Published on Thursday, 13 August 2026 at 8:52:41 AM
Held at Boomerang Oval, the festival welcomed hundreds of community members for an afternoon of live entertainment, cultural celebration, family activities, food stalls and community engagement. The event created a vibrant space where children, young people and families could come together to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture while strengthening community connections.
One of the biggest highlights of the festival was the live performance by acclaimed First Nations artist BARKAA, who inspired the crowd with a powerful performance celebrating identity, strength and pride.
The festival also marked the official premiere of the original music video, "ALL MY MOB ARE WITH ME" featuring BARKAA.
Proudly coordinated by the Newman Women's Shelter Youth Team, the project brought together children and women from Newman and Jigalong through a collaborative journey of songwriting, music production and music video creation. Throughout the project, participants worked alongside BARKAA, Grand Trine Creative, and Dallas Woods, learning from experienced artists while sharing their own stories, culture and lived experiences.
More than just a music video, the project empowered participants to build confidence, develop creative skills and celebrate their voices. It reflects the strength, talent and resilience of the next generation and stands as a lasting legacy of this year's Next Gen Festival.
Watch the Official Music Video 🎬
We're proud to share "ALL MY MOB ARE WITH ME" feat. BARKAA and invite everyone to celebrate the voices and creativity of our community.
Watch now: https://youtu.be/0w_7iKGaZMQ?feature=shared
Watch the Next Gen Festival Documentary
Watch our festival documentary capturing the people, performances, culture, creativity and community spirit that made the 2026 NAIDOC Next Gen Festival such a special celebration.
Watch now: NAIDOC_2026_NWS.mp4
Thank You to Our Community
Newman Women's Shelter extends its sincere thanks to the children, young people, women, Elders, community members, volunteers, artists, mentors, community organisations, event stallholders, funding partners and sponsors who contributed to the festival and helped make it such a success.
Your involvement helped create a celebration that honoured culture, strengthened connections and created opportunities for the next generation to share their voices and creativity.
As we celebrated 50 Years of Deadly, the Next Gen Festival reminds us of the strength that comes from culture, community and creating opportunities for the next generation. We look forward to continuing this journey together.
With Thanks to Our Partners and Supporters
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