Festival of W

Festival of W (FoW) 2025 will light up the Wollundry Lagoon precinct and Victory Memorial Gardens for 16 wintry days from Saturday 5 July to Sunday 20 July 2025.

A curated festival program, featuring local, national and international artists, performers and businesses, will deliver immersive light-art experiences, live music and winter food offerings across the 16-day festival.

Celebrating NAIDOC Week

Elements of the festival will complement National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week, which occurs during the 16-day festival. Four local Wiradjuri artists have worked with Mandylights and local projection artist Alice Peacock to design installations that will be featured at the festival. These include:

Nura

Light art by Mandylights and visual designs by Wiradjuri artists Amy Kilby, Ashleigh Pengelly and Bindi Bindi Art.

An immersive exploration of creativity and light. Wander through this expansive outdoor gallery of illuminated First Nations art. Featuring original artworks by Wiradjuri artists Amy Kilby, Ashleigh Pengelly and Bindi Bindi Art. Each artwork a symbol and celebration of love, strength, community and a coming together on Wiradjuri Country.

Made up of 30 poles, each pillar is internally illuminated and programmed to progress through a beautiful saturated colour scheme, each in harmony with one another and constantly morphing to create new shapes and patterns in the space. While beautifully illuminated at night, Nura is also a striking presence during the day.

Nura was originally a collaboration between Mandylights and Indigenous artist Warwick Keen for Vivid in Sydney in 2022. Nura means ‘place’ or ‘country’ in Gadigal language and draws inspiration from traditional South Eastern Australian tree carvings.

Light art projection

Voice of the Younger Generation

Projection art by Sarah Levett and Alice Peacock, with contributions from local youth

This artwork was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of NAIDOC Week, in response to the 2025 theme: “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy.” To honour the voices of the future, many of the featured artworks were created by local kids living on Wiradjuri Country in Wagga Wagga. Each child responded to the question: “What do you love about culture?” With their permission, their artworks were adapted and digitised by Sarah Levett. Their responses stand as a powerful testament to the legacy being carried forward with pride and vision. The work begins with the image of a weaving, symbolising the strength and knowledge of our Elders. A thread runs through each piece, representing the cultural knowledge being passed on to our younger generation.

About the Artists

Sarah Levett is a queer Wiradjuri and Gundungurra yinaa (woman) from Harden, NSW. She is a graphic designer and artist working across multiple mediums, including mural painting, cultural workshops, digital art and business branding.

Alice Peacock is a Wagga Wagga-based animator and motion designer who is passionate about helping tell community stories.

Artwork contributions from:

• Jakoa Webb: 5 years
• Layne Webb: 9 years
• Nylah Little-Lloyd: 9 years
• Taten Webb: 11 years
• Fletcher Lloyd: 12 years
• Kayden Kirby Lee Honeysett: 17 years
• Mikia White: 19 years

Learn more here: Festival of W | Visit Wagga Wagga