Celebrating NAIDOC Week in South Hedland
Our 2026 NAIDOC Street Festival in South Hedland was a blast! From the moment Brand Street came alive with music, laughter, and smiling faces, it was clear that this year’s festival was something special. It was such a pleasure to see so many people from the community join us to celebrate NAIDOC. We’re so moved by the sheer number of people who came along to celebrate, connect, and honour 50 Years of Deadly together.
We’re thrilled to share that over 1000 people attended this year, making it one of our biggest celebrations yet! The positive feedback from the community throughout the day was overwhelming, with many attendees telling us it was the “best NAIDOC event in town” – wow! A statement we do not take lightly, but a testament to the hard work, collaboration, and community spirit that goes into projects like this.
The day began with a warm and meaningful Welcome to Country, delivered by Mr Alfred Barker, Kariyarra Elder. Acknowledging the Elders who came before and encouraging the young mob who lead us into the future, Mr Barker asked those present to walk softly on Kariyarra Country, and pushed us to learn from one another, work together, and move forward in the spirit of respect.
Mr Barker’s Welcome to Country was followed with words from the Town of Port Hedland CEO Dale Stewart, Hedland Aboriginal Strong Leaders (HASL) Elder Maureen Kelly (also known as Nanna MK), IBN Chief Operations Officer Linda Sperring, and then the festivities then kicked off!
Most importantly, the festival creates a welcoming space where the community could come together to celebrate culture, connection, and belonging. Throughout the day, language and culture were proudly shared, while passionate and talented young performers lit up the stage with their singing and dancing. The IBN team lovingly prepared and served countless bowls of delicious roo tail stew, bringing people together over food and yarns. It was also wonderful to see so many Elders attending this year, sharing stories, knowledge, and laughter across generations.
The main stage lit up with unforgettable local talent and celebrations of culture through music, dance, and performance, with entertainment from musicians Michael Charlton, local Elder Darrell Betts, HALS Elder Cyril Munda, Declan Pocock, and even a guest spot from APA volunteer Gabe! Additionally, we were privileged to see local Elder Eldride Edwards showcase culture from outside the Pilbara region, sharing the history of the didgeridoo and its origins in the far north and Arnhem Land. It was beautiful to hear the deep, resonant sounds, and complex rhythms as he played the instrument.
We were also blown away by the IBN Youth and Youth Involvement Council (YIC) community who took to the stage to showcase performances from recent Hedland’s Got Talent competitions.
Closing off the festival performances was the Hedland Tongan Community Brass Band, who marched down Brand Street before playing an assortment of crowd favourites on the stage.
We would like to extend our gratitude to everyone who attended, as well as to our vendors and the IBN team for their efforts in bringing the festival to life.
With more stalls than ever before representing community organisations, service providers, and industry, there was something for everyone to enjoy, learn, and discover. The vibrant atmosphere was also an opportunity to build relationships and create space for future investment and collaboration within the region.
As we reflect on this year’s festival, we’re filled with gratitude for everyone who played a part – thank you for making this year’s NAIDOC celebrations so memorable.
A huge thank you goes to our amazing sponsors. Your support helped bring this event to life, and we simply couldn’t do it without you. Your commitment to our community and to celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture made a lasting impact, and we are so grateful to have you alongside us.
This event was proudly supported by the Town of Port Hedland, Horizon Power, APA Group, Karlka Nyiyaparli Aboriginal Corporation, Kariyarra Aboriginal Corporation, Fortescue, Gateway Village.
