Festival fever grips Darwin

Featuring an eclectic mix of art, couture, musical and cultural events, the capital city of the Northern Territory comes alive for 18 nights of non-stop entertainment.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the iconic Darwin Festival with outdoor concerts, workshops, theatre, dance music, comedy and cabaret, film and visual arts providing something for everyone to enjoy.

Highlights on this year's program include the Country to Couture, which merges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contemporary fine art and high-end fashion while a host of international and national performers will take to the stage at the National Indigneous Music Awards (NIMAs).

A must-see for music lovers, the NIMAs is Australia’s premier First Nations music event, honouring the best in Indigenous music from around the country and showcasing the national and global achievements of Australia’s finest talents.

This year’s Awards will be held on Saturday 10 August at the Amphitheatre, George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens and the all-star line-up will feature Jessica Mauboy, Archie Roach, Dan Sultan, Electric Fields, Deborah Cheetham, Tasmin Keith, Spinifex Gum, Eric Avery and the Kenbu Dancers.

Another Festival highlight is the 36th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (Telstra NATSIAA) and the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, now in its 13th year, which showcases the contemporary fine art of over 70 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Centres and the work of over 2,000 artists.

The Darwin Festival is part of the NT Government's turbocharged investment into major events and festivals with $20 million to help attract visitors to the Top End.

The Darwin Festival kicks off on Thursday 8 August and runs until Sunday 25 August.

For tickets visit: www.darwinfestival.org.au