Garma Festival
“A garma is a sort of place – of rich resources for many people, this garma thing. For all yolngu [people]. Like this, all yolngu always used to come to this thing garma, coming together, all different groups.” Gunygulu Yunupingu
What? Regarded as one of Australia's most significant Indigenous festivals, and attracts around 20 clan groups from north east Arnhem land, as well as representatives from clan groups and 
neighbouring Indigenous peoples throughout Arnhem Land and the Northern Territory.
Yolngu culture in north-east Arnhem Land - a heartland of Aboriginal culture and land rights - is among the oldest living cultures on earth, stretching back more than 40,000 years.
The Garma Festival is a celebration of the Yolngu cultural inheritance. The Garma ceremony is aimed at sharing knowledge and culture, and opening people's hearts to the message of the land at Gulkula. The site at Gulkula has profound meaning for Yolngu.
Set in a stringybark forest with views to the Gulf of Carpentaria, Gulkula is where the ancestor Ganbulabula brought the Yidaki (didjeridu) into being among the Gumatj people.
The festival is designed to encourage the practice, preservation and maintenance of traditional dance (bunggul) song (manikay), art and ceremony on Yolngu lands in North East Arnhem Land.
Where? The festival site at Gulkula is approximately 40 kilometres from the township of Nhulunbuy, and about 14 kilometres south east of Gove airport. The Garma ceremonial ground is the focus of the festival.
When? Held in August each year. 2011 5 -8TH August
more information: read the background notes (20p 350kb PDF)
Who? N/A
How much are the tickets? Attendance requires application via official site (below) . Many events are filled long before festival dates.
