Jamba Nyinayi Festival (JNF)

2021 - 2025

Jamba Nyinayi Festival (JNF) is a community focused cultural tourism festival. The festival content itself is a Baiyungu language based Indigenous Arts and Cultural multi-disciplinary showcase, owned and presented by the Baiyungu Aboriginal Corporation (BAC) and spearheaded by Traditional Owner and Cultural Director Hazel Walgar. Jamba Nyinayi is hosted at the BAC’s Cardabia Station, near Coral Bay on Baiyungu Country.

From it’s inception as an idea from cultural visionary Hazel Walgar, David Chitty supported Hazel’s vision and was engaged to develop the start up stages and festival modelling with her and the BAC organisation until the first festival was delivered around the Total Solar Eclipse in the Ningaloo region in 2023.

The festival introduced on-country camping and cultural experience packages in 2024, an initative spearheaded by David Chitty and Bang Bang Co. supported by government funding, and allowing visitors to stay on the station and engage more deeply with the community and culture. Then in 2025 the festival featured performances by renowned Australian Artisits such as Shane Howard, David Milroy, Lucky Oceans, and Gina Williams. Artistic Director David Hyams and Dance Choreographer Janine Oxenham curated original music and dance to align with the festival's theme, "A Gathering Place."