Kate Fell has announced her final program as Artistic Director of the Darwin Festival, following a four-year tenure, as the search begins for her successor.

“This final festival is about celebrating the extraordinary creativity of the Top End, the artists and communities who make this place so special, and the audiences who return year after year to experience Darwin at its best,” said Fell.

Darwin Festival Park. Photo © Georgia Politis

Running 5–23 August, this year’s program includes 405 performances, six world premieres and an expanded Festival Park precinct. Music, comedy, circus, theatre and Indigenous contemporary dance sit alongside classical ballet, award-winning art, family fun and thought-provoking talks, with audiences sitting under starry skies in the Top End’s stunning dry season.

“Darwin is a world away in the best possible sense, and Darwin Festival captures its magic, vibrancy and cultural connections unlike any other festival in the country. Where else could you watch a cult band like TISM, eat a Sri Lankan hopper by a MasterChef alumni, join in a surreal marathon aerobics session, head off to a Teddy Bear’s Picnic, become part of a roller skating show, and engage with Indigenous art and culture in a single event?” said Fell.

The music program will see Darwin Symphony Orchestra collaborate with Brown’s Mart to present Shakespeare & Symphony, in which classical works by Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky and Vaughan Williams will be combined with Shakespearean theatre in a dramatic concert experience.

Singer/songwriter Alice Cotton joins the Kapok String Quartet for a performance of lyrical songwriting and contemporary strings, while a group of Northern Territory GPs will share uplifting songs, stories and a community dance celebration in Cheeky Docs: Open Heart.

There will be free nightly music performances in Festival Park featuring Territory artists such as Wirriŋga Band, Lucky Find, ZAZA ZOO, Emma Stocker & the Ever Stars, and LAUNCH Young Musicians Showcase.

Ursula Yovich will sing the songs of Nina Simone, while performers and artists from Taiwan, Bangarra Dance Theatre and Yothu Yindi will weave together Yolŋu songlines from North East Arnhem Land and storytelling from Paiwan and Amis cultures of Taiwan in Gapu Dupan (Chasing the Rainbow) – a combination of dance, song, live instrumentation and striking visuals, created over five years of cross-cultural collaboration.

The National Indigenous Music Awards will be part of this year’s Darwin Festival. Photo supplied

The National Indigenous Music Awards – Australia’s premier celebration of First Nations musical excellence – will present performances, awards and a major concert under the stars on Larrakia Country as part of the festival.

Other First Nations events include Adam James – The Great First Nations Songbook, in which James and The Dreamtime Swing reinterpret iconic songs from First Nations artists through the lens of 1960s big band swing and soul.

The world premieres include a new circus and cabaret show, Loca Vida, Vou Fijian Flying Circus, in The Spiegeltent; and The Nanna Effect, in which Tracks Dance Company brings seniors and children together in an intergenerational performance exploring memory, storytelling and connection.

The theatre program includes Back to Bilo about the Murugappan family and the Biloela campaign to bring them home from immigration detention. Written by Katherine Lyall-Watson, the powerful documentary-style theatre work premiered at Queensland Theatre as part of the 2025 Brisbane Festival.

As part of the dance program, Sydney Dance Company presents its latest triple bill Engine, with works by Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela, Fran Diaz and Melanie Lane; The Australian Ballet will perform highlights from The Nutcracker and other repertoire favourites; while Indonesian Rifa’iyah batik traditions will be explored through choreography and live music in Pencelupan – Immersion.

“Darwin Festival is all about connection. In August, there is no better place to experience that than Darwin during festival time,” said CEO James Gough. “We are proud to not only deliver a memorable experience, but to generate meaningful social impact – bringing communities together, supporting local artists and businesses, and contributing to the Territory’s visitor economy.”

Darwin Festival runs 5–23 August. The full program can be found here. Friends of the Festival can buy tickets from 22–24 May. General public tickets go on sale on 25 May.