Parrtjima ready to light up Alice

A first look at this year’s Parrtjima – A Festival in Light – has been revealed, with event organisers releasing images of this year’s spectacular light installations ahead of the 10-night festival opening to the public today (April 4).

The light installations have been bumped into Alice Springs Desert Park, ready for the festival’s milestone 10th edition.

The MacDonnell Ranges light show.

Thousands of festivalgoers are expected to converge on the heart of the nation for the opening night of Parrtjima, which is the only Aboriginal light festival of its kind in the world and one of Australia’s biggest Outback events.

Running nightly until 13 April 2025, the free, all-ages festival is once again illuminating Alice Springs (Mparntwe), offering a breathtaking celebration of culture, art, and technology under the starry skies of Central Australia.

Inspired by the 2025 theme ‘Timelessness’, Parrtjima showcases the world’s oldest continuous cultures through stunning light installations and performances – all set against the breathtaking 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges.

The festival will open with the much-loved MacDonnell Ranges Light Show and Grounded installations, alongside the debut of four new works by Aboriginal artists.

This year’s Parrtjima features the work of more than 20 First Nations artists across six major installations, supported by over 100 performers and special guests spanning music, comedy, visual arts, workshops, talks, and more.

Parrtjima – A Festival in Light – runs every night until April 13.