Malanga Elder MJ Jadai sits in a garden outside an art centre in Bidyadanga, a remote Aboriginal community 200 kilometres south of Broome, as women swap brightly coloured clothes and children excitedly debate who should wear what.

The excitement in the community for the afternoon's Bidgy Fest: Desert to the Sea is palpable, with Ms Jadai praising the event for lifting young spirits.

"Having this in our community, being remote, is important as it's a commitment from our people for our people, " Ms Jadai told National Indigenous Times.

"For our young people today this event keeps them strong in heart, mind and spirit."

Now in its third year, the festival traces its roots to local musicians Augustine Badal and Billy Joel Shovellor, whose vision sparked the idea. Former Bidyadanga teacher and musician Mark Taylor helped bring it to life.

"Augustine Badal and Billy Joel Shovellor had the idea, and because they were established musicians and I was a musician and teacher, we thought we should put on a big gig for free featuring all the Bidyadanga bands," Mr Taylor told National Indigenous Times.

"We applied for a small grant and held the first gig in 2023, and after it went well, we decided to dream a bit bigger the following year."

In 2024, organisers pushed the festival beyond Bidyadanga, staging a second concert in Broome with help from PAKAM.

The Broome concert gave Bidyadanga and visiting artists a different stage, while the free community event remained anchored on the Bidyadanga oval.

That year, the Bidyadanga Women's Art Centre took part in a fashion show. Residents modelled bold local designs, flooding the oval with colour, a part of the festival that has been continued.

Local artist and Malanga designer Mauren Yanora discusses the inspiration behind her skirt designs before the fashion show. Each piece traces the lines of the Great Sandy Desert, her grandparents' homeland before Bidyadanga.

As the sun drops over the oval, east coast musicians Blake Scott and Nick Finch kick the footy with local kids. Nearby, Bidyadanga reggae-rock band Louis Yanwana, bluesman Tye Jay, and Wyndham rapper Dallas Woods inspect their sets lighting.

Fellow organiser Billy-Joel Shoveller lopes out warm-up beats, practising drums on stage. His father, Frankie Shoveller—a stalwart of Bidyadanga's modern music history in the Family Shovellor Band —hands out water to artists and locals volunteering to set up.

"A lot of our people in Bidyadanga don't have cars, and Broome is such a long way," Frankie Shoveller told National Indigenous Times.

"It's so good for them to be able to walk out to the oval and hear music they might not have heard before."

Ms Jadai agreed the festival was about bringing music and opportunities directly to the community.

"Having this event is really about looking after our people," she said.

Mr Taylor credits Bidgy Fest's growth to funding from Bidyadanga Aboriginal Corporation La Grange, the Shire of Broome, BRAMS, and the WA State Government. Goolarri Media also helped stage the Broome show this year.