From culture to cuisine, there is so much to be enjoyed at the city's sprawling Botanic Gardens Precinct at the FUSION BOTANICAL multicultural festival on Saturday 18 October.
An incredible line-up of contemporary performers awaits FUSION BOTANICAL audiences, headlined by Artist of the Year at the 2025 National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA) Emily Wurramara, along with support acts Owelu Dreamhouse and Munasib B2B Ijale DJ Set.
Wagga Wagga City Council's Director Community Janice Summerhayes said these unique Australian artists will bring an eclectic mix of beats and genres to the Brolga Pond Stage, kicking off at 4pm.
"FUSION BOTANICAL has grown to be one of the city's biggest outdoor events, with thousands of residents and visitors from across the Riverina region and beyond soaking up sights, scents and sounds from around the world," Ms Summerhayes said.
"We've curated an exciting and eclectic line-up with some of the country's most creative and talented artists."
Along with the headline and support acts, the festival will feature a mix of other entertainment on offer including our amazing local community performers.
There will also be vibrant workshops with South Asian contemporary dance company the Bindi Bosses, interactive roving performances from award winning physical theatre ensemble Born in a Taxi, folktales told in the oral storytelling tradition by Kiran Shah, and a large-scale temporary public art project by Ngunnawal/Canberra based artist, Tom Buckland.
"You will want to arrive hungry at FUSION BOTANICAL multicultural festival with more than 20 traditional street food and drink vendors operating in the much-loved World Food Village," Multicultural Council of Wagga Wagga's CEO Belinda Crain said.
"Try authentic street food, soak up the festival atmosphere and dance to upbeat culturally diverse live music and DJ set."
Full details on the vendors will be announced in the coming weeks.
FUSION BOTANICAL is presented and funded by Wagga Wagga City Council and supported by cultural partner the Multicultural Council of Wagga Wagga.
In 2025, Wagga Wagga City Council is the beneficiary of $125,000 2024/2025 Stronger Together Local Council Major Festival Grant courtesy of Multicultural NSW.
This one-off Multicultural NSW grant has funded increased event traffic control management, national headline and support acts, and developed a multicultural media promotional campaign for the 2025 FUSION BOTANICAL festival.
FUSION BOTANICAL
Saturday 18 October, 4pm to 9pm
Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens, Macleay Street
Wiradyuri Nguramgbang
FUSION BOTANICAL HEADLINE ACT
Emily WurramaraWARNINDHILYAGWA ARTIST | ACTIVIST | SONGWRITER
An important voice in Australia's musical landscape, multi-award-winning singer-songwriter Emily Wurramara has amassed over 30-million streams, and counting, on Spotify alone. A Warnindhilyagwa woman from Groote Eylandt, Emily writes and sings in both English and Anindilyakwa language. She's a powerful storyteller and performer, regularly sharing stages with renowned artists including the late uncle Archie Roach, Michael Franti, Mavis Staples, Midnight Oil, Missy Higgins and Thelma Plum.
When Emily's universally acclaimed second album NARA (meaning "nothing" in Anindilyakwa language) won Best Adult Contemporary Album at the 2024 ARIA Awards, she became the first Indigenous woman to take out this category since the award's inception in 1987.
FUSION BOTANICAL SUPPORT ACTS
Owelu DreamhouseCINEMATIC SOUL | PSYCHEDELIA | AFRO BEAT
Owelu Dreamhouse is the powerful collaboration between Nkechi Anele (Saskwatch, ex-Olympian, triple j) and Nic Ryan-Glenie (Saskwatch, The Meltdown, Vance Joy). This Naarm-based outfit crafts a unique blend of cinematic soul, psychedelia, and Afrobeat, with their name honouring Anele's grandmother's village in Nigeria.
Both Nkechi and Nic are seasoned performers who rose through Melbourne's vibrant soul scene with Saskwatch, earning a reputation for electrifying live shows. They've graced stages worldwide, from Glastonbury to WOMADelaide, and supported legends like Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and Earth, Wind and Fire.
MUNASIB BACK-TO BACK IJALE DJ SET
MunasibDJ/RADIO HOST | CURATOR | TASTEMAKER
Munasib is your favourite artist's favourite DJ, keeping company with burgeoning local talent and sharing stages with international superstars. The Australian-born, Bengali DJ/radio host and curator marks a sea change in Australian dance culture, reflecting the new wave of Australian art and South Asian excellence with sets that as easily include Bengali beats as Vince Staples' 'Norf'.
Her sounds have made their way across the seas and seen her performing internationally in Bali (HEADSTREAM, PRETTY POISON) as well as shows in Bangladesh (MIXMAG LAB, Breakfast Club), India (BOXOUT FM, JUNA, KRUNK), Sri Lanka (DOTS, TRAX) & Nepal.
IJALEDANCE | ELECTRONIC | HIP-HOP
Melbourne producer, vocalist, and performer, IJALE, is a self-contained master of his sound. A keen music fan and avid creator, he blends a myriad of Afrocentric sounds and western influences that reflect his Nigerian heritage, his Australian upbringing, and the multifaceted taste of an open-minded listener of the internet age.
These concoctions vary in sound from piece to piece, but are usually punctuated by hints of African percussion, infectious basslines and layered electronic textures, all of which pay direct homage to the hallmark genres of black creativity including Jazz, Soul, RnB, and of course Hip Hop.
ENTERTAINMENT
BINDI BOSSESSOUTH ASIAN ARTS: MATRIARCHAL MOVEMENT
BINDI BOSSES is a South Asian Fusion Arts company based in Warrang (Sydney) that amplifies the marginalised stories of South Asian, First Nations and People of Colour by blending Traditional, Contemporary, Folk and Street dances from around the world. It is a platform for diverse artists to collaborate through Movement, Spoken Word, Design, Henna Art, Styling, Photography, Videography and more.
Kiran Shah StorytellerPEACE | CONNECTION | INSPIRATION
Kiran Shah has had a varied career as a social worker, Montessori Directress, early childhood trainer and bookseller before she became a professional storyteller in 1999. Kiran believes in the power of story as a means to touch people, to engage, educate and entertain. Oral Storytelling enables the teller to connect with the audience and for the audience to connect to the teller, the story and oneself. Kiran believes that folktales in particular have the collective wisdom of generations before us and are even more relevant in today's changing world.
