Renew Fest is an annual festival for full system regenerative change.
Held inland from Byron Bay on the border of Arakwal and Minyungbal Country.
Hosted by Holding Hands Under Ground (HHUG.org.au)
Our full system mission
Our mission is to foster a more regenerative future life together on this earth, supporting a full sector transition to a resilient regenerative culture locally, and being an inspiration for this nationally.
It's about embodying an innovative living example of change via deep listening, truth speaking, collaboration, genuine sharing and collective action. It’s a space to connect to the grief, joy and creative energy we all have for living in right relation with the earth, in a time of great environmental crisis and social disconnection.
A heartfelt gathering of many
Renew Fest is a joyous, heartfelt gathering of activists, artists, innovators, entrepreneurs, Indigenous elders, young people and families, welcoming all people from all walks of life to deeply think, feel, support, learn and respond together - for system-wide and system-deep regenerative change.
In 2021, the festival featured around 100 presenters, speakers, workshop hosts, musician, artists and community activators.
It is led by founding director and local activist-artist-organiser Ella Rose Goninan with an energetic mix of local team members and volunteers.
An event that walks the talk
Renew Fest is proudly zero waste and has been since its very beginnings in 2016. That means no disposable anything (and no bins on site!). Everyone joins in the action of BYO plates, bowls and cutlery.
The festival is also powered by renewables, is a certified Culture Aware Indigenous protocols event, is drug and alcohol free, vegan/vegetarian, and caters to the whole family and to the breadth of humanity.
All festival profits go back to the community via the Renew Community Grant Fund to support regenerative projects of community organisations of the Northern Rivers.
Honour the living well-spring of Mother Earth, on Mother’s Day weekend.
Renew Fest happens across Mothers Day Weekend in the gorgeous fig tree grove of the Mullumbimby Showground (with camping options), and has been running since 2016.
Held on the border of Arakwal and Minjungbal Country
Mullumbimby, in the heartland of the Northern Rivers, NSW
Located 20 minutes inland from Byron Bay.
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A festival for the whole community
Our core values
The festival’s values and goals are summarised in the following four lines, which uphold a deep intent for ourselves and our community:
Deep listening.
Truth speaking.
Creative Collaboration.
Full System Regenerative Change.
We gratefully acknowledge all elders and traditions that honour and practice these values, especially the First Nations Aboriginal people of Australia.
Regenerate everything
Festival themes
Renew Fest’s overall theme is “regenerate everything” via deep listening, truth speaking and creative collaboration.
To do this we go “system wide” across all domains, linking everyone involved in ecological, economic and social renewal. There are five cross-pollinating domains:
Regenerative biodiversity
Regenerative energy
Regenerative food
Regenerative habitats
Regenerative economics
And we go “system deep” to the heart of things, connecting our inner hearts with our outer actions, and placing our humanity in the midst of all our ideas and actions:
Regenerative humanity
Festival format
We recognise the power, influence and impact that festivals can have for individuals and communities.
So we take a lot of care in designing Renew Fest to be welcoming, inclusive, inspiring, celebratory, sobering and earthing.
Come be part of a regenerative pop up village with headliner conversations, dozens of presenters in round panels, musicians, eco artists, contemplation zones, a tiny home village, vegan/vegetarian food court, info & merch stalls featuring community organisations and ethical businesses, along with a youth zone and children’s nature program.
Renew Fest values cultural awareness, connection and Indigenous wisdom
Delta Kay - Arakwal Bumberbin Bundjaling Custodian
We honour and respect the elders past, present and future of the Arakwal people of the Bundjalung Nation who are the traditional custodians of the land on which the festival is held.
We are deeply grateful for Delta Kay’s endorsement and ongoing curatorial support and participation.
Uncle Magpie - Minyungbal Yugambeh Song Man
Receiving guidance from local Elders in traditional culture and heritage is paramount to succeeding with the festivals goals for full system social, economic and ecological renewal.
We are deeply grateful to receive Uncle Magpie’s guidance, support and participation in this way.
Dr Miriam Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann - Aboriginal elder from Nauiyu (Daly River)
Deeply listening, learning from and committing to fostering respectful relations with Indigenous peoples of this continent, is a key value as Renew Fest continues to evolve and grow.
We are deeply grateful for Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann’s walk and teachings on the deep listening of Dadirri, and were honoured that she join us by zoom for our Friday night festival opening event in May 2021.
Putting back into the community
All profits go to the Renew Community Grant Fund
All festival profits go into the RENEW COMMUNITY GRANT FUND to support the regenerative project of local organisations in the Northern Rivers. This is a very important part of the festival, and something we have intended since beginning in 2016. Due to the strength of crowdfunding supporters, ticket sales and our growing list of sponsors, we are now in the position of bringing this goal to fruition this year! Our goal is to support up to five local organisations through project-based micro grants. Stay tuned for more, after the festival.
The grant fund is to be administered by HHUG Inc (Holding Hands Under Ground Incorporated, INC2000257) which is the registered not-for-profit association that is the institutional host of Renew Fest. The management board includes: festival director and director of Community Power Agency Ella Rose Goninan, festival operations manager and researcher Dr Luke Jaaniste, Resilient Byron chair and academic Dr Jean Renouf, sustainability engineer and B Corp consultant James Perrin, businessman and head of Mullum SEED Andrew Wadsworth, and economist and writer Thomas Keily.