Overview
No one should ever need a specific excuse to celebrate Australia's First Nations culture, but Quandamooka Festival offers one anyway: a three-day event on Minjerribah, also known as North Stradbroke Island, that heroes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, music, dance, food, stories and more. Returning to Country for the first time since 2019, this year's event has locked in its August dates and first program details — with Roger Knox, Shakaya and Electric Fields leading the music lineup.
Also on the bill: Emma Donovan and the Putbacks, Joe Geia, Benny Maza, Georgia Corowa, Keely and CKNU. And, given that the festival also heroes Quandamooka talent — with the Quandamooka Peoples hailing from the Moreton Bay region — local musicians Sachém, Nix Grose and Maibre Grenfell will also perform.
Morgan Sette
They'll take to the stage across the fest's three-day run between Friday, August 26–Sunday, August 28, as part of a wide-ranging program that'll also include everything from eco boat tours and art exhibitions through to whale watching and cultural tours — and more.
Dance groups will come from across southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales to perform, and storytelling, plus insights into the region's cultural heritage, will fuel the lineup as well.
There's plenty to celebrate; the Quandamooka Peoples, the Traditional Custodians of the Quandamooka Estate, have ties to Minjerribah dating back 20,000 years. Quandamooka Festival also highlights the diverse landscape across the Redlands and Moreton Bay islands, and the creatures that call it home, as explored from a First Nations perspective.
The festival includes food stalls and artisan market stalls, too, alongside fibre art and weaving workshops, plus Kunjiel (corroboree).
Announcing the music lineup, Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation CEO Damian Miley said that "QYAC is excited to be holding the Quandamooka Festival again for the first time since 2019".
"We are looking forward to welcoming our community and visitors to Country to celebrate Quandamooka, art, culture, music and people."
Quandamooka Festival 2022 runs from Friday, August 26–Sunday, August 28 on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island). For more information, or to buy tickets, head to the festival's website.