celebration of the diversity of modern Australia".

YYF chief executive Denise Bowden said Garma had long been a place where people from all walks of life come together to listen, learn and share, and this year's theme "builds on that legacy by embracing the universal connections that bind us all together".

"For the past 25 years, Yolngu have welcomed people from across Australia and around the world to Gulkula, to exchange knowledge and celebrate culture," Mrs Bowden said.

"The 2026 Festival theme reinforces the importance of coming together; not as separate groups, but as one nation with shared values and a common purpose.

"Diversity is woven into the fabric of our national identity. More than 60,000 years after the Australian story began, people from all over the world now call this continent home."

The Foundation CEO said "at a time of rising anti-immigration sentiment here and abroad, the Bukmak theme acknowledges that - despite our different languages, cultures, or ethnicities - we all have a role to play in shaping our collective future, and creating a more equitable society for the next generation".

Mrs Bowden said the theme also celebrates the many friendships Yolngu families have formed with other First Nations groups; not just at Garma, but, in the case of the Makassan, stretching back hundreds of years.

"We've been delighted to welcome friends from overseas to Garma in recent years, and their ceremonies and their dances, and their knowledge and their wisdom, have added another dimension to the gathering," she said.

"We look forward to making further announcements about international delegations who will be joining us at Gulkula later this year."

Wild Honey band member Gawukawu Gurruwiwi performs during the 25th annual Garma Festival in Gulkula, 2025. Image: James Ross (AAP).

The Garma Festival will take place between Friday 31 July - Monday 3 August, at the Gulkula ceremonial grounds in northeast Arnhem Land, located 40km from the township of Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory.

While General Admission passes for the Festival have sold out, a limited number of Corporate Tickets are still available through the Sticky Tickets website and places are still available to register within the Youth Forum.