Albany 2026: Thousands turn out to First Lights Kinjarling as night skies are brought to life by Noongar tales

Thousands of people turned out to Albany’s Anzac Peace Park for the First Lights Kinjarling show, which lit up the evening sky from March 6-8. Part of the city’s bicentenary celebrations, the show was a succession of Dreamtime tales illuminated by dozens of drones and narrated by Menang custodians. Families and friends brought picnics and sat on deckchairs and rugs as they watched the welcome to country ceremony and then the drones as the skies darkened. Friday night’s tale was narrated by Averil and Lindsay Dean with novelist Kim Scott, and brought to life the creation stories of the Stirling Ranges. On Saturday, Vernice Gillies and writer Cass Lynch told the story of the Porongurups, and on Sunday it was the turn of Frenchman Bay, Mamang Koort, written by Mr Scott, and narrated by Iris Woods and Olivia Roberts. The aim of the landmark event was to honour Menang Noongar culture. Presented as a trilogy, it brought the night sky above Albany to life, combining modern technology with ancient narratives in spectacular fashion. The show was presented by Fremantle Biennale and supported by Lotterywest and the City of Albany.