The Gai-mariagal Festival returns for 2025: Here’s what you can expect
The festival, based around the North Shore region, seeks to promote First Nations culture and history.
Huw Bradshaw
May 16, 2025
The Gai-mariagal Festival will be returning to the North Shore from late May to July this year, hosting film screenings, art workshops and musical performances exploring, celebrating and representing Indigenous cultures. The festival, founded in 2001, begins on May 26, marking National Sorry Day, and concludes with the end of NAIDOC week.
On May 26 two new public art installations by Muruwari artist Dr Virginia Keft will be unveiled. The artworks, Weaving Sky Stories, are to be installed at Ted Mack Civic Park in North Sydney. Keft will also be hosting two art workshops during the festival.
May 26 — National Sorry Day — walk and talk
Join a walk along Flat Rock Gully track guided by Karen Smith, Education Officer at the Aboriginal Heritage Office. Learn about the local Indigenous history, the Stolen Generations and the land of local Gamaragal People.
June 12 — Echoes of Light: Our Connection Through Waterways
This exhibition by collaborators Emma Hicks and Merindah Funnell features site-specific works that explore the connections between water, time and country. The exhibition, at The Concourse Art Space, is open from 11am to 5pm from June 12 to July 13.
June 20 — Film screening
Homeland Story, directed by independent filmmaker Glenda Hambly, explores “a moving portrait of the family's struggle to preserve their culture and remain on their Homeland”. The screening will be hosted in Gordon Library at 2pm.
June 22 — Our critical coastline, a Gai-mariagal Festival bushwalk
Discover the history of this coastal reserve in Northbridge on this guided bushwalk. Learn about native bush foods, local flora and the significance of protecting these coastlines. Non-slip footwear and a hat are recommended.
June 26 — Film screening and Q&A
At 6:30pm, the festival will screen Winhanganha, a film by Wiradjuri artist and filmmaker Jazz Money. The film, commissioned by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, uses footage, sound and poetry to explore Indigenous history and experience. The screening is at Fred Hutley Hall in North Sydney, followed by a Q&A session hosted by Nathan “Mudyi” Sentance.
June — Chatswood Concourse Live Performances
Each Saturday in June, from 5-8pm Indigenous musical artists will perform at Chatswood Concourse.
June 7 — Sharnee Fenwick: A Newcastle-based country musician.
June 14 — Grace: a Wiradjuri musician based in Sydney, performing indie pop as a soloist.
June 21 — Jesse: A Wollongong-based blues musician performing “original music with a contemporary Indigenous focus”.
June 28 — The Green Hands: A seven-piece reggae ensemble hailing from Macksville on the Mid North Coast.
July 6 — Art Workshops with Dr Virginia Keft
Following on from the exhibition of her two new public art installations, Dr Virginia Keft will host two art workshops on July 6. The first is a print-making workshop using native plants to make custom tote bags. In the second workshop, join a weaving and yarning circle to make woven mirrinj (stars).
July 11 — Indigenous traditional medicine and healing
Hosted by Karen Smith of the Aboriginal Heritage Office, this workshop teaches about Indigenous medical practices, healing ceremonies and the health benefits of local native plants.
See the full event list on the festival website.
Image credit: Gai-mariagal Festival Website
