The Festival in Jabiru has come a long way since the mid eighties, when it was started by a group of friends who liked flying kites and having a bit of a musical jam.

In the Kakadu region, the year is divided into six seasons and Mahbilil Festival has always been staged in late August to early September, or Gurrung, when the afternoon breezes rise and the magpie geese fly in huge numbers across the wetlands and lay their eggs. After the previous season when the country was burned and cleansed, Gurrung is all about regeneration and re-birthing.

The Mirarr people, traditional owners of the land in and around Jabiru, decided on the name Mahbilil, after the name of this afternoon breeze in the Gundjeihmi language.

The festival is an all inclusive event where diverse peoples can come together in a harmonious way and celebrate the wonders of this country at the gateway to Kakadu National Park, which celebrates its 30th birthday this year.

The co-ordinator of the Mahbilil Festival, Andrish Saint-Clare, said “The focus of the Mahbilil Festival is to showcase and promote local Indigenous culture and to focus on youth, by encouraging the development of cultural presentations that show something of the lives of the people who live here,”

Mr Saint-Clare said the Festival was being actively supported by a range of youth programs funded and facilitated by the Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, which has recently completed a comprehensive refurbishment of the Jabiru Youth Centre.

The 2009 Jabiru Mahbilil Festival is taking place in the afternoon and evening of Saturday 12th of September with a full program of events starting at 12 noon through to midnight.

The Festival program this year is crammed with activities that will delight locals and visitors alike. These range from:

• Indigenous music from favourites such as the Leah Flanagan Band, B2M and the well known Narbarlek to young and upcoming bands such as the East West Arnhem Boys; all supported by other local and Territory bands.
• Traditional dance performances from Goulburn Island to Gunbalanya.
• Indigenous arts and crafts displays and activities from Injalak and Mardbalk Art Centres along with local fibre art and craft displays and sales with “hands on” workshop opportunities.
• Photography exhibitions of local bird life and a special historical exhibition mounted by Parks Australia to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Kakadu National Park.
• Indigenous Food Cooking & Sampling – bush foods collected by staff of the Kakadu Culture Camp, a local Indigenous tourism business enterprise, dressed and served at a dedicated stall and display area.
• Didgeridoo, Spear throwing and Magpie Goose cooking competitions
• Fire Sculptures, giant illuminated puppets on the lake, banners, lanterns and flags all inspired by Indigenous themes, stories and designs and made collaboratively and on-site by youth, Indigenous practitioners and specialist artists
• And heaps more.