Massive May: Dry season is heating up in Darwin

While most of Australia starts layering up in May, Darwin is just getting warmed up – culturally, that is. FULL LIST OF MAY EVENTS.

Brad Stankiewicz, Emma McGee, Ruby Baritt, Oonagh Dalton and David Collins as the mural by Lucy Lucy will be lit up as part of the new DOUBLE EXPOSURE event for DSAF 2025. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

While most of Australia starts layering up in May, Darwin is just getting warmed up – culturally, that is.

The Top End’s Dry Season has officially kicked off – and it’s fast becoming one of Australia’s most unique and jam-packed months for festivals, food, music, and cultural experiences.

There’s live music at the Ski Club, food festivals galore, like the Darwin Italian Festival and Taste of Kakadu, and music events like the every popular BASSINTHEGRASS.

But things will really heat up for the second half of May – with the recent announcement of the 2025 Darwin Street Art Festival program, the return of the annual Top End Gin Festival, and the brand-new Live Fire BBQ Festival on the last weekend.

DARWIN STREET ART FESTIVAL PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT

The ninth edition of one of Darwin’s favourite events will be kicking off on May 24.

The Darwin Street Art Festival (DSAF) has unveiled Double Exposure, a new outdoor projection exhibition, transforming the city into a vibrant night-time gallery for one night only during the 2025 festival

This large-scale installation will transform the carpark at the old RSL site in Darwin’s CBD, including the activation of existing large-scale murals, and an immersive two-storey cube installation showcasing film, photography, and digital artworks.

More than 10 projectors and light displays across four installations, incorporating work by International, National, and local artists in the heart of Darwin’s city, with food provided on-

INKSPER, Caleb Schatz, Polly Johnstone, Bethany O'shea and Mikaela Lee are some of the Darwin based Artists who are part of this year's 2025 Darwin Street Art Festival Lineup. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

site by Ethiopian Sisters Kitchen and Africa Soul Food.

Highlighting the power of visual storytelling, the exhibition features celebrated artists Thandiwe Muriu (Kenya) and Atong Atem (Melbourne)

As a first time DSAF event, Double Exposure will also amplify the voices of local youth and community artists, including young artists from Launch Darwin, the art of Lukas Bendel who will mentor and deliver hands-on workshops to support youth art development, and Shane Eecen from local business Northern Lights, creating the dynamic projections that will activate two of Darwin’s iconic large-scale murals.

Other exciting features of this years DSAF program include:

> A partnership with Top End Gin Festival to have artists live painting at their festival

The ever-popular Off Cuts Exhibition in partnership with Don Whyte and Qubit gallery, on May 23.

> An Artist talk at Bustard Town on May 30 with George Goodnow, Neryl Walker and Cyan Sue Lee, hosted by MC and artist Hannah Illingworth.

> A collaboration with new local radio station Saltwater Radio to interview artists as they paint and create a living playlist.

David Collins, Director at DSAF, looked ahead with excitement for the event.

“We’re proud to have 60 per cent local artists painting again in 2025, alongside some big names from across the globe, and of course the exciting new Double Exposure event,” he said.

“It’s our second year of running the festival in May/June, and part of thse reason behind that was to create more opportunity for our community to join forces – we love being able to collaborate with other festivals and local community groups and give everyone more opportunities to enjoy the NT arts scene in the Dry season.”

TOP END GIN FESTIVAL

The annual Top End Gin Festival is back for its fourth year on the 24th May, bringing more than 20 gin distillers from across the country to the tropics for what has been dubbed ‘Australia’s most fun gin festival’!

Ticket holders get three hours of complimentary gin tastings from both award-winning and emerging gin producers, live music including headline act The Temper Trap.

For the first time this year, the Top End Gin Festival and Darwin Street Art Festival will be collaborating – which will mean there will be artists painting live at the Gin Festival, along with plenty of local food vendors, and other exciting activations throughout the day.

Top End Gin Festival. Picture: Rachel Younger / Supplied.

Attendees will also have the chance to chat directly with the makers, including national icons like Wolf Lane Distilling and Never Never Distilling Co, and local brands such as Speargrass Distilling Co., Willing Distillery, and Darwin Distilling Co.

Danielle Jones, Managing Director of SRO Events, said the Top End Gin Festival just keeps on getting bigger and better, and it’s the best way to launch the Top End Dry Season in May.

The Top End Gin Festival is proudly presented by SRO Events, Charlie’s of Darwin and the Darwin Ski Club. Tickets are on sale via MOSHTIX.COM.

LIVE FIRE BBQ FESTIVAL

The heat is on this Dry season – but in a good way – with the launch of the very first Live Fire BBQ Festival, a sizzling new addition to the Top End’s event calendar.

Held across two flavour-filled days at the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens, this free entry community event will serve up slow-cooked meats and local brews for sale, and a true Territory-style seating arrangement – on BYO picnic rugs under the palm trees.

From Friday 30 May at 5pm, the fires will be lit and the long, slow cook begins.

Wander through the gardens, chat with pitmasters as they stoke the coals, and snack on tasty bites while the magic happens overnight. Then, return Saturday 31 May from 11am for the full feast!

The line-up of food options features BBQ royalty from across the Territory, including B’Rad BBQ (pictured), Gauchos BBQ, Spitz N Giggles and Ironbark Smoked BBQ serving up everything from smoky brisket to locally made gourmet sausages.

This will be complemented by Pony & Sid BBQing some vegetarian eats, and The Trader Winnellie Road on the bar.

Ontop of the food, festivalgoers can enjoy craft beers from local brewers, browse the BBQ sales section to get set up for their own Dry Season BBQ, and soak up live fire theatre in the gardens.

Everyone’s invited, bring a picnic rug, bring your mates, and come hungry – you’re going to want to buy one of everything.

Pippa Ainsworth, organiser of the Live Fire BBQ festival said the food was the event.

“We wanted to give all these talented cooks a platform to show off what they do best,” she said.

Originally published as Massive May: Dry season is heating up in Darwin