Your Update from Kate – April 2023
At the heart of our 2023 program is a space to play. To not just watch but to immerse yourself in an experience you can only have in Darwin in the tropical winter. Darwin Festival is full of magical moments, inspired by Territory stories, and connects communities through the love of arts and culture.
Darwin Festival is a postcard to the rest of Australia and the world – it is the best time to come to Darwin and have a Top End winter like no other. It’s distinctively Darwin, with events taking place outdoors under the bamboo and twinkly lights, capturing the relaxed vibe and with the community coming together to celebrate. It’s fun and festive and always surprising.
Darwin Festival will be full of magical moments… where people come together to see something they can’t experience every day of the year. We will be presenting four world premieres along with over 20 NT premieres in a diverse program of music, theatre, dance, circus, visual arts, cabaret, opera, talks, films, family shows and interactive installations. We are proud to sit alongside many incredible First Nations events for the opening weekend, making it a special time to visit Darwin to experience the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture.
Darwin Festival is inspired by Territory stories… dynamic stories of this place by NT artists who create work informed by and responsive to the community and the unique environment. The theatres, stages and galleries will be filled with many Northern Territory musicians, performers and artists and it’s been wonderful meeting so many of these creatives over the last six months.
Darwin Festival connects communities through the celebration of arts and culture. Many Festival events are free and we want everyone to feel that it’s their festival, reflecting the diversity that is Darwin. Families will have some great new ways to engage with shows and experiences for the young and young at heart.
Darwin Festival is a love letter to the city, capturing Darwin’s essence and spirit, with art happening in and out of the theatres and galleries, in Festival Park and in parks, markets and venues across the city. Festival Park will be full of all your favourite things – but with some exciting new additions, many great shows, free entertainment and plenty of tasty treats celebrating Darwin’s wonderful food culture.
I can’t wait to reveal the full Festival program on 30 May and I encourage you to become a Friend of the Festival to secure your tickets first.
