Arnhem Land culture takes centre stage at Barunga Festival 2026

A man from Groote Eylandt who grew up spearing pearlfish and trevally has claimed the win in the spear-throwing competition at the 2026 Barunga Festival.

The crowd erupted when Sammy Wurrawilya scored a direct hit on the target, spearing a simulacrum of a kangaroo from 35 metres away.

"When I was a little boy, I used to throw spears, go hunting," he said.

"It's just concentrating, concentrating in the mind."

More than 80 people took part in the contest, including countrymen from Aboriginal communities across the NT, US Marines, and tourists from around Australia.

Victor Rostron, a ranger from Arnhem Land, was teaching people how to make the spears and throwers from ironwood.

"All the other trees won't work — only ironwood," he said.

"I'm really proud to be a bush man, and sitting down here and sharing our knowledge, our culture."

Visiting US Marines, who are based in Darwin, were presented with spears by Barunga elders.

"The one thing I really like about being out here is how much of a community it is, everyone is so together," marine Jimmy Georgelevasseur said.

Weaving stories

The festival, held each year in the small remote community of Barunga, about an hour outside Katherine, is one of the country's most important Indigenous festivals, with a proud history of political advocacy.

At the 1988 festival, Arnhem Land traditional owners presented a painted document known as the Barunga Statement to then-prime minister Bob Hawke, calling for a treaty and for land rights.

It is also a place for Aboriginal people to share their cultural practices, with dancers from Groote Eylandt and Wugularr leading the traditional bunggul dances at dusk this year.

Women from Bulman's Mimal ranger group in central Arnhem Land ran a basket-weaving workshop, showing visitors how natural fibres from the pandanus plant are naturally dyed and woven.

Back home, their focus is on Learning on Country programs that take kids out bush to learn their customs and languages.

"A lot of things, we do with kids," Bulman-based artist Elizabeth Lawrence said.

"Bush tucker, all the plants, trees, [we] tell them in language."

The two main Indigenous languages of the Bulman area, Dalabon and Rembarranga, are under threat, but are still widely spoken by older generations.

But fellow weaver and artist Yvonne Lawrence said there was strong interest from the kids in learning.

"Some of our new generation wants to learn their language and we just love keeping our language to go on," she said.

A new direction

The festival was under new management this year, after the Bagala Aboriginal Corporation did not renew its contract with the events and creative agency Sprout, which had operated the festival for the past three years.

At the time, the outgoing organiser Anya Lorimer said she felt she was handing over the "keys to a road train" and that she had been "blindsided" by the decision.

Bagala Corporation chief executive and event organiser Jarah Maraschio  said the event had proved to be a huge success.

"It was an awesome event," he said.