Darwin Festival 40th Anniversary

Get set to celebrate 18 hot August nights when Australia's hottest winter arts festival returns (Thursday 8 – Sunday 25 August) for its 40th Anniversary year. Enjoy warm tropical nights at Darwin Festival with the very best in local, national and international performances. A packed program of events will deliver exciting cabaret, theatre, comedy, dance, visual arts, outdoor music concerts and family fun for everyone.

Highlights of the 2019 anniversary season include:
• celebrated Indigenous rockers Yothu Yindi,
• funny-man Nazeem Hussain
• Iranian hand drummer Mohammad Reza Mortazavi
• international cabaret chanteuse extraordinaire Meow Meow
• iconic Australian singer-songwriter Archie Roach,
• performer and choreographer Jacob Boehme's personal and passionate dance theatre work Blood on the Dance Floor
• a challenging look at youth incarceration with Declan Furber Gillick's Bighouse Dreaming
• And a night of musical tribute to Quentin Tarantino's '90s cult classic Pulp Fiction in Parap Fiction.

Darwin Festival Artistic Director Felix Preval says, "To celebrate 40 years of Darwin Festival, we've pulled together a wonderfully diverse program, jam-packed with eclectic and electric events. There will be mass celebrations of community and resilience and award-winning comedians providing laugh-a-minute commentary. We'll also see timely pieces of work examining the experience of First Nations peoples, and late-night parties designed to get you dancing, This year's Darwin Festival program offers the opportunity for us to come together and discover something new and unique across 18 tropical days and nights.

"40 years since our origin as the Bougainvillea Festival is a huge milestone, so we're promising Darwin one hell of a party! Our Festival program features 114 events, 596 artists and counting, 287 currently of whom are NT locals, and is spread across 33 venues. So whether you're a local looking for some dry season fun, or an out-of-towner seeking an escape from the winter chills, we're looking forward to hosting you for the momentous 2019 Darwin Festival."

Darwin Festival CEO Emily Mann says, "Darwin Festival is the Northern Territory's best-kept secret. Festivals drive tourism and stimulate local economies in cities around the world, and Darwin is no exception.

"This year we are increasing promotion of our mid-winter tropical Festival to Australian and international audiences to grow tourism visitation in 2019 and beyond.

"We are grateful for the support of the Northern Territory Government with the announcement of $2 million in consolidated funding in 2019 and 2020 that enables us to assist the NTG in achieving tourism visitation targets for the Territory."

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Culture, Lauren Moss MLA says, "The Territory Government is putting significant investment into the Territory's unique events and festivals, recognising their role in attracting more visitors here and supporting vibrant, liveable communities.

"This year, the Government is contributing a record $2 million to the Darwin Festival as the premier celebration of our arts, culture and lifestyle, supporting the event to grow, particularly in terms of attendance from interstate.

"The Territory does events and festivals like nowhere else. The iconic Darwin Festival is our pinnacle event and the perfect reason for people to escape the southern winter.

"We are investing in growing our events and festivals calendar as part of our broader Turbocharging Tourism efforts, because we know they are a great drawcard for visitors looking for new and exciting experiences, creating jobs and generating business for our accommodation, hospitality and tour operators.

"Our $62.8 million TURBO2 investment includes an extra $20 million over the next two years to support our festivals, major events and experiences. We are already seeing this investment pay off with our holiday visitor numbers and spending starting to trend upwards after a tough period.

"This year's Darwin Festival is set to be another incredible 18 days of dry season fun and entertainment for locals and visitors."

Darwin Festival is the Northern Territory's leading international arts festival that connects the cultures and communities of Darwin through the arts, promotes the Northern Territory to the nation and the world, and contributes to the cultural and visitor economies of Northern Australia.

Held each August, it combines warm outdoor festivities with a program rich with local, national and international talent over 18 dazzling nights.

Tickets for the Darwin Festival are on sale from 10am Friday 21 June at www.darwinfestival.org.au