Guy Sebastian to headline 2025 Darwin Festival concert

An Australian Idol winner and music icon will headline the festival’s opening weekend concert in August, which for the first time will take place at Fort Hill Parklands on the Darwin Waterfront.

Guy Sebastian at the Darwin Entertainment Centre in 2016.

A former Australian Idol winner will be the headline musical act on the opening weekend of the 2025 Darwin Festival.

Guy Sebastian will take the stage on Friday, August 8, along with singer Gabriella Cilmi and Alice Springs duo The Wanted Gems.

The following day will see New Zealand reggae band L.A.B. take the stage in Darwin for the first time, alongside local act Juran and East Arnhem group Andrew Gurruwiwi Band.

For the first time, the Darwin Festival will hold concerts at the Fort Hill Parklands, which recently hosted the 2025 Darwin Italian Festival.

Darwin Festival artistic director Kate Fell described the festival as a “one-of-a-kind experience”.

NZ reggae band L.A.B. will take the stage in the Top End for the first time at the 2025 Darwin Festival. Picture: Supplied

“Bringing artists like Guy and L.A.B to a venue as special as Fort Hill Parklands, alongside top Territory talent, is what makes Darwin Festival so unique,” she said.

Darwin Festival CEO James Gough said the two nights of concerts at the Waterfront “showcases the Territory as a cultural destination on the national stage”.

Darwin Waterfront Corporation chair Patrick Bellott said the waterfront’s tenants were “thrilled” to be playing a bigger role in the 2025 festival.

“We’re ready to serve up the best food and vibes to match an unforgettable opening weekend,” he said.

The Darwin Festival, the NT’s largest major arts and culture festival, runs from August 7-24, with the full entertainment program to be released on June 3.

Tickets for the two Fort Hill Parklands concerts are on sale now.

Originally published as Guy Sebastian to headline 2025 Darwin Festival concert