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Parrtjima to light up Alice next month
The award-winning Parrtjima – A Festival in Light, returns to Alice Springs (Mparntwe) for its 10th iteration from April 4-13, offering a spectacular celebration of culture, art, and modern technology under the starry skies of Central Australia.
The only Aboriginal light festival of its kind, Parrtjima showcases the world’s oldest continuous cultures through stunning light installations and performances, set against the breathtaking backdrop of the 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges.
The free 10-night festival once again features the much-loved MacDonnell Ranges Light Show and Grounded installations, alongside new works inspired by the 2025 theme, ‘Timelessness.’
Other highlights include bush food workshops, markets, talks and, for the first time ever, a special open-air performance by the Darwin Symphony Orchestra, featuring more than 50 musicians.
This spectacle is a ticketed event and will feature Desert Divas Catherine Satour, Casii Williams, and Bronwyn Stuart for a memorable closing Saturday night. Australian county music icon Troy Cassar-Daley will kick off the festival’s opening weekend.
Paul Ah Chee – Parrtjima’s Director of Cultural Engagement.
Paul Ah Chee – Parrtjima’s Director of Cultural Engagement, is a Yankunytatjara, Wangkangurru, and Arrernte man from Mparntwe (Alice Springs) whose story is woven with the deep cultural traditions of his ancestors.
Born in the Adelaide Hills in 1958, Paul’s early years were happy ones filled with music and football with his close-knit family. His father, an electrician who worked at Maralinga during the British nuclear tests, suffered the long-term effects of radiation exposure.
His mother, now nearing 90, taught him guitar, setting the foundation for a lifelong love of music.
Rhoda Robert, the curator of the Festival, has an incredible history in championing First Nations arts and culture in Australia.
Rhoda Robert was he first Aboriginal presenter on Australian prime-time TV.
Throughout her career Rhoda has achieved significant milestones such as being the first Aboriginal presenter on Australian prime-time TV, and being at the helm of some of Australia’s most iconic events.
About Parrtjima – A Festival in Light
Parrtjima – A Festival in Light is the only Aboriginal light festival of its kind in the world.
It showcases the extraordinary cultures of Australia’s Indigenous communities, bringing to life stories of the world’s oldest living culture using modern technology, set against the spectacular backdrop of the Central Australian desert.
Parrtjima (pronounced Par-Chee-ma) means ‘lighting up’ and conveys two meanings: physically illuminating an object with light and ‘lighting up’ as in to shed light and understanding on a subject.
Parrtjima 2024 received two prestigious Australian Event Awards for Best Tourism Event and Best Regional Event.
The awards, which saw Parrtjima up against Vivid Sydney 2024 and Tasmania’s Taste of Summer 2023 in the Best Tourism Award, recognises the significance of Parrtjima and the impact it has on the community.
