Five funkily dressed men sitting on bench with purple lights above them
ECLECTIC LINE-UP:  Australian/Bangladeshi band from Sydney will deliver a unique package of indie/rock, blending funk grooves, psych rock, catchy hooks and a pinch of jazz harmony.
Events & Tourism

Exciting line up unveiled for FUSION BOTANICAL 2024

Published: 20 Sep 2024 11:29am

From culture to cuisine, there is so much to enjoy at the city’s sprawling Botanic Gardens Precinct on Saturday 19 October.

Headlining FUSION BOTANICAL multicultural festival are MOWGLI (DJ SET) (Perth/ Boorloo), Packing Dhaka (Sydney/Eora), Chikchika (Melbourne/Naarm).

These unique Australian artists will bring an eclectic mix of beats and genres to the Brolga Pond stage on Saturday 19 October, kicking off at 4pm.

Man with a beard, and wearing a baseball cap and holding flowers, sits on a stall on grass, with trees in the background
HEADLINE ACT: Dancefloor powerhouse MOWGLI is among the unique Australian artists who will take to the Brolga Pond stage during FUSION BOTANICAL 2024, next month.

Council’s Director Community Janice Summerhayes said FUSION BOTANICAL has grown to be one of the city’s biggest outdoor events, with thousands of residents and visitors from across the region and beyond soaking up the sights and sounds on offer.

“We’ve curated an exciting and eclectic line-up with some of the country’s most creative and talented artists,” Ms Summerhayes said.

“Along with our headline and support acts, there will be a mix of other entertainment including our amazing community performers, Mending People: Cross-cultural Textile Project, giant lawn games, Bike Canteen DIY bike repair workshops, and a large-scale temporary public art installation.”

Multicultural Council of Wagga Wagga’s CEO Belinda Crain says there will be plenty of tasty treats on offer to tempt the taste buds of festivalgoers.

“You will want to arrive hungry at FUSION BOTANICAL, with more than 20 traditional street food and drink vendors operating in the much-loved World Food Village,” Ms Crain said.

“The full details will be announced in coming weeks.”

Try authentic street food, soak up the festival atmosphere and dance to upbeat culturally diverse live music and a DJ set at FUSION BOTANICAL in the Wagga Wagga Botanic Gardens Precinct, Macleay Street on Wiradyuri Nguramgbang (Country) from 4pm to 9pm on Saturday 19 October.

📷 FUSION BOTANICAL 2023 at the Botanic Gardens Precinct.

FUSION BOTANICAL is presented and funded by Wagga Wagga City Council and supported by cultural partner the Multicultural Council of Wagga Wagga.

To discover more about this year’s festival, visit

FUSION BOTANICAL

FUSION BOTANICAL HEADLINE ACT

MOWGLI (DJ SET)
GRIME | BASS | BAILE FUNK

Piloted by his genre versatility and faultless track selection, it has become clear that MOWGLI has solidified his status as a dancefloor powerhouse.

His ability to fuse his cultural influences with global club sounds has allowed him to cross over from a regular club DJ to a recognised name nationally and beyond.

As a co-founder of KERFEW, he actively promotes and uplifts South Asian creatives throughout Australia. MOWGLI’s leadership extends to HIVE, an event brand renowned for its high energy shows featuring global club selectors like Jyoty, Jael and DJ Habibeats.

MOWGLI is now gearing up to announce another Australian Tour, while staying busy with his projects, as well as releasing a collection of original music and edits.

SUPPORT ACTS

Packing Dhaka
FUNK | JAZZ | INDIE ROCK

Packing Dhaka is an Australian/Bangladeshi band consisting of five musicians from Sydney blending funk grooves, psych rock, catchy hooks and a pinch of jazz harmony to deliver a unique package of indie/rock.

Chikchika
SPELLBINDING | TRANSFIXING | HYPNOTIC

Chikchika features renowned Oromo singer-songwriter Muluu Baqqalaa with Tigrinya vocalists Anbessa Gebrehiwot and Haftu Reda.

Accompanied by traditional Eritrean and Ethiopian stringed instruments, the krar and masinko, Chikchika weave important stories of culture, love and peace into percussion-heavy and up-tempo tunes. Multi-instrumentalist Dale Gorfinkel, and Michael McNab on the drum kit round out this new voice in Australian music.

ENTERTAINMENT

Giant Loose Parts Play
MAGIC | INSPIRATION | ADVENTURE

What happens when you lay out an eclectic range of versatile reuse materials such as cardboard drums, banners and cones for kids to play with? Magic, inspiration and problem solving!

Welcome to Reverse Garbage's Giant Loose Parts Play - an outdoor exploration of creativity and adventure.

Children are presented with a kit of open-ended items which can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, lined up, and taken apart and put back together in countless ways. No prescribed play and limited rules mean that imaginations can run wild in the ultimate kid’s creative play experience.

Reverse Garbage is Australia’s largest creative reuse centre, established in 1975 by a group of teachers and community workers determined to ease pressure on the environment.

Bike Canteen DIY Repair WorkshopsCHECK | ADJUST | REPAIR

Jumping on your bike can be an easy way to factor out paying for petrol, parking, or public transport, but sometimes it needs a little DIY love to keep it in tip-top order.

Community members of all ages, abilities and backgrounds can take part in the following hands-on Bike Canteen DIY repair workshops:

  • How to keep bike chains clean and rust free
  • How to check, adjust and repair brakes
  • How to fix a flat punctured tyre
  • How-to pump-up bike tyres

Bike Canteen is a Wagga-based volunteer run not-for-profit community group which promotes bicycle riding.