More than 300 dancers will gather on the Sydney Opera House Forecourt on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October for DanceRites 2026, a free, biennial celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance, song and culture.
Australia’s only national dance competition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups will feature 18 groups representing more than 50 nations and clans. Eleven groups will make their DanceRites debut, while 10 will travel from regional and remote communities. The competition carries a total prize pool of $50,000.
Now in its ninth iteration, DanceRites brings distinct cultural practices and songlines to the Forecourt’s sand circle stage, with competition performances presented alongside guest artists, an audience workshop and cultural exchange.
This year’s program will honour the late Rhoda Roberts AO, who founded DanceRites as part of the Opera House’s Homeground Festival in 2015. Saturday’s opening will include a tribute by Jannawi Dance Clan, created and choreographed by Peta Strachan (Dharug) and Matthew Doyle (Muruwari, Yuwalarray), recognising Roberts’ work to safeguard cultural practices and bring them to a national stage.
Her legacy will also be acknowledged through Walking Together: The Rhoda Roberts AO Cultural Exchange. Established by the Opera House, the new donor-funded initiative supports collaboration between international and Australian First Nations artists.
Its inaugural participants, Canadian powwow group Wabanaki Dancers, will close Saturday’s program with an exclusive DanceRites appearance.
The competing groups reflect the geographic and cultural breadth of the event. Northern Territory participants include Lirrga, Tharnpa Wulthirri and Wangga from the Daly/Thamarrurr region, alongside The Tingkabee Arrernte Dancers from Central Australia. Lagaw Titui (Island Stars) will represent Badu Island in the Torres Strait, while Western Australia’s Kwopidak Kenning Yok (Beautiful Female Dancers) will share Noongar dance traditions.
Also participating are Boonwurrung Ngargee Dance Group, Murrundaya Yepengna Dance Troupe and Walla Mulana from Victoria; Brolga Dance Academy, Buuja Buuja Burrundi Dancers, Dunghutti Figtree Dancers and Duurunu Miru from NSW; and Queensland’s Deaf Indigenous Dance Group, Mura Biri Gururu Aboriginal Dancers, Sand & Sea Dance Troupe, Shalom First Nations Dancers and Sundowners Kalkutungu Dancers.
The competition will be judged by First Nations dance experts Beau Dean Riley Smith, Julie Bukari Webb, Marilyn Miller, Rosealee Pearson and Toby Cedar. Hip-hop artist Shannon Williams, known as BrothaBlack, returns as MC, joined by dancer and co-host Taryn Beatty, known as TBoogie.
The 2024 DanceRites winners, Mackay Torres Strait Islander Cultural Group, will return as guest performers on both days. NAISDA will also take part as it marks its 50th anniversary, with current students leading an interactive audience workshop and performing before Sunday’s winners ceremony.
Sydney Opera House Head of First Nations Programming Michael Hutchings described the event as an opportunity for audiences, artists and community to come together through culture.
“It’s a celebratory weekend and an opportunity for everyone to join in the living history of Tubowgule, a place where story, song and dance has always been shared,” Hutchings said.
The site opens at 1.30pm on both days. Saturday’s program begins at 2pm with a smoking ceremony, spoken Welcome to Country and Jannawi Dance Clan’s performances. Cultural Dance & Song Cycle heats begin at 2.30pm, with Wabanaki Dancers performing at 7pm.
Sunday’s program begins at 2pm with an Acknowledgement of Country and the optional Wild Card competition category. The NAISDA audience workshop takes place at 5pm, followed by the Cultural Dance & Song Cycle finals at 5.15pm. Guest performances begin at 7pm, ahead of the winners ceremony at 7.20pm and closing gathering at 7.40pm.
DanceRites is free and family-friendly, with audiences welcome to come and go throughout the weekend. The event will also be livestreamed through Sydney Opera House channels.