Black Gully Festival 2026
November 7 @ 10:00 am - 8:45 pm
Free
Now in its 15th year, the much-loved Black Gully Festival returns on Saturday 7 November at the scenic Black Gully Reserve, (behind NERAM on the north and south sides of the creek). This free, family-friendly event celebrates Armidale’s creativity, community spirit and natural environment as the warmer weather arrives.
From 10.00am to 7.00pm , festival goers can enjoy live music across three stages, along with a makers’ market, sumptuous food vans, arts, craft and science activities, talks and workshops, a clothes swap, creek bug collecting and more.
Festival Program
- 9.00am – 7.00pm – Festival Livestream and broadcast 2ARMFM Community Radio
- 10.00am – 4.00pm – NERAM Art Gallery & feature exhibition Oracle of Time: Interactive Installation.
- 10.00am – 4.00pm – Makers, Community and Environment Markets
Caring for Koala Country, Clothes Swap and Slow Living, Community Garden tours, , Electrify Armidale, Growing Sustainable Landscapes, Healthy Headwaters and Creek bug collecting, NERAM Family Art Making, Platypus Play and Clay, River Weaving , Rising Tide, Save our Styx, Talking Soil, Black Gully Printers, Community Weathering Station, Mending-Making- Sharing, Face painting and more….. - 10.00am – 7.00pm – Sumptuous Food Vans
- 12.00pm – Official Opening – Yidaki performance, Welcome to Country at Black Gully Central, Acknowledgement and recognition to 2ARM’s Official Musical Patron, local Dunghutti Elder Uncle Cyril Green+ Thanks to Sponsors + announcements
- 7.00pm – 8.45pm – Astronomy night with the Stars & UNE & NT Astronomical Society@NERAM cafe
Music, Dance & Theatre Program
Main Stages
10.00am to 7.00pm
Main Stages (Black Gully Reserve)
| Time | Stage | Performer |
| 10.00am | 2 | Barney Street Band |
| 10.40am | 1 | Jazz Lab |
| 11.20am | 2 | Chilli Jam |
| 12.00pm | 1 | Official opening, Welcome to Country and Celebration of Uncle Cyril Green-Dunghutti Elder |
| 12.30pm | 1 | Harlequin Dance |
| 12.50pm | 2 | The Kelly Gang |
| 1.45pm | 1 | Rocky Bottom Girls |
| 2.35pm | 2 | Triple C Line Dancing |
| 2.50pm | 1 | The Briny Sea |
| 3.45pm | 2 | Salsa Dancing |
| 4.00pm | 1 | Fovndlings |
| 5.00pm | 2 | Dead Life Co-op |
| 6.00pm | 1 | U-Boat Gansey |
Acoustic Stage (NERAM Café)
10am to 2.00pm
| Time | Performer |
| 10.15am | The Miggy Man |
| 11.00am | MC & The Squares |
| 12.00pm | Official opening, Welcome to Country and Celebration of Uncle Cyril Green (on Main Stage) |
| 12.40pm | Firebirds Choir |
| 1.35pm | Crooked Tree |
Aboriginal Cultural and Keeping Place Stage (ACCKP)
12.30pm to 4.00pm
| Time | Performer |
| 12.00pm | Official opening, Welcome to Country and Celebration of Uncle Cyril Green (on Main Stage) |
| 12.45pm | Lyambay Aboriginal Dance and Sharnae Smith Dance |
| 1.30pm | ACCKP OPEN House with Uncle Cyril Green |
| 3.00pm | Tiddalick the Greedy Frog (Saturday Magic Theatre Troup) |
Talks, Activities & Workshops Program
Clothes Swap@ Slow Living Tent
- 10.00 to 11.00am Clothes drop
- 12.00 to 2.00pm Clothes swap
Community Garden
- Community Garden Tours – Come for a visit! Tours running from 10.00am to 4.00pm -as needed
UNE Aquatic Ecology – Old Netball Courts and Creeklands
- 10.00am to 4pm – Creek Bug Collecting, Identification and Exploration
Sustainable Living Armidale (SLA) and Friends @ North Gully Village (NERAM Side)
Program TBA
The Black Gully Festival program is subject to changes at any time. Please refer to the Facebook page for any updates or amendments.
The Black Gully Festival – Partners and Sponsors
The Black Gully Festival would not be possible and nor would it be able to provide a free community event without the contribution of over 70 volunteers and our Partners and Sponsors. The Black Gully Festival organisers would like to extend a huge thank you to our volunteers and to the following:
Partners
Supermega sponsors and Grants
Very special sponsors
Festival friends
For updates to music and activities program Follow the Black Gully Festival on Facebook and the event pages on the Creative Streets, SLA and NERAM websites.
