International arts festival YIRRAMBOI returns to Melbourne’s Art Precinct

The fifth rendition of YIRRAMBOI will reclaim centre stage in Narrm’s Art Precinct in Southbank from May 1 to 11, with 400 First Nations creatives to feature throughout the festival program.

In the local languages of the Boon Wurrung and Woi Wurrung people, Traditional Owners of Melbourne/Narrm, yirramboi means “tomorrow” – a fitting name for a festival focussed on stepping into a better future.

Providing platform to First Nations artists is YIRRAMBOI’s main mission, aiming to create a future where First Nations artists’ expressions of culture, identity, unity and truth through evolutionary and experimental practices are rightly celebrated.

This year, the festival theme is “past and future”, exploring time’s cyclical nature and recognising that the future is intimately connected to the past.

A dedicated festival hub will be set up, named the Uncle Jack Charles. Here, YIRRAMBOI pays tribute to stage actor, activist and “trailblazing storyteller” – the late Uncle Jack Charles. His niece, Ajia Hamilton, described him as “more than an icon – he was a warrior, a storyteller, and a guiding light for our people”.

Here, the festival looks to the past, celebrating Uncle Jack Charles’s “legacy of resilience, wisdom, and boundless generosity” while contemplating how this reverberates through the present, before stretching into the future.

This year’s festival sees his spirit live on, carrying his “fire” forwards by “celebrating culture with pride.”

YIRRAMBOI creative lead J-Maine Beezley said that the festival “pays homage” to Uncle Jack Charles, who “broke down barriers in the arts by offering authentic First Nations representation in a way that challenged stereotypical portrayals”.

For him, YIRRMABOI “walks in the footsteps of giants”, taking on the cultural and community responsibility of forging a new future, informed by the past.

The program, running over 10 days, comprises more than 400 First Nations creatives showcasing their works, including five world premiere works, two international presentations, and late-night DJ sessions.

Sherene Stewart, YIRRAMBOI’S co-lead, described the program as “evolutionary, explorative, diverse, and deeply rooted in purpose, amplifying the voices of now, presented in unwavering truth”, adding “it’s with immense pride, we again create a platform where brilliant First Nations minds from across the globe converge.”

This year’s festival features Northern Turtle Island (Canada) as a focus nation. More than 20 Canadian First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists are featured throughout the program, encouraging cross-cultural dialogue and marking a significant step towards global cultural unity and collaboration.

Although this festival is centred at the Malthouse Theatre and Chunky Move – renamed “the Uncle Jack Charles” for the event – the 180 performances contained in the programs spill out over Melbourne, with more than 40 venues playing host.

The festival promises to be more than just an artistic showcase, returning colonial spaces to Country that have held them for 80,000 years as “old stories awaken, and new narratives are forged.”

The 2025 program can be found at
yirramboi.com.au/program, with tickets for events which require them available from the same site. •