The Rechabite and Tanesha Bennell, alongside Rainbow Futures, WAAC, and Boorloo Justice, will host a NAIDOC Week Fundraiser Ball on Friday 10 July, with 1,000 dollars’ worth of prizes for best dressed.
Ngalak Nidja Bilya (We Are The River) 2026 will return for its third instalment as part of this year’s NAIDOC Week celebrations. The fundraiser will see all ticketing profits donated to Bibbul Ngarma, Camp 4 Mob, and Rainbow Futures.
The night will feature local First Nations DJs and performers in the transformed, one-night-only Rechabite Hall, with market stalls and activities taking place on Hello Rooftop.
Attendees donning their most ostentatious and elaborate outfits will also be in with a chance to win a 1,000 dollar grand prize on the night.
Tanesha Bennell, Associate Producer, co-founder of Boorloo Justice, and newly appointed Aboriginal Community Organiser for Rainbow Futures, said the event would be multi-faceted.
“This ball is an opportunity for learning, dancing, and celebrating, all flowing into one exciting and powerful event.
“Come join us in the ancient wetlands of Boorloo, and dance and twirl on the same ancient boodja of those who came before us, paying homage to First Nations trailblazers and LGBTQIA+ trailblazers alike,” Bennell said.
“The theme and title of this event represent the season of Makuru, the wet season on Noongar Boodja, and the deep connection Noongar and First Nations peoples have with waterways. Specifically, on Noongar Boodja, the Derbarl Yerrigan, also known as the Swan River, is the resting place of the Noongar creation spirit, the Waugal. It also acknowledges the wetlands that existed prior to colonisation, which the Perth, or Boorloo, CBD now sits upon.
“We Are The River also recognises the fluidity and ever-flowing nature of queerness and identity, and acknowledges that queerness has existed long before us in many different shapes and forms,” Bennell said.
Ngalak Nidja Bilya (We Are The River) celebrates LGBTQIA+ identities, but all are welcome to attend. The event takes place at The Rechabite, 224 William Street, Northbridge, on Friday 10 July from 7.30 pm. Tickets are on sale now.
