Beds Are Burning: ‘the power and passion for change.’
Choirs and singing groups across the country are being called on to stand together in song for National Reconciliation Week 2026.
Your voice matters and time to be heard is now.
The 2026 song is the iconic Australian anthem is Beds Are Burning by Midnight Oil, a timeless call to action to be All In for justice and reconciliation, and for all Australians to know our history.
Co-composer Peter Garrett said he is buoyed that the song is being sung by choirs across the country as part of Voices for Reconciliation.
‘I always felt that this song was like an “executive summary” of the injustices perpetrated on the First Peoples of this continent.
‘But it is more than that, it is a call for action – “It belongs to them, let’s give it back!”
‘The song is a call for all Australians to be all in for truth, land rights and reconciliation.
‘I encourage all choirs to sing it with power and passion for change.’
The song was released in 1987 on the Diesel and Dust album, but the song’s legacy has endured over the decades.
It continues to speak to new generations of listeners and performers through multiple covers and re-interpretations, and through social media moments like ‘First Time Hearing‘ videos.
