SHINE ON
GIMUY

Presented by QLD Music Trails & Shine On Productions

A Major new First Nations Event

A celebration of art, culture, language and history on the homelands of the Yidnji People

The Queensland Music Trails adventure will continue all the way up to the state’s Far North this October. With Yarrabah Music & Cultural Festival having already reached full capacity, the Tropics Trail has added another stellar event to its itinerary! Shine On Gimuy is a major new First Nations event, led by Indigenous Creative and Cultural Guides who will bring a stunning art display to the Cairns waterfront on October 5 through 15.

A journey of immersion, exploration and connection to the world's oldest culture, Shine On Gimuy will be a multi-artform event that illuminates the streets with light shows, soundscapes, art installations, programmed talks and music performances that capture 60,000 years of history, science, tradition and stories untold.

The artworks, elevated by the evocative soundscapes, will feature the language, stories, chants, and songs that have culminated from the rich Indigenous oral history of the region, offering a unique and poignant experience of the First Nations people of Gimuy/Cairns. Kicking off the festival on Thursday 5 October will be the Calling Country Opening Ceremony. Find out more about the Shine On Gimuy Calling Country here.

Shine On Gimuy will light up the waterfront with vibrant First Nations artworks leading the audience to Salt House Festival Hub where a four night live music programme will host performances from iconic First Nations artists including Dan Sultan, Emily Wurramara, Miiesha and Jungaji (formerly known as Troy Brady).

The Shine On Gimuy ‘Deep Wisdom’ Talk Series, sponsored by James Cook University, will span from Thursday to Sunday, featuring some of the nation’s most respected Scientists and Indigenous knowledge holders, who will discuss a range of topics including ‘Meet the Knowledge Investigators behind the World's First Inventors’, ‘The Story of Sovereign Country; The Origins of The Living Cultures’, ‘Sophisticated Communications, Message Sticks and Songlines’ and ‘Sea Country and Marine Resources - The World's Largest Coral Reef System’. These interactive talks will include delicious local produce luncheon and afternoon tea from local TNQ sources.

Music makers and ‘Deep Wisdom’ talks will run from October 5 - 8, while the ArtStory Walk light installations, featuring the extraordinary artworks of Michelle Yeatman (Gunggandji) and Paul Bong (Yidinji), and The Blak Markets continue everyday until October 15.

Shine On Gimuy is an inclusive event showcasing the wealth of Tropical North Queensland’s First Nations arts and culture hosted by the Yidinji nation and including other First Nations from TNQ.

The festival encompasses multi-generational participation with senior cultural knowledge holders to a diversity of artists from Far North Queensland.