We cannot believe 2025 will be the 10th iteration of our beloved festival!

It all started in 2016 as a ten-night free, family-friendly festival held in Mparntwe (Alice Springs), which always was and always will be part of the Arrernte people. The name, chosen by local senior Arrernte people, comes from the Arrernte group of languages, meaning ‘to shed light and understanding on a subject.’

The Northern Territory Government created the event in collaboration with AGB Events, known for their award-winning work on Vivid Sydney, and local Aboriginal artists, students, and community members. Since 2016, the festival has brought visitors across the country to the Red Centre.

Since its inception, Parrtjima has continued to transform Alice Springs Desert Park into a mesmerising outdoor gallery, showcasing the oldest continuous culture on earth through modern technology—all on the 300-million-year-old natural canvas of the MacDonnell Ranges.

Let’s look back at Parrtjima over the years.

2016 – Parrtjima – A Festival in Light

Parrtjima began in 2016 as the first Aboriginal light festival of its kind, showcasing contemporary and traditional Aboriginal art, culture and stories using light and sound, illuminating more than 2km of the MacDonnell Ranges over ten days. This dramatic natural canvas has become the signature element of Parrtjima. The festival also featured a unique piece called ‘Grounded’ – an interactive floor projection encouraging people to move, gather, and play under the stars.

2017 – Building on Light & Story

In 2017, Parrtjima deepened cultural storytelling, combining illuminated installations with Arrernte and other Central Australian stories. The number of featured artists doubled, showcasing the work of 20 Aboriginal artists and five art centres. Building on the success of the inaugural festival, 2017 featured three new installations and an expanded version of the much-loved ‘Grounded’ installation.

2018 – Cultural Freedom & Connection

The third iteration of Parrtjima celebrated connection, Country and community, emphasising how traditional stories and contemporary expression can stand side-by-side and illuminate each other. The festival footprint was expanded to include Todd Mall, the central hub of Alice Springs, while Desert Park came alive yet again with light installations, sculptures and projections inspired by bush medicine, desert wildlife, and sacred stories connected to Country.

2019 – The Language of Expressions

Coinciding with the UN International Year of Indigenous Languages, Parrtjima 2109 placed particular emphasis on celebrating linguistic heritage from Central Australian communities. The installations explored how language underpins identity, passing on cultural knowledge, and the power of storytelling through words. In addition to mesmerising lighting installations, guests could listen to recordings in various Aboriginal languages.

2020 – Lifting Our Spirits

Against the challenging backdrop of COVID-19, Parrtjima 2020’s theme focused on hope, resilience, and coming together (safely) to celebrate Country and community. The festival adjusted spacing and visitor flow, offering safe ways to gather and be uplifted by art and culture in difficult times. In addition to incredible light installations, guests could send a beautiful postcard from Parrtjima to anywhere in Australia. The famous Ghan was also transformed into a spectacular moving piece of artwork featuring the work of Arrernte artist Chantelle Mulladad.

2021 – Future Kultcha

Parrtjima 2021 highlighted the ongoing evolution of Aboriginal art — showing that while rooted in tradition, art and storytelling can project powerfully into the future. Large-scale multimedia experiences paired with a vibrant, contemporary Aboriginal soundscape underscored the festival’s future-focused outlook. Artists showcased how new technologies can amplify ancient stories rather than replace them.

2022 – Sky Country

Celebrating the vast Central Australian night sky, Parrtjima 2022 looked upward, connecting the constellations, star stories, and ancestral accounts of creation that link the land to the cosmos. Spectacular laser and light displays evoked the desert sky’s grandeur, and visitors could explore star lore from various language groups to see how Aboriginal knowledge of the cosmos has guided navigation, ceremony, and storytelling for millennia. Guests could also attend workshops ranging from screen printing to pottery and scintillating talks with Aboriginal performers, artists and experts, including writer and actor Steven Oliver and NRL legend Josh Addo-Carr.

2023 – Listening with Heart

Drawing on the concept of truly hearing and understanding Country and community, 2023’s festival invited guests to “listen deeper.” Soundscapes featuring the voices of Elders and community members matched with stirring visuals across Desert Park, reinforced the idea of listening with respect: listening to Country, stories, and each other. In 2023, a piece of Parrtjima was taken to Melbourne to showcase the exclusive installation, ‘Grounded,’ at Federation Square for two nights only.

2024 – Interconnectedness

With more than 80 Aboriginal artists contributing to Parrtjima in 2024, the installations celebrated kinship, nature, and broader human connections, underscoring how Country, community and culture are interwoven. The unforgettable theatrical experience of ‘Arelhe Urrperle’ debuted, featuring a six-metre tall, illuminated puppet representing the matriarchs and knowledge holders in Aboriginal cultures. The festival also saw the three-night ‘Buy Blak Markets’ that offered art, bush foods, jewellery and beauty products from local Aboriginal businesses and art centres.

2025 – Timelessness

As we look forward to Parrtjima 2025, marking a decade of illuminating the heart of Mparntwe (Alice Springs), we reflect on the journey that began in 2016. From humble beginnings as a ten-night celebration of Arrernte culture, guided by the light and wisdom of local elders, Parrtjima has evolved into a stunning testament to the world’s oldest continuous culture.

Each year, we’ve expanded our canvas across the ancient MacDonnell Ranges, blending traditional storytelling with modern technology. From the intimate ‘Grounded’ interactive projections to the expansive celestial displays of Parrtjima 2022, our festival continues to push boundaries and ignite imaginations.

Join us as we celebrate not just a festival but a legacy of connection, resilience, and cultural pride. Parrtjima 2025 awaits, ready to shine a light on new stories and experiences again.