Guide to the best family-friendly events for Darwin Festival 2025

Teddy bears, circus acts, puzzles and picnics – this year’s Darwin Festival has kidsof all ages well and truly sorted.

Teddy bears, circus acts, puzzles and picnics – this year’s Darwin Festival has children of all ages well and truly sorted.

Here’s your guide to the best family-friendly events coming up this August.

Friday, August 8-Saturday, August 9

Wonderbox

Sensorium Theatre invites young audiences with a disability and their friends
into Wonderbox, a giant puzzle-box world, led by quirky carnival characters with

projections, treasures and live music. Perfect for young curious minds hungry for

wonder and surprise, this inclusive multi-sensory show makes sure all kids can

experience its magic.

Venue: Studio Theatre, DEC

Friday, 5.30pm

Saturday, 10am and 1pm

Suitable 8 +

Saturday, August 9

Singing for Our Little Ones

Experience the Warumungu Elders and Dr Shellie Morris AO as they bring their new

children’s album to life. It’s a beautiful performance that entertains while helping

keep an endangered language strong for future generations.

INPEX Sunset Stage, 5.15pm

Suitable for all ages.

Sunday 10 August

City of Darwin Teddy
Bears’ Picnic

The Esplanade transforms into kid heaven with Nylon Zoo’s dress-ups, giant

inflatables, silent disco, face painting and enough craft to keep little hands busy for

hours. This free Darwin institution is one of the longest-running and most loved family events.

The Esplanade, 9am-noon Suitable for all ages.

Festival Park is perfect for families looking to graze between showsand let the kids soak up the festival buzz. Photo: Helen Orr

Wednesday, august 13- Sunday, August 17

How The Birds Got
Their Colours

This is a First Nations story brought to life with circus and dance. Yugambeh Elder

Luther Cora joins Arc Circus in a dreamy, visually stunning performance that

celebrates diversity, identity and the natural world.

Museum and Art Gallery NT, Various times

Wed-Fri 5pm

Sat and Sun 10am and 5pm

Wednesday, august 13-Saturday, August 16

Night Night

This playful, visually rich theatre experience blends puppetry, animation and live

digital filmmaking to tell a story that’s as heartwarming as it is mind-bending.

Following an Antarctic scientist and a glowing entity, it dives into life, death, and

other dimensions. Recommended for ages 15+, it’s a show that will leave teens and adults thinking long after the curtain falls.

Brown’s Mart Theatre,
Various times

Festival Park is perfect for families looking to graze between shows and let the kids soak up the festival buzz. Photo: Charlie Bliss

Friday, August 15

Family Fiesta – Palmerston

Palmerston lights up with this free evening fiesta that’s all about community, colour

and fun. Think conga lines weaving through Goyder Square, limbo contests to test

your flexibility, and plenty of laughter and clowning around with the Top End Clown

Troupe. There’s also a movie singalong for families, a silent disco, and circus

activities. This is a family night that captures the festival spirit.

Goyder Square, Palmerston5pm-9pm

Saturday, August 16

I Like to Movie, Movie

A rollicking musical movie singalong featuring hits from Shrek, The Lion King, Frozen

and more. It’s a high-energy stage show where the whole family can belt out the

songs they know by heart. Expect big voices, big laughs, and plenty of feel-good

vibes. Kids will be singing in the car for days afterwards.

INPEX Sunset Stage, 5.15pm

Kate Fell.

Sunday, August 17

Antidote – Tracks Dance Company

This free outdoor performance under the Milkwood trees celebrates Darwin’s diverse

community stories through dance, music and movement. Created by local artists in collaboration with community, it promises to be a powerful reflection of who we are and where we live. Bring a picnic and the whole family.

The Esplanade, 6pm

Friday, August 22

Dalba Gulwa

Let the sounds of Larrakia language wash over you in this gentle, powerful

performance created by Senior Elder Dr Aunty Bilawara Lee and Netanela Mizrahi.

Through songs written for children, families are invited to sit together and connect

with the deep cultural roots
of Darwin.

INPEX Sunset Stage, 5.15pm

Saturday, August 23

Monski Mouse’s Baby Disco Dance Hall

Little feet won’t be able keep still at this disco.

Under the festoon lights, toddlers and their grown-ups will hit the dance floor for an hour of pure joy, spinning and jumping to thumping nursery rhymes and retro hits.

Hosted by the ever-energetic DJ Monski Mouse, this is
the perfect way to burn off energy before nap time
rolls around.

INPEX Sunset Stage, 5.15pm

Festival Park

This year’s festival food program is its biggest yet,
with Hanuman back, alongside new Mexican street food from Flora’s Temper Mexicantina and fresh Territory flavours across Festival Park. Perfect for families looking to graze between shows and let the kids soak up the festival buzz. Enjoy the free live music every night on Darwin Port Bandstand and interact with the enchanting musical garden of Trumpet Flowers.

Full program and ticket details at darwinfestival.org.au

Originally published as Guide to the best family-friendly events for Darwin Festival 2025