Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been mocked for donning a traditional Nepalese hat and celebrating a Hindu festival in Sydney.
Mr Albanese wore the hat and a colourful scarf while making a speech at the Nepal Festival Sydney 2026 in Darling Harbour on Saturday, with NSW Premier Chris Minns and Attorney-General Michelle Rowland also making an appearance.
The Prime Minister said in his speech it was a “wonderful honour” to appear at the event, told the crowd Australia was a “multicultural country”, and said Nepalis had made important contributions to its development.
“Wonderful to celebrate Tihar with our Nepalese community in Sydney today. Diversity is our strength, and your community is such an important part of that,” he wrote on social media afterwards.
Please tell me that this is AI.. wtf?
#auspol https://t.co/vsF1Yt5hyq
— JP__75 (@JP__75) November 7, 2026
But everyday Aussies criticised Mr Albanese on social media, with some calling him a “cosplayer” for wearing the hat, and many others asking why he never seems to celebrate anything Australian.
“Our politicians celebrate every culture except the Australian culture. It is not the role or responsibility of the Australian government to preserve and promote the cultures of foreign nations,” wrote X user David Dimovski.
“Celebrates all the vote-catching nationalities, but never Australian culture,” wrote a Facebook user.
“Did you celebrate Australia with anyone in January?” asked another.
“I would argue that unity, as opposed to diversity, is our strength,” read another popular comment.
Our politicians celebrate every culture except the Australian culture.
It is not the role or responsibility of the Australian Government to preserve and promote the cultures of foreign nations. https://t.co/rqTSL0nur8
— David Dimovski (@DavidDim_ocracy) November 7, 2026
Mr Albanese did not post about the event on X, where he is regularly criticised for pandering to ethnic minority voting blocs, but a clip of his speech was shared on Elon Musk’s platform with the caption: “Please tell me that this is AI.. wtf?”
“Cosplay Albozo – not a professional bone in his body,” one commenter said.
“Does he actually know how dumb he looks?” asked another.
“NOW he wants to wear a stupid hat when there’s votes in it,” said a third.
The Nepal-born population of Australia has skyrocketed under Mr Albanese’s government, rising from 122,506 at the time of the 2021 Census to an estimated 214,000 as of June 2025, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Header image: Left, Mr Albanese during his speech. Right, Mr Albanese and Mr Minns posing for a photo on stage (PMO).
