Blak & Bright Writers Festival is returning to Naarm (Melbourne) this September, marking Australia’s biggest and only celebration of First Nations writers and storytellers.

This year's festival is called 'EVERY:WHEN', and is driven by First Nations understandings of time as continuous and relational. The program will invite attendees to engage with stories and conversations that challenge linear notions of past, present and future, guided by some of the country's most influential First Nations creatives and commentators.

Here's what you need to know.

When is the Blak & Bright Writers Festival 2026?

The festival will span four days, from September 3 - 6, 2026.

Who is on the 2026 program?

So far, only a few names have been released ahead of the full 2026 program release – and they're pretty major. Among the first names is Goorie and Koori poet, researcher and editor Evelyn Araluen, author and actor Brooke Blurton, novelist and TV actress Tasma Walton, fiction writer Tony Birch, and TV presenter and former AFL player Tony Armstrong.

The full program will be announced at a launch event on Thursday 23 July, at The Wheeler Centre, Naarm, from 7pm. Tickets are free but you'll need to register your attendance here.

What is Blak & Bright?

Blak & Bright is Australia’s leading organisation, devised to champion First Nations literary voices. It was established in 2016 with its flagship Blak & Bright First Nations Literary Festival, and has since expanded into year-round programming, partnering with like-minded organisations nationwide.