Coined as Victoria's most ambitious new cultural event, ROAM Geelong will arrive in the state's southern city next month, transforming its creative heart for one unforgettable day and night while spotlighting several Aboriginal and Māori creatives.
The event will bring hundreds of artists to Geelong's streets on Saturday 11 October from 4:00pm to 10:00pm, creating a multi-sensory journey through art, performance, music and storytelling.
Presented by the City of Greater Geelong and supported by Visit Victoria's Regional Events Fund, the inaugural event will showcase acclaimed artists alongside emerging talent, with more than 60 percent of participants from Greater Geelong.
The diverse program brings together internationally acclaimed performances and cutting-edge installations across Geelong's unique arts and cultural precinct.
Dr Paola Balla and City of Greater Geelong will present Gathering Place. Led by acclaimed artist and curator Dr Paola Balla, this project brings together local First Nations artists in a striking new installation created for ROAM Geelong.
Over three bush-dyeing workshops, artists Tammy Gilson, Thaedra Frangos, Nikki Whitfield, Jess McDonald and Tracey Pocock will share stories of Country, culture, and lived experience, translating them into richly textured bush dyed fabrics.
These collaborative works will come together as a large shelter-like structure inside Platform Arts in Geelong, a place to gather, reflect, and immerse in the voices and visions of First Nations creatives from the area.
Presented by Yookoopa, NYITTING (Whadjuk Noongar word for ancestral times), is set to engage attendees with captivating digital artwork by the YOOKAPA Collective at Platform Arts.
Projected high onto the walls of Shorts Place, the luminous animation brings the creation stories of Waugyl and Bunjil into the urban night.
Each frame is a shared act of cultural creation, blending the Whadjuk Noongar, Wiradjuri, and Wadawurrung perspectives of five artists: Bindy Wicks' powerful Waugyl, Kiri Tawhai's cosmic backdrop, Nikki McKenzie's soaring Bunjil, Jessi Rebel's sweeping landscapes, and Idris McChesney's seamless animation.
As the stories unfold above Little Malop Street, the laneway is set to become a meeting place where ancient narratives and contemporary art merge, and the voices of Ancestors resonate in a new light. NYITTING is more than projection; it's a living celebration of cultural connection, pride, and the enduring power of story.
The Light Inside, presented by the Geelong Arts Centre and Bangarra Dance Theatre, is also on the event program.
In Bangarra's first main stage cross-cultural collaboration, leading Māori choreographer and Arts Laureate Moss Te Ururangi Patterson joins beloved Bangarra alumna Deborah Brown.
Together they will guide Bangarra's award-winning ensemble in stories which honour their mother countries and the spirit that calls them home.
Experience the resilience of the First Peoples of the Oceania region, the Torres Strait Islands and Aotearoa, Australia's southern neighbour.
City of Greater Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM said ROAM Geelong represented a significant milestone for the region's cultural landscape.
"ROAM is a destination event that will transform Geelong's arts and cultural precinct into a creative playground, combining everything our award-winning venues and talented artists have to offer," he said.
"We're thrilled to bring acclaimed performers and local voices together – showcasing the incredible depth of talent in Greater Geelong for all the world to see."
As Victoria's newest major cultural event, ROAM Geelong is expected to drive significant tourism to the region while providing valuable exposure for local artists and businesses. The event builds on Geelong's status as Australia's only UNESCO Creative City of Design and its growing reputation as a regional cultural hub.
ROAM Geelong is proudly presented by the City of Greater Geelong and supported by the Victorian Government through Visit Victoria and the Regional Events Fund.
ROAM Geelong will take place on Saturday 11 October 2025.
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