Bangarra Dance Theatre has been awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in Dance at the 2026 Biennale Danza, becoming the first Australian recipient of the prestigious honour – and the first company ever to receive it.

Bangarra Dance Theatre. Photo © Daniel Boud

Presented by La Biennale di Venezia as part of its 20th International Festival of Contemporary Dance (17 July – 1 August 2026), the Golden Lion recognises a lifetime body of work that has transformed and revitalised the language of dance. Traditionally bestowed on individual choreographers or dancers, this year’s award marks the first time the accolade has gone to a company.

Bangarra will accept the award in Venice, where it will also present the European premiere of Terrain, the acclaimed work by Artistic Director and Co-CEO Frances Rings.

The award was approved by the Biennale’s Board of Directors on the recommendation of Dance Department Artistic Director Wayne McGregor. McGregor said the Golden and Silver Lions honour artists and collectives whose “integrity, passion, commitment and power have often driven radical change”, adding that this year’s recipients have caused “a seismic shift in our understanding of dance and the cultural context in which it is performed”.

Stephen Page and Frances Rings. Photo © Daniel Boud

Rings, a Mirning woman, said she was “truly honoured” to receive the award on behalf of the company, acknowledging Bangarra’s founders, including Cheryl Stone and Carole Y. Johnson, the national First Nations training institution NAISDA, and former Artistic Director Stephen Page, who led the company for three decades alongside his brothers Russell and David Page.

Page described the honour as recognition of Bangarra’s “distinctive Dance Theatre language, both contemporary and traditional”, sustained in the mainstream nationally and internationally for almost 35 years.