National Indigenous Television (NITV) will provide comprehensive coverage of the 24th annual Garma Festival, taking place on the 2nd to the 5th of August in Gulkula, northeast Arnhem Land, Northern Territory.
This year, Australia’s largest political Indigenous gathering is taking place ahead of an impending Federal Election, and upcoming state and territory elections, and is the first major political forum focused on Indigenous affairs since the Referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Coverage on NITV and across the SBS network will give Australians a front-row seat to the critical conversations centred on the lived experience of First Nations peoples taking place, as political leaders, policymakers, corporate leaders and community representatives look to the future.
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What is Garma and how did it begin?
“We can’t wait to be back on the ground at Gulkula, red dirt between our toes, on the beautiful and sacred land of the Yolŋu people,” said Tanya Denning-Orman, a proud Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman and Director of Indigenous Content at SBS.
“Following the Referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, and as Australia looks ahead to Federal, state and territory elections, NITV and SBS will provide unparalleled access to the critical conversations at Garma that influence political discourse, policy agendas, and commitments towards Indigenous affairs in Australia.
“Whether it’s insights and ideas discussed in key forums, or the sounds and movement of the daily buŋgul, our comprehensive coverage - led by NITV and featuring across the SBS network - will give Australians an immersive experience across four days of yarning, dancing and listening, at Australia’s most significant Indigenous political and cultural event.
“NITV is proud to partner with the Yothu Yindi Foundation to continue bringing Garma to mob across the continent, as we’ve been doing for more than a decade. Through our coverage across the SBS network, we’re connecting the oldest living continuous culture with the newest Australians, and are excited to continue exploring more ways to engage more Australians.”
Denise Bowden CEO of the Yothu Yindi Foundation said that NITV plays an important role in sharing Garma with its audiences over the past few years and has been a long-standing Official Supporter of the event.
"We look forward to continuing to work together to reach more Australians, as NITV and the wider SBS network expands and deepens its coverage, and gives communities wherever they are in Australia, an opportunity to explore the unique experience of Garma," Ms Bowden said.
Daily live coverage, updates and highlights across NITV’s platforms will be presented by NITV’s Indigenous News and Current Affairs team including Head of Indigenous News and Current Affairs, Natalie Ahmat, SBS National Indigenous Affairs Editor and host of The Point: Road Trip, John Paul Janke, NITV News Presenter and Senior Producer, Michael Rennie, and more.
SBS will also simulcast key events from the festival, and SBS News will report from Garma, providing updates on SBS World News and its platforms, with Chief Political Correspondent, Anna Henderson, on the ground. The network will also provide unique multilingual coverage with representatives from SBS Chinese and Arabic teams also reporting from Gulkula, with news and updates to feature across the SBS Audio network in more than 60 languages.
NITV and the SBS network’s comprehensive coverage schedule includes:
NITV News: Nula
Friday 2 August at 3pm on NITV, SBS and SBS On Demand
Join Natalie Ahmat and the NITV News team for a special edition of Nula, broadcast live from on the ground at the 24th Garma Festival at Gulkula, in northeast Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. Nula will provide a preview of events and insights into the issues and ideas to be discussed across the following days of the festival, with interviews, explainers, profiles and stories from the local region.
Garma Opening Ceremony
Friday 2 August at 4pm, live on NITV, SBS and SBS On Demand
NITV is bringing all the speeches and ceremony from the official opening of Garma 2024, live from Gulkula, a significant Yolŋu ceremonial site in northeast Arnhem Land.
Garma Buŋgul
Saturday 3 August at 10.50pm, Sunday 4 August at 10.10pm and Monday 5 August 11:10am on NITV and SBS On Demand.
As the sun sets on Gumatj Country in northeast Arnhem Land, Yolŋu clans gather for buŋgul (dance) – an important cultural ceremony held on the ancient grounds at Gulkula each afternoon during the Garma Festival, where stories and knowledge enshrined in the land, the sea and sky are brought to life through song, dance, and ceremony.
Garma Forums
Join hosts Natalie Ahmat, John Paul Janke and Michael Rennie for coverage of all the key forums and speeches from Garma 2024, live from the Garrtjambal Auditorium in Gulkula.
• Saturday 3 August, Morning Sessions, from 10am on NITV and SBS
• Saturday 3 August, Afternoon Sessions, from 1.30pm on NITV
• Sunday 4 August, Morning Sessions, from 10am on NITV and SBS
All forums and speeches will also be available on the SBS On Demand Garma Festival hub.
NITV News: Garma
Monday 5 August at 6pm on NITV, SBS and SBS On Demand
This 30-minute recap program of highlights from Garma Festival is hosted by Natalie Ahmat and NITV’s Indigenous News and Current Affairs team. The program will include all of the key moments from the weekend of celebration and reflection.
Join in the conversation #Garma2024
