While the rest of Australia shivers through the winter months, Darwin and the Top End comes to life thanks to blue skies, sunshine, relatively low humidity, and cool 20 degree nights. Because of these favourable conditions, there’s fresh energy in the air and the calendar is overflowing with events!

Leading the musical momentum in June was the Darwin Symphony Orchestra’s community concert, which saw the glitz and glamour of David Bowie land with a bang at the Botanic Gardens Amphitheatre. This much-anticipated ConocoPhillips Symphony event, a partnership between the DSO and ConocoPhillips, had close to 7,000 people tapping their toes and dancing back down memory lane under a dry season sky.

Photo by Tim Nicol Photography

All of Bowie’s hits were covered off in this symphonic rock tribute including Life on Mars? Changes and Space Oddity, deftly delivered by The Diamond Dogs.

Photo by Tim Nicol Photography

The National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs) is a night where the talents and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from around Australia are celebrated, recognised and remembered. Now in its 15th year, the NIMAs were held recently at the Botanic Gardens Amphitheatre. With performances from Yirrmal, Kardajala Kirridarra, Busby Marou, Alice Skye, the Kenbi Dancers and crowd favourite Baker Boy (aka the Fresh Prince of Arnhem Land), this year’s NIMAs was a special blend of excitement and reflection. Time was taken to recognise the contribution of T.E Lewis who passed earlier this year, while a passionate speech was given by Roger Knox upon being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Big winners for the night were Baker Boy, who won Best New Talent and Film Clip of the Year, and Dr G Yunupingu who was posthumously honoured collecting Artist, Song and Album of the Year for Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow).

Baker Boy, photo supplied by ABC

ConocoPhillips supported the Welcome to Country performance by the Kenbi Dancers from Belyuen community, who then went on to win the NT Traditional Music Award.

The Kenbi Dancers, photo supplied by ABC