Australia’s Biggest First Nations Art Fair Takes Over The Cutaway For NAIDOC Week

The National Indigenous Art Fair (NIAF) has returned for its biggest year yet, bringing more than 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from across the country to Barangaroo for a weekend-long celebration of art, culture, storytelling and community.

Running from 3–5 July at The Cutaway, the seventh edition of NIAF marks the first major cultural event to be held at the newly transformed venue, with almost 30 Indigenous art centres represented from across the Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia.

Presented by Sydney-based First Hand Solutions Aboriginal Corporation, the Fair gives visitors the opportunity to purchase works directly from community-owned art centres, with 100 per cent of profits going back to artists and their communities.

Peter Cooley, CEO of First Hand Solutions Aboriginal Corporation, said the Fair was about creating a platform for artists to share their stories directly with audiences.

“The National Indigenous Art Fair feels privileged to host artists from some of Australia’s most isolated communities in Sydney and to provide a platform for them to promote and sell their artworks, and host workshops, talks and installations demonstrating their unique arts and cultural practices,” Cooley said.

“It’s an occasion to meet remote community artists and hear their stories. It’s also an opportunity to experience incredible performances and immerse yourself in the world’s oldest continuous living cultures.”

This year’s program has been curated entirely by a team of First Nations creatives, including Bundjalung actor and curator Miah Madden, South Sea and Torres Strait Island curator Matt Poll, Wiradjuri/Yorta Yorta musician Kaleena Briggs, and Walmajarri/Yamatji model and creative Billie-Jean Hamlet.

One of the centrepieces of the 2026 program is The Living Room, an exhibition curated by Madden showcasing works from participating art centres in a shared gathering space at the heart of the Fair.

Created in collaboration with Merrepen Arts, the exhibition features furniture upholstered with textiles designed by artists Kieren Karritpul and Aaron McTaggart, inviting audiences to physically sit with and engage with the artworks.

The Fair also features an expanded installation and moving image program, including car bonnet artworks from Warnayaka Art Centre artists Fraser Peters and Myra Herbert, a Mun-Dirra (Fish Fence) from Maningrida Arts and Culture, and large-scale screen works from Jilamara Arts, Papulankutja Artists and Numbulwar Numburindi Arts.

For the first time, NIAF will also include a dedicated moving image program, featuring works from artists including Danie Mellor, Genevieve Grieves, Mandy Nicholson and Wiradjuri poet and artist Jazz Money.

The Opening Night event will feature performances from Darumbal and Tongan R&B vocalist Mi-Kaisha, Yuin choir Djinama Yilaga, Wiradjuri and Dharug dance work Mawambul, and an Indigenous Couture Fashion Parade curated by Hamlet.

NIAF 2026 is on now at The Cutaway, Barangaroo from 3–5 July.