Sponsorship helps Yabun continue to highlight cultural significance


The City of Sydney will continue to support the Yabun Festival, the all-day celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures in the heart of Sydney, for another three years.

The renowned annual gathering at Victoria Park in Glebe on Australia Day showcases the finest music, art, dance, performance and food of the world’s oldest living cultures, attracting locals as well as visitors from across Australia and around the world

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the City was proud to support the important annual festival with a $240,000 grant, ensuring organisers can plan for the future with confidence.

“Yabun gives us the opportunity to celebrate the immense contribution and achievements Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples make to our community,” the Lord Mayor said.

“It’s also a fun day out where art and music are on display, showcasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures that continue to flourish in the heart of Australia’s global city.

“I congratulate Gadigal Information Service Aboriginal Corporation for organising a successful Yabun Festival each year, and I look forward to seeing it grow.”

Gadigal Information Service Aboriginal Corporation is a leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander media and cultural organisation that has been operating in Sydney for the past 22 years.

The corporation provides a number of significant arts, media and cultural services to the community, including Koori Radio. It organised the first Yabun Festival in 2002 and since then  has seen the event grow to attract up to 25,000 people.

The festival’s Yabun Stage each year puts the spotlight on some of the best music talent in the country, with past performers including Archie Roach, Dan Sultan and Jessica Mauboy.

On the Corroboree Ground, dancers from across the country have a reputation for kicking-up dust, while the festival’s SpeakOut Tent features some of Australia’s leading artists, authors and thinkers.

The City has sponsored the festival since 2007 through cash sponsorship and in-kind support.

The City will sponsor the event for the next three years with $70,000 cash funding next year, $80,000 cash in 2016 and $90,000 in 2017. The City will also provide in-kind support – free park hire, banner poles and community venue hire – valued at up to $27,000 per year for the next three years.

For more information visit City of Sydney