Giiyong Festival
Saturday, 9 November 2024 - 9:00am to 10:00pmJigamy, Eden
Thaua Country, Yuin NationNew South Wales
On Saturday 22 September 2018 the first Giiyong Festival took place at Jigamy, just north of Eden. It was South East NSW’s first multi-art form festival celebrating traditional and contemporary Aboriginal culture through dance, art, music, film, theatre, food, sport, workshops and cultural tours.
Giiyong means ‘come to welcome’ in the south coast language as spoken by local Elders.
Giiyong Festival 2018 was the first event of its type held within the Yuin Nation, which stretches from the Shoalhaven River down into East Gippsland in Victoria and across to the Great Dividing Range.
Alison Simpson, Manager of Cultural Inclusion at Twofold Aboriginal Corporation says, “Having an Aboriginal cultural festival on Aboriginal owned land is such a unique gift which allows us to showcase the amazing artistic talent which thrives on the south coast. The festival creates an opportunity to not only unite the Aboriginal community but to bring the whole community together providing a platform for everyone to indulge in the rich and diverse culture that the south coast has to offer.”
2022 saw the second Giiyong Festival take place in April, with extraordinary coastal rain seeing the dedicated team move the whole event 500m up the road in under 18 hours. Bigger than expected crowds attended to see Briggs, Stiff Gins, The Giiyong Gumleaf Band and more.
Giiyong Festival is organised by Twofold Aboriginal Corporation, Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council and South East Arts.