Program Sectors
The National Indigenous Art Fair transforms The Cutaway, Barangaroo into a vibrant celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, culture and community during NAIDOC Week. Held from 3–5 July 2026, the Fair presents its most ambitious program to date, showcasing the richness and diversity of First Nations creativity through art, large-scale installations, fashion, live music, dance, talks, moving image works and hands-on weaving workshops.
Now in its seventh year, the Fair brings together more than 30 Indigenous Art Centres from across Australia. More than 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists will travel to Sydney to share their stories, cultures and artistic practices directly with audiences.
Performance
The 2026 program is shaped by a team of First Nations curators comprising Matt Poll ( South Sea and Torres Strait Island) who has curated the talks program, Miah Madden (Bundjalung) who has curated the Living Room exhibition, Kaleena Briggs (Wiradjuri/Yorta Yorta) who has curated the music program, and Billie-Jean Hamlet (Walmajarri/Yamatji) who has curated the fashion parade.
Installation and Moving Image Artwork
Exciting installations from NSW artist Cheryl Davison, alongside work from Maningrida will feature in the installation program with moving image artwork from Jilamara Arts and Numbulwar art centres
Opening Night
For the first time this year the Opening Night event on Friday 3 July, offering guests exclusive early access.
The program will feature performances by rising Darumbal and Tongan R&B vocalist Mi-Kaisha, intergenerational Yuin choir Djinama Yilaga, a Wiradjuri and Dharug dance work, Mawumbul, choreographed and directed by collaborators Jo Clancy and Stuart McMinn, and a fashion parade curated by Billie-Jean Hamlet, celebrating the power of fashion as cultural expression.
The Living Room
The inaugural National Indigenous Art Fair (NIAF) Exhibition at the Barangaroo Cutaway precinct brings together a vibrant group presentation, with one work selected from 16 participating art centres.
Indigenous Couture
Billie-Jean Hamlet, a Walmajarri and Yamatji model from the Kimberley region of Western Australia, moves from the runway to the curation of a special fasion parade for NIAF opening night. Billie-Jean spent her formative years growing up in the remote community of Kurnangki near Fitzroy Crossing so is a wonderful ambassador for the remote communities where many of the artists and designers attending NIAF are from
Talks
The Talks Program, curated by Matt Poll, provides an important intellectual and cultural layer to the National Indigenous Art Fair. While the Fair is renowned for its marketplace and performances, the talks create a space for deeper engagement with the stories, ideas, histories and contemporary issues shaping First Nations art and culture. Matt Poll was appointed as curator of the 2026 Talks Program as part of the Fair's new First Nations-led curatorial mode