The red centre is illuminated once again for the annual Parrtjima light festival coming this April 2024!
Australia’s Alice Springs comes alive for Parrtjima, the only Aboriginal light festival of its kind in the world. So, if you’re wanting to experience the outdoor art light installation, read on through as here’s everything you need to know about Parrtjima – A Festival in Light 2024:
From Friday 12 – Sunday 21 April 2024, Alice Springs will be shining brighter than ever before for ninth iteration of Parrtjima. The 10-day festival, which celebrates and showcases the importance of interconnectedness across First Nations culture, promises a wide range of entertainment all dazzled under the world-renowned star-studded desert skies.
Of course, this year’s Parrtjima festival will include immersive crowd favourite, large scale, light installations such as the Ranges Light Show – a two-kilometre light and sound show set amongst the 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges. On top of this, Grounded is also making a comeback which sees animated Indigenous art projected directly onto the red sand.
The April 2024 festival will also be introducing new installations to the program including the illuminated-car series Arrernte as well as Honouring, an immersive passageway which pays respect to the late Arrernte leader, Dr MK Turner OAM.
Arelhe Urrperle, Parrtjima Fesitval in Light 2024. Photographed by Steven Woodburn. Image supplied.
Delivered by Northern Territory Major Events Company (NTMEC), in true Parrtjima fashion of going bigger and better, A Festival in Light 2024 will give a warm welcome to a six-metre-tall wandering puppet that weighs 600kilograms, Arelhe Urrperle. Operated by trained local Indigenous performers, Arelhe Urrperle will be strolling through the Alive Springs Desert Park sharing language and stories.
On top of this, Parrtjima – A Festival in Light 2024 will host a three-night marketplace showcasing food and products from local Aboriginal businesses. Guests will also have the opportunity to dance along to a range of live music from artists such as Shellie Morris, Troy Cassar-Daley and, rock band Mulga Bore Hard Rock who supported KISS on tour in 2022.
NTMEC CEO, Suzana Bishop, says, “We value working closely with people from local Aboriginal communities to help them use Parrtjima as a vehicle to tell their stories. The festival puts Alice Springs on the events map, showcasing one of the most striking landscapes in the country and celebrating the world’s oldest living culture.”
For full program details and to register for your free ticket, visit the Parrtjima website.
Parrtjima – A Festival in Light
Cost: Free entry
When: Friday 12 – Sunday 21 April 2024
Where: Alice Springs Desert Park, Larapinta Dr, Alice Springs, NT 0871
For more information: Parrtjima website.
Planning a trip to the red centre? Explore the 10 Best Camping Spots in the Northern Territory. Or, discover nature’s masterpieces with this guide to the 5 Most Beautiful Waterfalls in the Northern Territory.
We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land mentioned in our article, the people of the Arrernte Nation, and we recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.
