SBS & NITV LEAD NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WEEK 2026 WITH LANDMARK GULPILIL DOCUMENTARY
A powerful national slate invites all Australians to be All In — engaging with shared histories, cultures and stories that shape the nation
A NATIONAL MOMENT FOR REFLECTION AND ACTION
National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June) marks two pivotal milestones in Australia’s reconciliation journey — the 1967 Australian referendum and the Mabo decision. It is a time for all Australians to reflect on our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and consider the role each of us plays in reconciliation.
In 2026, SBS will deliver a network-wide offering with National Indigenous Television (NITV) at its heart, presenting a curated slate of powerful First Nations storytelling. From Sunday 25 May, audiences can access extensive multiplatform and multilingual coverage across SBS, NITV and SBS On Demand.
Aligned with this year’s National Reconciliation Week theme, All In, the programming calls on all Australians to engage, reflect and take meaningful action through shared responsibility and collective effort.
STORIES THAT SHAPE THE NATION
SBS and NITV’s National Reconciliation Week line-up highlights the vital role of First Nations storytelling in fostering understanding, respect and connection**.**
Tanya Denning-Orman, a proud Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman and Director, First Nations, for SBS, said:“National Reconciliation Week is a powerful moment to bring all Australians into the conversation, and this year’s theme, All In, reflects the role we can all play in shaping a more unified future. Across SBS, we are taking a whole-of-network approach to ensure First Nations voices, perspectives and stories are seen and heard — connecting audiences through programming that informs, challenges and inspires.
“From historic moments like Corroboree 2000 and the Sydney Harbour Bridge Walk, to our continued coverage of the issues shaping the national conversation today, SBS has long stood alongside First Nations communities in telling these stories. That commitment remains central to who we are.
“Join us this National Reconciliation Week for a network-wide line-up of programming and coverage, offering all Australians the opportunity to reflect, connect and celebrate the 65,000 years of history and culture we share in this country.”
NATIONAL RECONCILATION WEEK CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:
FREE-TO-AIR PREMIERE
Journey Home, David Gulpilil
Premiering Sunday 31 May at 8:30pm on NITV and SBS On Demand
Winner of the 2026 AACTA Awards for Best Documentary and Best Original Score, and the 2025 DIFF Audience Award, Journey Home, David Gulpilil follows a powerful 4,500-kilometre journey against huge logistical challenges to fulfil the final wish of legendary Yolngu actor David Gulpilil. Travelling to his Homeland in Gupulul in remote East Arnhem Land, the film offers rare and intimate insight into ceremony, family and connection to Country. Narrated by Hugh Jackman and Baker Boy, it stands as a moving tribute to Gulpilil’s life and enduring cultural legacy.
Focus On David Gulpilil
A Landmark Season on NITV
From 27 May – 3 June on NITV and SBS On Demand
Complementing Journey Home, David Gulpilil, this curated season celebrates the extraordinary life and legacy of David Gulpilil — one of Australia’s most influential and internationally recognised First Nations actor. Spanning iconic films and documentaries, the collection showcases the breadth of his talent and offers deeper insight into his life, culture and Country.
Schedule highlights:
- My Name is Gulpilil Wednesday 27 May, 7:30pm
- Going Places – Murraylands Thursday 28 May, 7:30pm
- Storm Boy Friday 29 May, 7:30pm
- Journey Home, David Gulpilil Sunday 31 May, 8:30pm PREMIERE
- The Last Wave Sunday 31 May, 10:00pm
- Walkabout Monday 1 June, 9:30pm
- The Tracker Tuesday 2 June, 9:30pm
- Walkabout to Hollywood Wednesday 3 June, 7:30pm
2026 National Reconciliation Week Breakfast WA
Airing Live on Wednesday 27 May at 11:00am AEST/9:00am AWST on NITV and SBS On Demand
Broadcast live from Optus Stadium in Boorloo (Perth), the 2026 National Reconciliation Week Breakfast presented in partnership with Reconciliation WA will bring Western Australians together in a powerful moment of truth‑telling and unity. Hosted by Noongar woman and filmmaker Karla Hart alongside Tremane Baxter‑Edwards, a proud Ngarinyin and Walmajarri man, the Breakfast will feature a keynote address from Whadjuk Noongar woman and 10 News First presenter Narelda Jacobs OAM. As Western Australia enters its bicentennial period (2026–2029), the 2026 National Reconciliation Week Breakfast takes on added significance as a foundation for healing and progress. The event will reflect on the past while looking ahead, drawing on stories, histories and truths shared through Reconciliation WA’s RISING place‑based program.Audiences can join the Breakfast live from Boorloo (Perth), as well as from events in Kinjarling (Albany) and Nyiyparli Country (Newman), or tune in remotely across the state via NITV and SBS On Demand.
Reconciliation WA Co‑Chairs, Nolan Hunter and Debra Zanella, stated: “Reconciliation is built through respectful, meaningful relationships that honour our shared and unique histories and strengthen the future we are shaping together. Under this year’s National Reconciliation Week theme All In, we invite every Western Australian to move beyond symbolism and commit to meaningful participation, shared responsibility and courageous action. Grounded in truth, trust and mutual respect, reconciliation requires sustained, collective effort, guided by lived experience and grounded in place. As Co‑Chairs, we are committed to walking alongside communities across Western Australia, because when we are All In, we can create lasting change for generations to come.”
NITV ORIGINALS: SPECIAL NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WEEK EPISODES:
Living Black : Ursula Yovich – Swings and Roundabouts
Airing Monday 1 June, 8:30pm on NITV and SBS On Demand
NITV’s Living Black, Australia’s longest-running Indigenous current affairs program, marks 23 years on air in 2026. Hosted by Walkley Award-winning journalist and proud Western Arrernte woman Karla Grant, the program continues its legacy of powerful investigations and compelling conversations this Reconciliation Week with acclaimed actor and singer Ursula Yovich. In a candid interview, Yovich reflects on her celebrated career across stage, screen and music, what it means to go “all in” as a performer, and her return home to Darwin.
The Point: Racism Is the New Black
Airing Tuesday 2 June, 7:30pm on NITV and SBS On Demand
Now in its 11th year, The Point delivers agenda-setting conversations led by proud Wuthathi and Meriam man John Paul Janke. In this timely Reconciliation Week special, the program interrogates rising racial tensions across the country — asking why racism is resurging and what it means for Australia’s future. This studio episode features Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman, Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia Kirstie Parker, National Justice Project’s Ariane Dozer, and Douglas Smith, Indigenous Affairs reporter at The Guardian Australia.
SBS WORLD MOVIES
Focus on Warwick Thornton
Airing 25 – 27 May
A curated showcase of acclaimed filmmaker Warwick Thornton, featuring:
- We Don’t Need a Map Monday May 25, 7:30pm
- Darkside Monday May 25, 9:30pm
- Blackfella Monday May 25, 11:00pm
- The New Boy Tuesday May 26, 7:30pm
- Samson and Delilah Tuesday May 26, 9:30pm
- Green Bush Tuesday May 26, 11:00pm
BEYOND SCREEN: MULTIPLATFORM ENGAGEMENT
SBS AUDIO
Multilingual coverage across 60 languages.
NITV RADIO will provide coverage of community stories from around Australia including the Listening to Country Exhibition opening in Adelaide which celebrates the work of local Indigenous artists Lisa Khan, Melanie Koolmatrie and Racquel Larkin, author Warren Rankine In Conversation in SA, Community-led Reconciliation Walks in QLD and NSW, and an introduction To Dhurga Language Workshop on the South Coast of NSW.
SBS LEARN
SBS Learn will mark National Reconciliation Week with classroom-ready resources to help teachers and students engage with key moments in Australia’s history. This includes a series of Point in Time videos featuring John Paul Janke, each paired with guiding questions to support discussion and critical thinking,
SBS ON DEMAND
A dedicated National Reconciliation Week hub featuring documentaries, films, news and current affairs. The Reconciliation Collection will also support NITV’s landmark Focus On David Gulpilil
season, with NITV’s award-winning commission Journey Home, David Gulpilil also available on platform from Sunday 31 May.
Who Do You Think You Are? : Aaron Pedersen
Tuesday 2 June, 7:30pm on SBS On Demand
Also airing on SBS On Demand during National Reconciliation Week is a special episode of the new series of Who Do You Think You Are, where actor Aaron Pedersen take his brother Vinnie on a life-changing journey to explore their maternal ancestry and Arabana roots in outback South Australia before embarking on a global search for the father he’s never known.
A NATIONAL INVITATION TO ENGAGE
Through this curated National Reconciliation Week content slate, SBS and NITV invite all Australians to step forward — to be All In — engaging with stories that deepen understanding, strengthen relationships and contribute to a shared future grounded in respect.
ONGOING COMMITMENT
This initiative continues the work outlined in SBS’s Elevate Reconciliation Action Plan 2022–2026, reinforcing the network’s commitment to embedding First Nations stories, cultures and languages across all platforms, and connecting diverse communities across the country with the world’s oldest living continuous culture.
