Blak & Bright moves to September

The 2026 Blak & Bright First Nations Literary Festival will run from 3 to 6 September 2026, organisers have announced.

This marks a shift in the timing of the biennial Naarm/Melbourne literary festival, which last year ran from 13 to 17 March.

Organisers described the date change as a “strategic and curational decision” reflecting a “balance between excellence and care”. “Operationally, this change enhances the sustainability of Blak & Bright’s work, providing storytellers and staff with the time and structure to deliver at a healthy and considered pace, ensuring that wellbeing remains central to how they operate.”

CEO and artistic director Bebe Oliver said, “This decision represents a pivotal strategic move for our organisation, giving space for more meaningful collaboration and curation across our storytellers, partners and audiences.

“This exciting shift aligns our festival with the season of spring, and a time of renewal, growth and emergence. As Country grows and changes, so do we.”

Blak & Bright ran an inaugural festival in late February 2016, with the event typically held in March since then. The biennial festival operates “with a foundational belief that Blak stories are relevant to everyone and for everyone”, and “seeks to build and broaden the readership and audiences for First Nations writing and storytelling and get all audiences excited about First Nations narratives”.

The 2026 event will be the fifth festival run by the organisation, which also hosts a range of other literary events and activities showcasing and supporting First Nations voices. Other events include Blak Ink on 6 November at narrm ngarrgu Library for the Unbroken Resistance conversation with Ren Wyld (Martu) and Jeanine Leane (Wiradjuri).

Category: Festivals Local news