Kick-off

What an incredible start to Festival 23! 🎉 

Running alongside the World Cup in Sydney, the 8-day event kicked off a smoking ceremony from Uncle Laurie. Traditional Oceania performances filled the room with inspiration and Anne Bunde-Birouste, Moya Dodd, Steph Brantz, Hemanta Acharya, and many others, whose dedicated efforts have been instrumental in bringing Festival23 to life, shared their stories throughout the opening ceremony. 

Over the next week, 70 young leaders from 40 countries are coming together through the inclusive spirit of women’s football to advance four UN Global Goals - gender equality, climate action, youth employability, and diversity and inclusion.  

Through capacity-building workshops, immersive cross-cultural activities, world-class forums, and football, young leaders will learn tools and skills to bring back to their communities to help build a more inclusive game and world. 

Festival23 is made possible through the efforts of many from across the football landscape. Massive thank you to everyone who has made this possible, we can’t wait for the week ahead.