SAARI Collective

Let's imagine having a sustainable Diwali. If there’s one festival I wait for all year and pour my heart into, it’s Diwali. There’s magic in the glow of earthen diyas, in the twinkling fairy lights strung across windows, and in the care behind every decoration. It’s the time when laughter fills homes, families come together, and devotion lights every corner. Diwali celebrates love, renewal, and the triumph of light over darkness.

There's been an explosion of South Asians at this year's SXSW Sydney festival. The festival festures culture, music, film, innovation, tech, startups and brand activations, and takes over Sydney for a full week. Our amazing writer Dhwani managed to find all the South Asians humanly possible to find at SXSW Sydney. Check out the full list with session times below.

Four of our hottest South Asian Australian hip hop artists tell us why Aussie-grown South Asian hip hop deserves to have its moment. “We got so much to offer and I feel like now it's finally our time,” says Saie, a DJ, producer and artist in the Brisbane-based Chor Bazaar collective, who performed at last year’s SXSW Sydney. “In Australia, we're kind of overlooked cause it is such a new country and people forget that it's even a thing.” Source: @saiegram.

The Tech Council of Australia and India's peak technology body NASSCOM signed a landmark agreement at the National Tech Summit in Sydney. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two countries aims to deepen mutual cooperation and create new opportunities in technology, digital trade, business relationships, startups and innovation.

When Chantelle became a mother, something within her shifted, a spark ignited by the desire to leave a meaningful legacy for her son. This wasn’t just about creating a product but proving that dreams, no matter how audacious, can materialize with hard work and vision. From this powerful intention, AISHANI, a South Asian-inspired beauty line, was born. Launching in early 2025, AISHANI is more than a beauty brand.

Dr Chandrabhanu OAM is a dancer, choreographer and director. He is also an anthropologist, intellectual and cultural activist. With an illustrious career spanning over forty years of creative and pioneering work, he has shaped Australia’s arts scene as a Bharata Natyam, Odissi and contemporary choreographer. In 2025, he is celebrating his 75th birthday.

What is the cost of progress? Are we destined to be forever dissatisfied and desperate for more? These questions are at the very centre of playwright S. Shakthidharan’s latest piece, The Wrong Gods. S.

Counting and Cracking, the play by Sri Lankan Australian playwright S Shakthidharan and Eamon Flack, has made history by winning seven Green Room Theatre Awards, making it the most awarded South Asian production in Australian history. The epic three-hour drama first premiered in 2018 at Sydney’s Belvoir St Theatre, and then in 2024 in Melbourne where it opened the Rising Festival and the University of Melbourne's new Arts and Cultural Precinct (UMAC).

The 2025 Federal Election marks a milestone for South Asian political participation in Australia, with 58 candidates of South Asian heritage contesting seats across the country. Among them, the Australian Greens are fielding the highest number — 14 — followed by the Liberal Party with 12 and the Labor Party with 9. Several candidates are also running as independents or with smaller parties.

Queuing up for Brown Women Comedy for the third year in a row, I felt something I rarely feel before a comedy show — pride. Pride because South Asian women deserve this space. Pride because each year the show gets bigger and louder. And pride because, you know when you see brown people happily lining up for something? Whatever’s on the other side is about to blow your socks off. And trust me, it does. The magic of this show is that while it’s for brown women, it’s not just for us. It’s for everyone.