Giiyong Festival continues South Coast celebration in 2025
10-11-2025
Giiyong Festival, the largest Aboriginal cultural festival in Southern NSW, takes place at Pambula Lake on Saturday 22 November.
The Festival has been running since 2018, first taking place at Jigamy, just north of Eden. It was South East NSW’s first of its kind, a multi-art form festival celebrating traditional and contemporary Aboriginal culture through dance, art, music, film, theatre, food, sport, workshops and cultural tours. Alison Simpson, Manager of Cultural Inclusion at Twofold Aboriginal Corporation says, “Having an Aboriginal cultural festival on Aboriginal owned land is such a unique gift which allows us to showcase the amazing artistic talent which thrives on the South Coast.”
In 2025, this vision is realised again, with Twofold Aboriginal Corporation at the helm, in partnership with Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council and South East Arts. This year’s iteration is as big as ever, headlined by big names such as Coloured Stone, a band whose members originate from the Koonibba Mission led by legendary Mirning Elder Bunna Laurie, as well as 3%, a rap group with a “no-holds-barred” lyrical style. Fronting 3% is Nooky, Yuin and Thunghutti man and previous headliner at Giiyong.
Alongside them is a too deadly lineup of acts, all MC’d by a familiar face; funny man Dane Simpson, Gamilaraay man from Walgett and son of Bow from Dharriwaa Elders Group. Among the lineup is Manduway, a previous performer at ACHAA’s Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre Conference.
To complement these artists, the Festival also runs cultural programming, including a panel on cultural burns led by Dr Vanessa Cavanagh with a focus of caring for Country with ancient knowledge, as well as one on the significance of whale migration and the Whale Dreaming led by Amanda Jane Reynolds. These important conversations will be joined by workshops on a huge variety of cultural making. With Shell Work, Traditional Stone Tools, Fishing Spear Making, Weaving, Weavable and Wearable Cultural Art, Possum Skins: there is something for everyone at Giiyong.
Giiyong 2025 was made possible in part with the support of Destination NSW as part of their Regional Event fund. More than $1.3 million in funding was awarded to 61 events through the 2025/26 Regional Event Fund. Through a diverse range of events bespoke to their unique communities, the funding aims to boost local economies, attract visitors from outside the region and promote vibrant communities.
Giiyong means Come to Welcome in the south coast language; we are excited to see this ongoing gathering Come to Welcome people to celebrate community and culture.
