The Northern Territory is set to sparkle more than ever in 2024 thanks to the return of its free light and art spectacular, Parrtjima - A Festival in Light, from April 12-21. It’s not too early to submit those leave requests and start planning your trip because the must-see First Nations celebration has just unveiled its 2024 program – and registrations are already open.
Parrtjima (pronounced Par-chee-ma) takes its name from the Arrernte word Parrtma, which means ‘lighting up’ in two ways – both illuminating an object and shedding light on a subject. Billed as the only Aboriginal light festival of its kind in the world, Parrtjimal shares timeless stories of the world’s oldest continuous culture through innovative art installations and large-scale projections. The theme for the festival’s ninth iteration is ‘Interconnectedness’, embodying how everything in Indigenous culture is connected, with a particular focus on planting seasons and Indigenous Australians’ connection with the land and kwatye (meaning both water and rain) – which ultimately, connects us all.
Shining bright under the starry desert skies of Alice Springs (Mparntwe), the program will be delivered by a brand new event team made up of leading creative experience design studio Grumpy Sailor (FIFA Museum, ACMI, MuSO) and experiential events agency We Are Gather (Margaret River Gourmet Escape, The Dark Sky Festival, Taste Festivals Australia).
Curator Rhoda Roberts AO is bringing back crowd-favourite installations, including the Ranges Light Show, which lights up almost two kilometres of the 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges, and the interactive Grounded installation, which projects animated artwork onto the red sand of Alice Springs Desert Park with a spectacular accompanying soundscape.
New to Parrtjima in 2024 is Arelhe Urrperle, a legendary six-metre-tall and 600kg puppet who will roam through the Desert Park sharing Indigenous language and stories. For the first time ever, there will also be a three-night marketplace showcasing food and products from local Aboriginal businesses.
As always, Parrtjima will welcome a raft of big names including Australian country music star Troy Cassar-Daley, singer-songwriter Shellie Morris, ARIA award-winning R’n’B artist Miiesha and Red Centre glam-rock band Mulga Bore Hard Rock, along with an impressive line-up of guest speakers. More details on the speaker line-up will be released soon. In the meantime, you can register for the free ten-day light festival here.