Things to do

Parrtjima - A Festival in Light

Alice Springs (Mparntwe)

Parrtjima - A Festival in Light

Alice Springs (Mparntwe)

Parrtjima is an extraordinary FREE 10-night festival in the stunning Red Centre, with an incredible program featuring light installations, music and talks.

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  • Thousands visit Parrtjima – A Festival in Light in Alice Springs on opening weekend

    Parrtjima – A Festival in Light saw thousands of attendances over opening weekend as visitors flocked to Alice Springs to be immersed in culture and art.

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  • Parrtjima shines brighter with you!

    The lights are officially off at Alice Springs Desert Park, and we’d like to thank you for joining us on Country to share in Parrtjima 2024.

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  • Parrtjima 2024 Dates Revealed

    We’ve got some incredible news to share. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light will return to Alice Springs (Mparntwe) next year from 12-21 April. Join us under the Red Centre’s starry skies and watch the desert come alive with a celebration and exploration of art and culture on Arrernte Country.…
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  • Exciting evolution for Parrtjima 2024: Register now!

    Parrtjima 2024 will be the ninth installation of this unique festival, which continues to grow and attract new audiences each year.

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  • Extraordinary Opening for Parrtjima 2023

    Parrtjima is shining brightly in Alice Springs (Mparntwe) after an amazing first weekend.  From the sensational opening night Welcome to Country to the spine-tingling Ranges Show and illuminated installations, everyone has been blown away by the magic that is Parrtjima. Parrtjima helps keep the flame of story and an ancient…
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  • Beautiful aboriginal artwork

    Registrations now open for Parrtjima 2023

    Register for Parrtjima 2023 now and you’ll be the first to know about next year’s exciting, jam-packed program. Join us for 10 nights from 7-16 April under the Red Centre’s starry desert skies for a program filled with light, music, talks, workshops and film. Dedicated Parrtjima travel packages will be…
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  • 2023 Theme Announced

    Excitement is building for the Red Centre’s iconic 10-night Parrtjima – A Festival in Light, with registrations now open for the free event. Parrtjma is the only Aboriginal light festival of its kind, and showcases the world’s oldest continuous culture through the newest technology. Parrtjima, which takes place in Mparntwe…
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  • Band members laying on the ground smiling up

    Discover our 2022 program

    Exciting news! The Parrtjima 2022 program has been revealed! With music, art, film, talks and more on offer, we invite you to come and find your place in the story, in the stunning heart of Australia.

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  • Girl with lights shining over her face

    Registrations for Parrtjima 2022 are open!

    Each year Parrtjima attracts more and more visitors eager to find their place in the heart of the country.

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  • Parrtjima lights up the NRL Indigenous Round

    The stars aligned when Parrtjima – A Festival in Light 2021 became the perfect backdrop for the 2021 NRL Indigenous Round. Fox Sports travelled to the Red Centre to film NRL legend Josh Addo-Carr, who was a speaker at this year’s Parrtjima, and the Territory’s own Danzal Baker OAM, aka…
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  • Merging Kultcha installation

    See you in 2022

    Parrtjima – A Festival in Light delighted thousands of people in 2021 and welcomed them to Arrernte Country in the Red Centre.

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  • Parrtjima 2021 Flash Mob Outreach Program

    Flash Mob is an outreach social media and mobile phone competition that encourages Aboriginal Youth to continue the traditions of oral storytelling through modern-day technology.

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  • Merging Kultcha

    Symbolising the inter-connected history between local Arrernte people and Cameleers. Features the work of Chantelle Mulladad, Keringke Arts. This train of five illuminated camels celebrates the rich and joint history of the cameleers and Arrernte people in the Red Centre. Each camel, over three metres high, features a mosaic of…
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  • Grounded Kultcha

    Projection on to Country Immerse yourself in the stories, symbols and knowledge of Aboriginal culture as you wander through a mesmerising animated sequence of curated artworks projected on to the sands of Alice Springs Desert Park. A giant, seamless canvas on Country, this crowd favourite creates a playful and engaging…
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Our Partners

  • Northern territory government logo
  • Northern Territory Tourism NT Logo
  • Partner Logo: Alice Springs Town Council
  • Partner Logo: PowerWater
  • We Are Gather logo that includes the words "We Are Gather." below a circular image that has the top right quarter of the circle as blank, the bottom right quarter of the circle as black and the left half as a set of spirals
  • Partner Logo: Airport Development Group