Monday 24 June 2019

Music at the Darwin Festival

Anniversary celebrations kick off with the Santos Opening Night Concert on Thursday 8 August at The Amphitheatre. Celebrate the start of the Festival with a fusion of traditional music and contemporary rock, with the internationally acclaimed Yothu Yindi. Supporting will be Darwin favourite Caiti Baker and the feel-good grooves of Adrian Eagles. The event is a fun night out for the whole family, a must on the dry season free events calendar!

Australian indie rock faves Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever are heading to Darwin bringing with them their thrilling and wistful melancholic rock, eliciting warm memories of the golden age of Aussie guitar bands. Don't miss their trademark infectious tunes and poetic lyrics at The Lighthouse on Saturday 10 August.

Following their heart-stopping collaborations via #1 Dads and record-breaking performances, Tom Snowdon and Tom Iansek return as No Mono. With a fresh take on emotive electronica, full of melodies built on mountainous synthesisers and buzzing drums, this is a night of epic entertainment at The Lighthouse on Thursday 15 August.

An exciting emerging force from a remote coastal community on the Gulf of Carpentaria, Mambali sing in language about country, culture and the Dhumbul (Devil) Dance. With edge and energy, they fuse their traditional cultural songs and rhythms with contemporary sounds and beats. This pulsating performance takes place at The Lighthouse on Friday 16 August.

Iranian musician Mohammad Reza Mortazavi is the world’s best hand drummer. Playing traditional Persian hand drums in his own unique way, he crafts a network of intricate rhythms, up-tempo beats and trance-like textures with incredible virtuosity. Catch this solo performance of orchestral proportions at The Lighthouse on Wednesday 21 August.

Pull on the suit and thin tie, bring out the black bob and get ready to twist the night away as Darwin Festival pays tribute to Tarantino’s ’90s cult classic Pulp Fiction. Parap Fiction will have fans reliving their favourite scenes live and on the silver screen with the timeless soundtrack brought to life by local legends and Festival guests including Geraldine Quinn, Stevie Jean, Natalie Pellegrino, David Spry and a whole lot more. Parap Fiction blows into The Lighthouse on Friday 23 August.

Two First Nations performers come together to share their cultures and inspiration in a special musical collaboration. Leela Gilday’s rich vocals dance across the rhythmic beats of traditional Dene drumming with songs of love and life in the rugged environment and vibrant culture of her home in Canada’s north. For this year’s Festival she’s collaborating with proud Australian Indigenous performer Emily Wurramara for a musical evening to savour at The Lighthouse in Sunday 18 August.

Over at the Darwin Railway Club, the Festival’s musical journey continues to wow with a selection of top interstate and international headliners supported by some of the finest Territory talent. Artists include the captivating Tek Tek, with support from ’80s-obsessed Panic Bruss; the mesmerising stylings of Greta Stanley, supported by the enchanting Serina Pech; the haunting and high energy of MANE, supported by soul star Stevie Jean; and Brisbane’s awkwardly transcendent The Goon Sax, supported by local blues rocker Ben Evolent.

Neil Murray and Sammy Butcher, founding members of the Warumpi Band, are launching a brand-new album at this year’s Festival following a two-decade hiatus. Midnight Oil’s Jim Moginie and drummer Bill Heckenberg are also on board for this unique celebration - all in one, joined together.   

There ain’t no party like an after-party and the only place to be to keep those good vibes rollin’ till morning is the Festival’s after-hours venue, Club Awi. The club will present an eclectic mix of DJs and special performers every Friday and Saturday night throughout the Festival.


The biggest celebration of Australian First Nations music, the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs) returns on Saturday 10 August at The Amphitheatre. Presented by MusicNT, the NIMAs will feature artists including Jessica Mauboy, Dan Sultan, Electric Fields, Deborah Cheetham, Eric Avery and more for a family friendly night of stellar sounds under the stars.

More information: www.darwinfestival.org.au

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