There’s no place on Earth quite like the heart of Australia — and no festival quite like Parrtjima – A Festival in Light.
Every year, as the sun dips behind the MacDonnell Ranges, the desert around Alice Springs comes alive — not just with colour and light, but with culture, connection and creativity. Parrtjima is no ordinary event. Held over ten magical nights in the Red Centre, it’s a celebration where ancient stories are reimagined through modern technology, illuminating the spiritual heart of Australia.
This year’s Parrtjima drew record crowds, offering immersive installations, live performances, and unforgettable moments for the whole family. Rooted in Arrernte Country and guided by the Parrtjima Festival Reference Group, the event honours Aboriginal tradition while pushing creative boundaries — all against a backdrop that’s been 300 million years in the making.
Among the standout installations was a glowing playground of oversized LED hoops, carefully crafted into interactive walk-through experiences. Children ran in and out of the loops, bathed in ever-changing colours, while adults marvelled at the technical precision and immersive storytelling. These luminous rings weren’t just eye-catching sculptures — they were portals into a Dreamtime world of movement, memory, and shared wonder.
Bringing this bold creative vision to life was Sydney-based experience design studio Grumpy Sailor, whose expertise in narrative-driven interactivity shines through in every glowing frame. Behind the scenes, trusted Melbourne-based installers Lotron Electrical and Yestalgia rolled up their sleeves to make it all work — powered, of course, by a rock-solid ENTTEC backbone.
At the heart of the system were:
4 x Pixelator Minis – compact pixel control hubs designed for high output and flexible installation.
27 x PLink Injectors – used to transmit pixel data over long distances without signal loss.
1938 x Smart PXL 40 RGB dots – rugged, weather-ready LED pixel nodes with brilliant brightness and colour fidelity.
These products didn’t just perform — they endured. Electrician Lloyd Gibbs from Lotron shared that during the frequently unpredictable desert weather (yes, it rained a lot!), a few PLink Injectors were accidentally submerged.
Thanks to some quick thinking, the crew disassembled the enclosures and cleaned the gear with contact cleaner — and remarkably, the units powered right back up without missing a beat. Ah, that famous ENTTEC reliability. Nevertheless, for those planning similar projects, ENTTEC also offers IP66-rated waterproof PLink Injectors — ready for even the wildest conditions.
Images captured by Lloyd and his crew during the build show the hard work and collaboration that brought the installation to life. From long cable runs and complex rigging, to late nights under the stars fine-tuning every pixel, their efforts paid off in the smiles and wonder of thousands of festival-goers.
Parrtjima continues to be a showcase not just of Aboriginal art and storytelling, but of what’s possible when tradition meets technology. We at ENTTEC are proud to have played a part in this extraordinary event and can’t wait to see what lights up the desert next year.
“It was definitely stressful at times,” Lloyd admits.
“We were racing against the clock, working in the heat, with a new crew in a remote location. But honestly, it was such a rewarding experience. The team from Grumpy Sailor were amazing, and we’re proud of what we achieved together.”
Special thanks to:
Grumpy Sailor – Creative Design + Project Lead
Lotron Electrical – Electrical installation
Yestalgia – Project Partner
Northern Territory Major Events Company & We Are Gather – Event Organisers
Tradezone & AWM Electrical – Materials Supply
What does the installation represent?
“The design is a 3D interpretation by Grumpy Sailor of artist Lyall Giles’ 2D painting Warmurrungu.
Particular attention was paid to the dots looking like they are hand-painted rather than spaced in uniform measurements.”
Matthew Marshall
Lighting Designer, Grumpy Sailor
Lyall Giles is a dynamic artist who has rapidly developed a distinctive visual language. As a story holder, he draws on creativity, cultural knowledge, and deep inspiration to convey the land’s significance. His paintings intricately map the terrain, often capturing the delicate patterns of sand dunes and waterholes.
You can explore Lyall’s art at Tjarlirli and Kaltukatjara Art.
His Western Desert-style painting Warmurrungu depicts Warmurrungu near Karku and illustrates a powerful Dreaming story of ancestral emus traveling from the Northern Territory into Western Australia.
The emus enter a rock hole, where some transform into trees. This sacred site, where ochres are still gathered for ceremonies, holds deep cultural meaning.
Example diagram showing part of the installation setup using the ENTTEC PLink system:
Talk to us to learn more!
