Parrtjima returns to Mparntwe (Alice Springs) from 10 to 19 April 2026 for its 11th instalment, illuminating the world’s oldest living culture through large-scale light installations and a dynamic program of workshops, demonstrations, music and storytelling.
The free, all-ages festival celebrates Aboriginal cultures and will premiere new installations inspired by this year’s theme, Language, inviting visitors to experience Australia’s Red Centre in a whole new light.
New to the program is the outdoor Dome – a dedicated space to pause, watch and reflect on culture through film and animation – complemented by a curated series of optional ticketed experiences beyond the main festival site.
Highlights include the Merne Mwerre Bushfood Experience, rare watercolour masterclasses with artists from Iltja Ntjarra Many Hands Art Centre, and the special Desert at Dusk experience at Alice Springs Desert Park.
This year, the festival will showcase the work of more than 36 First Nations artists as well as more than 50 performers and guests across live music, dance, workshops and talks.
Held over 10 days, the multi-award-winning Parrtjima is the only Aboriginal-led event of its kind, proudly showcasing the oldest continuous cultures on Earth through modern technology against the backdrop of the incredible MacDonnell Ranges – a 300-million-year-old natural canvas.
‘This year invites us to come together at Parrtjima, where language and culture continue to illuminate age‑old traditions in new and powerful ways,’ said Tourism and Events NT Advisory Board Chairperson Paul Ah Chee. ‘This program echoes the enduring legacy of Country and the stories that connect us across generations.’
Parrtjima Festival: New installations
Among the new installations is The Language of Soaks by Corban Clause Williams. Drawn from the work Kaalpa (Kalypa, Canning Stock Route Well 23), it explores the complexity of soaks and waterholes as the lifeblood of desert Country. Translated into a large-scale installation, the work reflects the role of these hidden water sources in sustaining people, animals and culture over millennia.
The Language of Goolarrgon Bard by Darrell Sibosado, meanwhile, translates traditional carved knowledge into glowing, layered artworks that honour the legacy of Kimberley design while pushing it into new, immersive spaces.
Parrtjima Festival: activations
Arrernte Voices celebrates Arrernte as a living Central Australian language, carried through generations and continuing to shape life on Country where Parrtjima takes place. Positioned throughout the festival site, illuminated language stations invite visitors to pause, listen and participate.
The Language of Textiles by Nina Fitzgerald is a reimagined installation first presented in 2021. Across Central Desert communities, language is not only spoken – it is painted, woven and embedded in Country through pattern, gesture and making.
Parrtjima Festival: Free workshops and demonstrations
Among several workshops and demonstrations this year is Flavours of Country, in which visitors will learn about cooking with native bush spices with a live cooking demonstration with renowned local cook and native ingredient expert Rayleen Brown.
Another program highlight is sand painting, which offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore and learn the significance of markings in sand. On selected evenings, some of the festival’s artists and respected elders will be alongside participants to share stories of their Country through drawing directly into the sand.
In addition, the markets return during the opening weekend, and much-loved festival favourites Grounded and the iconic Ranges Light Show will once again dazzle audiences over 10 nights, reimagined by Artists in Motion.
Parrtjima Festival: live music program
The powerhouse free live music program includes Electric Fields, 3%, BARKAA, Drifting Clouds and Emma Donovan.
Parrtjima is delivered by Tourism and Events NT in partnership with We Are Gather.
