Festival 2026

Program

3
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Poetry Podcast

Consciousness for the Subconscious

A sleepytime poetry podcast.

Thursday 20 August, 12:00 am

Online

Free Event

Opening Event

Passageways [Caminos]

Bridging poetry, science and culture.

Thursday 20 August, 6:00 pm

Ilwempe Ilwempe/White Gums

Included with Festival/Day Pass, Individually Ticketed Event

Birdwatching & Poetry

A Bird Came Down The Walk

Start your day with an experience where nature and language meet.

Friday 21 August, 8:00 am

Olive Pink Botanic Garden

Individually Ticketed Event

Bookings Essential

What We Were Told

Poetry for people who parent. Babies and small children welcome!

Friday 21 August, 9:30 am

Alice Springs Community Gardens

Individually Ticketed Event

Workshop

Gold & Wax

with Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes

Friday 21 August, 11:00 am

Alice Springs Community Gardens

Individually Ticketed Event

Workshop

Nature and Poetry as Art

with Kelly Lee Hickey

Friday 21 August, 11:00 am

Alice Springs Community Gardens

Individually Ticketed Event

Bookings Essential

Poetry Long Lunch

Poetry - it’s what’s for lunch.

Friday 21 August, 12:30 pm

Alice Springs Community Gardens

Individually Ticketed Event

Workshop

Sound Poetry

Explore moving between music, words, rhythm and flow with Emma Trenorden and Gabrielle Journey Jones.

Friday 21 August, 5:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Individually Ticketed Event

Workshop

Slam Poetry Workshop

Huda the Goddess will help you find your unique style in performance poetry.

Friday 21 August, 5:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Individually Ticketed Event

NT/SA Poetry Showcase

August is Poetry Month! We’ve partnered up with Red Room Poetry to present a showcase celebrating the breadth of poetic talent across the Northern Territory and South Australia!

Friday 21 August, 6:30 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Screentime

An experimental performance exploring mobile phone use.

Friday 21 August, 7:30 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

The Love Inn

Step into the Love Inn - an event devoted to love in its many forms and the art of survival in fertile ruins.

Friday 21 August, 8:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Free Event!

Haiku Death Match

The infamous International Haiku Death Match is on again! We’ll meet you in the carpark for the grand battle.

Saturday 22 August, 10:00 am

8CCC Cafe Carpark

Free Event

Poetry Walk

Tree Jazz

Join Wendy Taleo on a walk like no other.

Saturday 22 August, 11:30 am

Along Todd River

Individually Ticketed Event

Youth Hub – Saturday

A dedicated space with activities and workshops for young people.

Saturday 22 August, 12:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Workshop

Writing Toward Aliveness

with Sara Saleh

Saturday 22 August, 12:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Individually Ticketed Event

Panel

Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

Not everything is made for your consumption, and that’s ok.

Saturday 22 August, 12:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Panel

Come As You Are

Four of our poets take on the topic of thinking beyond the restrictions.

Saturday 22 August, 1:30 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Workshop

MCSCA Workshop Program

Video Poetry with Carielyn Tunion and Wax & Gold with Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes.

Saturday 22 August, 1:30 pm

Multicultural Community Services of Central Australia

Individually Ticketed Event

Workshop

Political Poetry

with Juan Garrido Salgado

Saturday 22 August, 2:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Individually Ticketed Event

Poetry Bar

Poetry by the Pool

5 stanzas thanks!

Saturday 22 August, 2:30 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Panel

Stand By Me

The importance of holding and being held

Saturday 22 August, 3:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Workshop

Queer Vernacular

with Hendri Yulius Wijaya

Saturday 22 August, 4:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Individually Ticketed Event

Industry Session

Regional Arts

With Leisa Goven (Regional Arts Australia) and Alison Barton (The Suburban Review).

Saturday 22 August, 4:30 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Cross-Cultural Collab

Ayeye Akerte – About the Story

Spanish language launch of Arlhekenhe Angentye/Women’s Talk Collection

Saturday 22 August, 5:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Shadows Between the Stanzas

As the sun sinks and the first stars appear, gather by the fire for an evening of darkly beautiful words.

Saturday 22 August, 7:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Music X Poetry

Oscillations

Enjoy the rhythmic pairings of poets and experimental sounds.

Saturday 22 August, 8:30 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Youth Hub – Sunday

A dedicated space with activities and workshops for young people.

Sunday 23 August, 12:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Workshop

Video Poetry

with Carielyn Tunion

Sunday 23 August, 12:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Individually Ticketed Event

Panel

Two Strong Hearts

Blak & Arab Poets Connect

Sunday 23 August, 12:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Panel

Scream From the Top of my Lungs “What’s Going On!?”

It’s a lot these days

Sunday 23 August, 1:30 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Workshop

Writing as Resistance

with Hasib Hourani

Sunday 23 August, 2:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Individually Ticketed Event

Poetry Bar

Poetry by the Pool

5 stanzas thanks!

Sunday 23 August, 2:30 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Panel

Let’s Talk About (…)

The things we can’t talk about in polite society.

Sunday 23 August, 3:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

In-Conversation

Love, Empire, Poetry

Exploring demonised masculinities, tenderness, truth-telling and family knowledge across cultures and generations.

Sunday 23 August, 4:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Workshop

Giving Back

with Jeremy Garnett

Sunday 23 August, 4:30 pm

Gap View Hotel

Individually Ticketed Event

Eat Read Zine

Food, Poetry and Love.

Sunday 23 August, 5:30 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

The Five Candles of Grief

Sunday 23 August, 6:30 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Mparntwe Slam

& Central Australian Finals

Sunday 23 August, 7:00 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass

Closing Event

The Wrap

Final Words

Sunday 23 August, 9:30 pm

Gap View Hotel

Included with Festival/Day Pass