Garma's history of reconciliation and celebration

The Garma Festival of Traditional Cultures is Australia’s largest Indigenous cultural gathering, held over four days every August at the Gulkula ceremonial site in northeast Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. Hosted and organised by the Yothu Yindi Foundation, the festival celebrates and showcases the cultural heritage of the Yolngu people, the traditional custodians of the land. 

The idea for the festival was conceived by Yolngu leaders Yunupingu and his brother Dr M. Yunupingu, an educator and the frontman of the celebrated rock band Yothu Yindi. The two men wanted to create a platform to preserve and celebrate Yolngu culture, while also serving as a forum for cultural exchange and understanding. This purpose is reflected in the name of the festival itself: the word 'Garma' is a Yolŋu matha term for ‘two-way learning process.’

Since the first festival in 1999, Garma has grown in significance, attracting visitors from across Australia and internationally. 

Garma showcases traditional storytelling, miny’tji (art), manikay (song), and bunggul (dance), along with film screenings, cultural workshops, a youth forum, astronomy tours and more. 

The festival also hosts the Garma Key Forum, a platform for Indigenous leaders, First Nations people, government officials, academics and other stakeholders to discuss important issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The festival continues to evolve in its delivery, embracing new technologies and approaches while maintaining its core mission of celebrating and preserving Yolngu traditions. 

For more than two decades, Garma has played a vital role in promoting reconciliation, bridging cultural gaps, and highlighting the ongoing struggles and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. 

Garma serves as a reminder of the importance of recognising, respecting, and preserving the cultural richness of Indigenous communities.

Note: the word Yolngu is spelled in different ways. We have followed spelling used by Yothu Yindi Foundation.