NAIDOC Week: The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy
From 6 to 13 July, Australia celebrates NAIDOC Week. This is a time for all Australians to pause, reflect and learn about the history and culture of First Nations peoples, and explore ways we can continue to shape Australia into a reconciled nation.
- 1 May 2025
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respect to them and their Elders - both past and present. Tweed City is located on Bundjalung land.
Each year during the first week of July, national NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia. This year, NAIDOC Week runs from the 6th until the 13th of July. NAIDOC Week is a time for all Australians to learn about and celebrate the oldest continuing cultures on earth: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It’s an opportunity to connect with and give recognition to the histories, cultures, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the important role they play in Australia’s story.
Exciting activities happen during NAIDOC Week, including the National NAIDOC Week Awards Ceremony, which celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander excellence, and the NAIDOC Week Poster Competition, featuring work from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists aged 13 years and up.
Each year, a theme is chosen by the National NAIDOC Committee to represent and recognise important issues relevant to the time. The theme for NAIDOC Week in 2025 is "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy".
"As we enter 2025, NAIDOC Week marks a powerful milestone: 50 years of honouring and elevating Indigenous voices, culture, and resilience. The 2025 theme, "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy," celebrates not only the achievements of the past but the bright future ahead, empowered by the strength of our young leaders, the vision of our communities, and the legacy of our ancestors.
The NAIDOC journey began as a movement for recognition and rights, sparked by Indigenous communities who saw a future built on justice and equality. Over the decades, it has grown into a powerful national celebration, a testament to the enduring strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. As we commemorate this 50-year legacy, we also look forward, honouring the next generation who will carry the torch, shaping the future with courage, insight, and deep respect for our roots. Guided by the wisdom of our Elders and the groundwork laid by our forebears, each NAIDOC Week reinforces our vision for an Australia where Indigenous voices are not only heard but lead the way.
From this solid foundation, the next generation will rise—grounded in the strength of our Elders, history, inspired by a shared vision, and committed to building a legacy of unity, respect, and self-determination for all. This NAIDOC Week, we celebrate not just a milestone but a movement that endures, grows, and evolves—driven by the unwavering strength of our communities, the shared vision of our people, and the enduring legacy we pass on to those who will shape our future. Together, we walk forward, honouring where we've come from and looking boldly to the next generation who will carry NAIDOC and their communities into the future." - NAIDOC.ORG
This NAIDOC Week there are many ways you can connect with and give recognition to the histories, cultures, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the important role they play in Australia’s story. This could mean attending a NAIDOC Week event near you as a show of support and unity. It can mean celebrating those who have already driven and led change over generations. And it can mean being a champion for institutional, structural, collaborative, and cooperative change in your workplace, university, school, and social environments.
Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians, and you are encouraged to show your support this NAIDOC Week and get to know your local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities by attending activities and events near you. Check out what's happening in centre here.
For more information about national NAIDOC Week, the 2025 theme, and for additional ideas on how to celebrate the week, check out the NAIDOC website.
To see a map of the language, tribal or nation groups of First Nations Peoples, visit the AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia.
Tweed City collaborated with artist Ryhia Dank to create the artwork for NAIDOC Week 2025.
Ryhia Dank is a Gudanji/Wakaja woman and Indigenous Australian artist who grew up in a remote community in the Northern Territory. Now based on Kubi Kubi Country, Ryhia tells stories through pattern and design. Ryhia runs her own successful fine art and design studio under the name Nardurna.
To read more of Ryhia's story please click here.