Territory Music - A Visual History     

Exhibition timeframe: September 2026 – February 2027.  

In 2026, MusicNT marks thirty years of supporting contemporary music across the Northern Territory. To help celebrate this milestone, the newest Lightbox Exhibition ‘Territory Music: A Visual History' proudly highlights a selection of the Territory’s exceptional music stories through thirteen photographic works across our city.   

Images have been drawn from MusicNT’s extensive archive, including fifteen years of the Hot Shots music photography competition and local photographers’ portfolios.  

Exhibition curator, Jeremy Taylor, has selected 13 favourite photographic works capturing iconic artists and defining moments from Territory stages including intimate community performances, major festivals, emerging artists, First Nations music leaders, and the raw electricity of live shows across Darwin and beyond.  

The series aims to highlight the breadth of our music culture, its regional strength, intergenerational exchange, and the powerful connection between music and place. Selected artists and their work have shaped our world locally, nationally and across the globe.   

Timed to align with MusicNT’s anniversary and their release of a History of NT Music podcast, the exhibition aims to connect to deeper stories through QR codes at each Lightbox site, linking audiences to audio narratives about each photographic work.  

City of Darwin is thrilled to work with MusicNT to light up our city with local art in line with our Creative Strategy 2024 - 2030 goals. You can see this celebratory, illuminated exhibition until the end of February 2027. 

13 lightboxes are located at four sites across Garramilla (Darwin) and every 6 months feature new exhibitions by local creatives. Lightbox Exhibitions transform public space into an outdoor gallery, elevating Darwin’s rich arts and cultural identity.

For more local art and artist video stories, head to our Public Art Map

To find out more about the peak body for music in the Northern Territory visit MusicNT

Artists Featured

• Larry Gurriwiwi
• Jeremy Whiskey
• Gurrumul Yunupingu
• Frank Yamma
• Jessica Mauboy
• Yothu Yindi
• Ted Egan
• Swamp Jockeys
• Eleanor Jawurlngali Dixon
• Mort Chiados
• Savannah Kruger
• Leah Flanagan
• PaccRecords$ x Flowpyre

Photographers and Image Sources

• Sophie Ansel 
• Glenn Campbell
• David Hancock
• Renae Saxby
• Simon Simeone
• Leicholhn McKellar
• Kacie Austin
• Alan James
• Library & Archives NT, Dianne Howard Collection
• State Library Victoria