Mungangga Garlagula will arrive at the Sydney Opera House in June 2026, blending didgeridoo, viola and storytelling in a First Nations performance on Tubowgule.
On winter evenings in Sydney, the harbour often grows quiet earlier than usual. The air sharpens slightly as the sun fades behind the city skyline, and Bennelong Point begins its slow transition into night. The lights of the Sydney Opera House glow across the water, drawing visitors toward its familiar white sails.
But in late June 2026, something more intimate will unfold inside its walls.
Within the Studio theatre, audiences will gather for Mungangga Garlagula, a performance shaped by storytelling, memory and music. Created by Yamatji didgeridoo virtuoso Mark Atkins and Australian–Finnish composer Erkki Veltheim, the work will form part of the returning Music on Tubowgule series – a program dedicated to contemporary First Nations expression.
The title carries a simple meaning in Wajarri language: “yarning by the fire.” Yet the performance promises something layered and immersive – a quiet invitation to listen, reflect and step into a world where story, sound and Country intertwine.
Mungangga Garlagula And The Meaning Of Tubowgule
Long before the Sydney Opera House rose above the harbour, this stretch of land carried another name.
Tubowgule, the traditional Gadigal name for Bennelong Point, has long been recognised as a gathering place – somewhere people came to share stories, ceremony and connection. The Opera House’s First Nations programming acknowledges this history by presenting works that honour both the past and the living culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
When Mungangga Garlagula arrives in the Studio theatre, it will continue that tradition in a contemporary form.
The performance will not recreate a campfire in a literal sense. Instead, it will evoke the atmosphere of storytelling shared in darkness – the quiet focus that emerges when people sit together, listening closely.
Through spoken word, instrumental music and layered soundscapes, the production will draw audiences into a reflective space that mirrors the rhythm of storytelling around a fire.
The Sound World Of Mungangga Garlagula
At the centre of Mungangga Garlagula will be the presence of Mark Atkins, whose didgeridoo playing has been recognised internationally for its depth and complexity.
Atkins, a Yamatji descendant from Western Australia, has spent decades exploring the instrument’s expressive range. In performance, the didgeridoo becomes more than a drone; it shifts through rhythms, breaths and pulses that echo natural environments.
Beside him will stand composer and violist Erkki Veltheim, whose work often blends acoustic instruments with electronics. His viola lines will move through the space alongside subtle electronic textures, shaping an atmosphere that feels both contemporary and timeless.
Together, the two musicians will guide the audience through a sonic landscape where melody, rhythm and storytelling intersect.
Yet Mungangga Garlagula will extend beyond the two performers on stage.
The work includes an immersive soundscape created with recordings from a group of prominent Australian musicians. Recorder player Genevieve Lacey, percussionist Vanessa Tomlinson, guitarist Stephen Magnusson, pianist and synthesist Anthony Pateras, and trumpeter Scott Tinkler all contribute to the layered musical environment.
Their recorded performances will drift through the theatre like echoes – fragments of sound that appear, linger and fade.
Mungangga Garlagula As A Journey Of Homecoming
The narrative thread of Mungangga Garlagula will centre on the idea of homecoming.
Not necessarily a physical return to place, but a deeper process of remembering where one belongs.
Through spoken reflections and musical passages, Atkins will guide the audience through a landscape shaped by memory, dreams and quiet moments of recognition. The storytelling is expected to feel intimate rather than theatrical – more like a conversation shared in low light than a conventional performance.
Atkins has often described storytelling as something that happens best around a fire. In that environment, the story unfolds slowly, shaped by pauses and gestures as much as words.
In the Studio theatre, Mungangga Garlagula will attempt to recreate that sense of shared attention – an environment where listeners are encouraged not only to hear the story but to feel its rhythm.
Music On Tubowgule Returns
The return of the Music on Tubowgule series marks a growing commitment by the Sydney Opera House to First Nations contemporary classical performance.
First launched the previous year, the program was designed to highlight the diversity of Indigenous musical expression, particularly works that cross traditional boundaries between genres.
For the Opera House’s Head of First Nations programming, Michael Hutchings, the series reflects a broader vision of Tubowgule as a place where stories continue to be shared.
Each performance in the program aims to deepen the connection between audience and place.
With Mungangga Garlagula, that connection becomes especially direct. The themes of home, memory and listening resonate strongly in a location where gatherings have taken place for tens of thousands of years.
The performance becomes not only an artistic event but a continuation of that long tradition of gathering and storytelling.
Event Details
Event: Music on Tubowgule – Mungangga Garlagula
Location: Studio, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney
Dates: Friday 26 June and Saturday 27 June 2026
Price: From $55 + booking fee
Ticket Sales:
Insiders Pre-Sale – 9am AEST Tuesday 28 April 2026
What’s On Pre-Sale – 9am AEST Wednesday 29 April 2026
General Public On Sale – 9am AEST Friday 1 May 2026
Tickets & Information: https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com