From Saturday 5 July to Sunday 13 July, Sydney’s iconic harbourside precincts, Barangaroo, The Rocks and Darling Harbour, will come alive in celebration of NAIDOC Week. This year’s theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy, marks 50 years of NAIDOC Week by honouring the resilience of past generations, the wisdom of Elders, and the bold leadership of young First Nations people.
BARANGAROO
At Barangaroo, a place named after a powerful Cammeraygal woman, the precinct will host a series of free, all-ages dance workshops at the newly opened Pier Pavilion. On Monday 7 July, Wednesday 9 July and Friday 11 July, the community is invited to take part in Dancing by the Water, an interactive experience blending music, movement, and storytelling through traditional and contemporary First Nations dance. Featuring performers including Jannawi Dance Clan, Dhinawan Yarn and Entertainment, and the Kiris An Taran Torres Strait Islander Dance Troupe, each session will celebrate connection to Country, water, and culture.
Visitors can also take part in Aboriginal Cultural Tours through the six-hectare headland of Barangaroo Reserve, home to more than 75,000 native Australian trees and shrubs. Led by Aboriginal educators, these tours explore the cultural significance of the site and share insights into the Gadigal people’s deep connection to land and harbour.
Also on offer is the Barangaroo Public Art Tour. This self-guided tour showcases a powerful collection of First Nations artworks including Shellwall, Remembering, Barangaroo Ngangamaym and Mermer Waiskeder.
THE ROCKS
The Rocks will honour the legacy of NAIDOC Week with a mix of cultural experiences, hands-on workshops, live performances and art exhibitions.
The National Indigenous Art Fair will take over the Overseas Passenger Terminal on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 July. Showcasing the work of over 50 First Nations artists, designers and makers, the annual market will feature live music, communal weaving circles, dance performances, bush food tastings and cultural panels. Entry is $3 (children under 12 free), with proceeds supporting
remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Children can also visit the Little Mobs Tent for a free drop in program of activities including a shellwork workshop, gumnut jewellery-making, ochre face painting, dance workshops and more when accompanied by a paying adult to the art fair.
Families can enjoy free First Nations Workshops throughout the work week from Monday 8 July to Friday 18 July at The Rocks Discovery Museum Attic, with sessions in cultural dance, language and adornment crafts designed for children and families to connect with culture through creativity and movement.
Meanwhile, the School Art Competition Exhibition at The Rocks Discovery Museum will display artworks created by NSW students from Kindergarten to Year 12, each reflecting the 2025 NAIDOC theme through personal interpretations of strength, legacy and future leadership.
Visitors can also explore First Nations art at nearby institutions including the MCA Store, and Spirit Gallery, all offering original works, handmade objects and ethically sourced art from across Australia.
DARLING HARBOUR
Darling Harbour will kick off NAIDOC Week with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony on Saturday 5 July and Saturday 12 July, followed by a spectacular themed fireworks display lighting up Cockle Bay at 8.30pm.
On Sunday 7 July, the Australian National Maritime Museum will host a NAIDOC Week Open Day filled with free cultural activities for the whole family. From dance workshops with the Bangarra Dance Theatre to bush drink tastings with Koori Kulcha, mural painting with Nioka Lowe-Brennan, face-painting and live music – the day will be a joyful celebration of connection, culture and community.
All week, visitors can explore the Plant Installation by the team at Wildflower at Palm Grove, a new immersive public art installation next to Cockle Bay Green that brings the spirit of Country to the city through native flora, sensory design and cultural storytelling.
For those who prefer a self-guided tour, explore Darling Harbour and immerse yourself in First Nations artworks. Darling Harbour is home to Dani Mellor and Canopy by Jacob Nash, both striking visual installations sharing stories of the Wangal and Gadigal people, and the 10-storey mural of Jenny Munro, celebrating the lifelong work and activism of the Wiradjuri Elder. The ICC is
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