The 17th Moorambilla Gala Concert | Riversong22 celebrated our shared connection to country and the talent of youth in regional and remote NSW.

Primary school aged boys sing in a choir. They wear white t-shirts with black patterns and hold up paddles. A white fish sculpture is lit-up behind them.

On 16 September hundreds gathered at the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre for the return of the Moorambilla Gala Concert – an event unable to proceed in 2020 and 2021 due to the impacts of COVID-19.

With support from our Indigenous Languages and Arts program (ILA), a series of diverse performances from the local Collarenebri community mesmerised audiences and celebrated Indigenous culture.

Highlights included:

  • songs from the children's choir Moorambilla Voices, a group profiled in the Netflix documentary Wide Open Sky
  • a Japanese Taiko Drum performance
  • fire sculptures and lanterns
  • original music scores performed by the Mooorambilla Chamber Orchestra.

The organisers, Moorambilla Voices, have provided over 40,000 children in regional and remote NSW with musical opportunities since their inception in 2006. The concert was directed by Michelle Leonard OAM.

The ILA program supports First Nations peoples to express, preserve and maintain their cultures by providing funding for languages and arts activities throughout Australia each year.