Go Garma

Hyperbole works best when it really goes off the scale. The outgoing director of the worthy Garma Festival of Yolngu culture and life in the Northern Territory may have blown previous epic exaggerations away. I mean anywhere in the world, ever! 

Apparently she recently claimed that Garma was rated as one of the top world events, up there with the Day of the Dead in Mexico, the Tour de France and Diwali in India. Before you puff up your Aussie chest with pride, let that sink in, and meantime let’s check a few figures. 

The Day of the Dead involves family and community celebrations across Mexico’s population of 130 million, and if you count expatriate Mexicans in the USA (particularly California) and 120 million Filipinos, that’s a lot of DoDers. 

The Tour de France attracts about 15 million spectators beside the route, with 42.5 million TV vIewers in France (admittedly some of those could be doing both) and between one billion and 3.5 billion viewers worldwide. It could be the world’s biggest sporting event by those measures, depending how you count viewers.

Diwali happens in the world’s most populous country, so you won’t be surprised that about 1.2 billion Indians (Muslims excluded) celebrate their five day event in exuberant fashion in their homes and on the streets. Of course many more Indian expatriates in their giant diaspora join in around the world.

Needless to say, all three events are free of charge, excluding pay TV subscriptions for Le Tour.

Garma involves about 2,500 attendees by application and invitation only. The coastal location on the Gulf of Carpentaria is accessible by 675 kms of mainly unsealed outback road, or small aircraft with airfares between $2000 and $4000. A festival adult ticket for the four day event is $2970 all inclusive (camping accommodation) for non-locals.

Apparently Garma goers are always impressed by their festival experience and of course it’s great to see indigenous culture showcased in such a professional way, but you gotta admit that it’s not exactly accessible for your average cultural punter. Partly the tyranny of distance.

If in fact we’re talking quality of cultural output, then maybe a more workable festival comparison could be with Wagner’s four-part Ring Cycle opera performed in Berlin, or the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in England, or at a stretch Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

But then again, global comparisons are probably a latent expression of Aussie cultural cringe.

(this panel in Central Arnhemland had an interesting story, to be told another time)