Parrtjima 2025: Troy Cassar-Daley named to open Alice Springs festival with free show
An Aussie country music legend is going to play at an iconic Red Centre festival in his only free show in 2025. Find out who and where.
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An Aussie country music legend is going to play at an iconic Red Centre festival in his only free show in 2025 – but he’s not the only musical act punters can catch during the festival.
On April 5, Troy Cassar-Daley will be performing a free gig at the Alice Springs Desert Park as part of Parrtjima in Alice Springs.
Mr Cassar-Daley said he was “really proud” to be coming back to Arrernte country to take part in Parrtjima, set to run from April 4 to 13.
“Music has always been my way of telling stories, and I can’t wait to see those incredible light installations bring stories to life in such a special way,” he said.
“There’s just something about playing on the rich red earth of Central Australia – it’s an experience like no other.”
Mr Cassar-Daley’s Parrtjima show is scheduled to be his only free show for 2025.
Other acts planned for Parrtjima include the Darwin Symphony Orchestra, who will play a ticketed gig on the festival’s closing weekend.
They’re set to perform an open air concert alongside Desert Divas Catherine Satour, Bronwyn Stuart, and Casii Williams.
The same evening will also feature Gurrulwa Guligi (Big Wind), a collaboration between Bilawara Lee and Netanela Mizrahi, whose performance is set to blend orchestral classics with Indigenous artistry.
The orchestral performance will be a first for Parrtjima in a year which is set to “connect traditional sounds with modern storytelling,” Parrtjima curator Rhoda Roberts said.
“Music in culture is more than entertainment – it’s a way of preserving and sharing knowledge,” she said.
Last year’s festival attracted more than 20,000 to the festival.
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Originally published as Parrtjima 2025: Troy Cassar-Daley named to open Alice Springs festival with free show
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