Entertainment · Books & Arts · 2 hrs ago
More than 300 First Nations dancers gather for DanceRites in Sydney
More than 300 First Nations dancers gathered at the Sydney Opera House over the weekend for DanceRites 2026.
The festival is a national competition celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through story, song and dance.
Now in its ninth year, DanceRites invites everyone to join in the living history of Tubowgule, the Dharug name for Bennelong Point.
The event honoured Aunty Rhoda Roberts, a former head of First Nations programming at the Opera House, who died in March.
DanceRites was free and ran until Sunday 25 October at the Opera House.
The festival brings attention to a place where story, song and dance have long been shared.
More than 300 First Nations dancers gathered at the Sydney Opera House over the weekend for DanceRites.
The festival is a national competition celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.
Now in its ninth year, DanceRites invites people to join in the living history of Tubowgule, the Dharug word for Bennelong Point.
This year’s event honoured Aunty Rhoda Roberts, a former head of First Nations programming at the Sydney Opera House who died in March.
The 2026 event was free and ran until Sunday 25 October.
- Who
- More than 300 First Nations dancers took part.
- What
- DanceRites, a national competition celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.
- When
- Over the weekend; the 2026 event ran until Sunday 25 October.
- Where
- The Sydney Opera House forecourt in Sydney.
- Why
- To celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and the living history of Tubowgule.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
More than 300 First Nations dancers gathered at the Sydney Opera House forecourt for DanceRites.
The free 2026 festival ran at the Sydney Opera House.
- Participants
- More than 300 First Nations dancers
- Venue
- Sydney Opera House forecourt
- Festival
- DanceRites 2026, in its ninth year
- Cultural site
- Tubowgule, the Dharug word for Bennelong Point
- Honouree
- Aunty Rhoda Roberts, who died in March