Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Victor Dominello, who will attend the festival, said the NSW Government is proud to support the event with funding from Aboriginal Affairs NSW, Arts NSW and through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

“Yabun Festival celebrates our amazing Aboriginal culture and offers people from all walks of life the opportunity to experience the best of Aboriginal art, dance and music.

“Yabun also features an engaging cultural program, including panel discussions and speeches from community leaders, academics, politicians and artists from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

“Today we recognise the significant achievements of Aboriginal people across the arts, sports, business and public life,” Mr Dominello said.

Minister for the Arts, George Souris said the longevity of Yabun Festival, now in its 12th year, reflected the popular success of many Aboriginal musicians.

“Yabun is well known for attracting some of the nation’s best Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musical artists, ranging from established favourites to new up-and-comers.

“It will be one of the highlights in an action-packed Australia Day line up in and around Sydney’s CBD and Harbour,” Mr Souris said.

Yabun Festival, which started in 2002, is held at Victoria Park, Camperdown and this year will host pop-up events in Leichhardt, Marrickville and Parramatta. Yabun means ‘song with a beat’ in the Eora language.

Yabun is organised by the Gadigal Information Service Aboriginal Corporation and will be broadcast live in Sydney on Koori Radio (93.7FM), and nationally via the National Indigenous Radio Service (NIRS).

Artists on the line up include The Bart Willoughby Band, Emma Donovan and the Puttbacks, Renegades of Munk, Leah Flanagan and Kutcha Edwards.

For more information visit: gadigal.org.au/events

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