Opening ceremony of Darwin Festival

Fast becoming one of Darwin's greatest attractions, the annual Darwin festival is a must see for visitors and locals alike. Each year in the Northern Territory of Australia, Darwin explodes with ambience and creativity as entertainers from around the nation gather to celebrate the arts!

Held in August, Darwin festival includes everything from free outdoor events to theatre, dance, music, cabaret, films, workshops and comedy, and amazing food.
The Darwin festival will run for a spell binding 18 nights where visitors can experience all the magic of indigenous, Asian and Pacific culture.

Darwin festival first originated  in July 1978 as was known as the Bougainvillea Festival which was held on the first anniversary of the granting of self-government for the NT. It was essentially a floral festival to promote the beautification of the city. Evidence of that first Festival can still be seen in the form of a water pipe running along the Stuart Highway that was decorated by 900 school children.

 In the 1990s the Festival shifted its focus toward community arts, celebrating multicultural aspects of the unique Darwin lifestyle, with a vision of becoming a cultural focus for the region.

For more information on the Darwin Festival and its events visit www.darwinfestival.org.au