CIAF 2026 Cultural Dance Performances
Naygayiw Gigi Dance Troupe
3.30pm - 4.00pm | Friday 10 July & Saturday 11 July
Tank 5, Tanks Arts Centre | Free
This cultural dance performance will spotlight Naygayiw Gigi Dance Troupe from Bamaga showcasing the rich cultural heritage and storytelling traditions of First Nations communities through traditional and contemporary dance performances.
Dharb celebrates the deep importance of gardening within Saibai Islander culture.The performance highlights traditional practices of tending root vegetables, bananas and staple foods sustaining families for generations. Through movement and storytelling, Dharb honours Elders’ knowledge, the relationship between people and land, and gardens as spaces of nourishment. It affirms wellbeing, identity and cultural continuity, showing how everyday practices carry memory, care and survival across generations. Dharb is the Kalaw Kawaw Ya word for garden within Saibai Islander life today.
Wathaw Woeyamal honours the powerful natural elements shaping Saibai Islander life. Thw performance acknowledges wind, rain, thunder, lightning and the sea, forces guiding movement, travel, ceremony, hunting and fishing. Through dance, sound and storytelling, it reflects the deep relationship between Saibailgal and environment, recognising these elements as living powers woven into identity and culture. The work also responds to climate change impacts on Saibai and the wider Torres Strait. Wathaw Woeyamal means seasons in Kalaw Kawaw Ya language
of Saibai.
IMBALA – The Dance of the Butterfly
Kawanji Dancers
2.00pm - 2.40pm | Saturday 11 July
Tank 5, Tanks Arts Centre | Free
Imbala – The Dance of the Butterfly aligns with CIAF’s theme of Reclamation & Regeneration by reclaiming Gu Gu Yalanji cultural knowledge through Elders’ stories of the Imbala and the Cape York shake-a-leg dance, while regenerating this knowledge into a living, contemporary performance that reconnects movement, painted design, habitat research and Country to ensure cultural continuity across generations
CLOSING CEREMONY
2:00pm – 3:00pm Sunday 12 July | Tank 5, Tanks Arts Centre
The Closing Event of CIAF 2026 will bring the fair to a memorable conclusion, celebrating the achievements and highlights of the festival. The event will feature the CIAF Art Awards – People’s Choice Award announcement, recognising the public vote on this year’s winner in Tank 5.
The afternoon will also include final performances by the dance cohort, providing a fitting end to the cultural celebration, with a procession from Tank 5 to the promenade. It will be a time for reflection and celebration, bringing together artists, attendees, and the community to share in the success of the fair. The Closing Ceremony of CIAF 2026 promises to be unforgettable, celebrating the rich cultural heritage and artistic talent of First Nations communities.