Set against the ancient MacDonnell Ranges at Alice Springs Desert Park, this year’s theme celebrated the importance of Interconnectedness across First Nations culture. Parrtjima 2024 attracted 21,363 attendances from 20,150 individual attendees, with 47.2% of attendees being first timers. The opening weekend was the second highest to date. It boosted regional tourism, bringing 4,621 visitors to Alice Springs, with close to 70% of these (3,202) from interstate, mainly Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland, with 4.2% from overseas. More than 80 First Nations artists contributed to Parrtjima 2024, along with DJs, performers, speakers, and workshop facilitators, as well as 20 local Aboriginal businesses and art centres running the inaugural three-night Buy Blak Market that offered art, bush foods, jewellery, and beauty products. This year’s festival boasted several firsts, including the theatrical experience of Arelhe Urrperle, a six-metre tall, 600kg, illuminated puppet operated by visual theatre wizards Erth with locally trained Aboriginal performers. The large scale puppet required 10 puppeteers to operate and represented the matriarchs and knowledge holders in Aboriginal cultures. Delivered in partnership with new creative partners, Grumpy Sailor and events destination company, We Are Gather, Parrtjima injected $12.22 million into the NT economy, with $9.42 million benefiting Alice Springs directly. Of this stimulus, $10.23 million represents ‘new money’ generated because of the event. An impressive (record high) Net Promoter Score of +62.3, up from+40.6 in 2023, indicated strong attendee loyalty and satisfaction. Expectations were exceeded by 53.1% of the audience, an increase from 34.3% in 2023 and the highest score of the four years reported. Media coverage of Parrtjima 2024 resulted in 585 stories across five TV stations, radio, print, online news, and social media, including international titles, reaching a potential audience of 37million. The event also had the highest-ever number of different spokespeople interviewed – nine people took part in 32 interviews. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light12-21 APRIL 2024 The only authentic Aboriginal light festival of its kind, Parrtjima 2024 embraced the latest technology to share age-old stories across six installations. Northern Territory Major Events Company – ANNUAL REPORT 2023/24 45