NITV extends Garma Festival coverage to 2028
The Yothu Yindi Foundation and National Indigenous Television have announced a renewed three-year partnership to bring the Garma Festival to audiences across Australia from 2026 to 2028.
The agreement continues a long-running collaboration focused on amplifying First Nations voices from Yolŋu Country in northeast Arnhem Land.
Key Points
- YYF and NITV announce a renewed three-year Garma partnership
- Coverage spans 2026 to 2028 with multiplatform, multilingual output
- NITV to feature buŋgul ceremony, keynotes and festival highlights
- NITV News and SBS World News to deliver daily updates
- SBS Audio to broadcast onsite with Mandarin and Arabic representatives
- Festival insights shared across SBS Audio in more than 60 languages
- 26th Garma set for 31 July–3 August 2026 at Gulkula
Organisers said the arrangement continues a relationship of more than a decade between YYF and NITV, working to share the festival’s cultural, political and community significance. The partners emphasised that Garma remains one of the country’s most significant Indigenous gatherings, grounded in Yolŋu authority on Country.
“NITV has been a long-standing partner of YYF for more than a decade, and, together with SBS, plays a vital role sharing the Garma experience with audiences across Australia and overseas,” Denise Bowden, CEO of the Yothu Yindi Foundation, said.
YYF described Garma as a globally recognised platform for agenda-setting debate on issues impacting First Nations people and of national significance to all Australians. The festival also showcases Yolŋu culture, ceremony, visual art, dance, music and storytelling.
Comprehensive coverage
NITV will support YYF by giving audiences a front-row seat to the four-day program, delivering multi-platform and multilingual coverage from a uniquely First Nations perspective. The broadcaster said it will provide comprehensive coverage of the festival, including extensive reporting of the buŋgul cultural ceremony and all key moments, keynote speeches and highlights.
NITV News and SBS World News will file daily updates from the event to provide audiences with context on Indigenous affairs. Coverage will span on-the-ground reporting and editorial highlights that reflect the discussions, ceremonies and cultural exchanges at Gulkula.
For the fifth consecutive year, SBS Audio will broadcast from the festival in multiple languages, with Mandarin and Arabic representatives on site. News and insights from Garma will be shared across the SBS Audio network in more than 60 languages, connecting diverse Australian communities with First Nations perspectives and experiences.
Festival dates
The 26th annual Garma Festival will be held from Friday, July 31 to Monday, August 3 2026 at Gulkula, Gumatj Country, on Yolŋu Country in northeast Arnhem Land. The gathering brings together First Nations leaders, political and corporate leaders, policy makers and community members from across Australia and around the world.
