The Garma Festival has returned to Gulkula on Gumatj Country in north-east Arnhem Land for four days of Yolŋu ceremony, art, music, dance and cultural exchange.
Hosted by the Yothu Yindi Foundation, the 26th annual gathering runs from Friday, 31 July to Monday, 3 August under the theme 'Bukmak', meaning "Everyone".
The theme celebrates unity and the diversity of modern Australia while recognising the connections between Yolŋu families, other First Nations peoples and international visitors.
Tagalak descendant and Yothu Yindi Foundation chief executive Denise Bowden described Garma as a place for people to exchange knowledge and celebrate culture.
"For the past 25 years, Yolngu have welcomed people from across Australia and around the world to Gulkula, to exchange knowledge and celebrate culture," Ms 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."
Culture is at the centre of the gathering, with traditional miny'tji (art), manikay, (song), buŋgul, (dance), and storytelling presented throughout the festival.
A hallmark of Garma is the daily buŋgul, when Yolŋu men, women and children gather on the ceremonial grounds as the sun begins to set.
The dances are accompanied by manikay, the call of the yiḏaki and the rhythm of bilma, as different clan groups share stories and songlines through ceremony.
The open-air Gapan Gallery will also return among the stringybark trees beside the buŋgul grounds, showcasing work by established and emerging artists from local and regional art centres.
The gallery's opening under the stars on Friday night is also among the festival's major artistic events.
Yolŋu hosts will lead cultural workshops across the four days, giving visitors opportunities to learn about Yolŋu Matha, kinship and cultural practices.
The activities include Learning on Country walks, pandanus weaving, traditional painting techniques, jewellery-making, spear-making and yiḏaki masterclasses, with visitors asked to follow Yolŋu cultural protocols when participating.
The music program will feature Baker Boy, Andrew Gurruwiwi Band, Garrangali Band and Djunmili Yunupiŋu, alongside other performers from Arnhem Land and across Australia.
The nightly Garma Cinema will present films created by Indigenous filmmakers from Arnhem Land, Australia and overseas, while other activities around the grounds include collaborative art, poetry, fireside discussions and cultural learning.
The official 112-page program also commemorates 50 years since the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 and honours Yolŋu leaders who contributed to the landmark legislation.
Ms Bowden described the booklet as a record of the cultural knowledge and creative work presented at the festival.
"Garma is an opportunity for people from across Australia and the world to come together, learn from each other, and celebrate Yolngu culture, and we see that reflected in this year's program booklet covers and content," Mrs Bowden said.
"The booklet is so much more than a guide to Garma; it's a keepsake that captures the spirit of the event and offers readers an insight into the region and its people.
"There's an abundance of artistic innovation and cultural creativity in North East Arnhem Land and the Northern Territory more broadly, and that's evident throughout the four days of programming across the Garma grounds."
General Admission passes have sold out, with Corporate and Youth Forum ticket options listed through the Sticky Tickets website.
