Mayor brings back Bundaberg Pageant of Lights as community feedback reaches fever pitch

It can be revealed a beloved Christmas event will return to Bundaberg following a swift community campaign backed by thousands of residents and Bundaberg MP Tom Smith.

Mayor Jack Dempsey, Santa, Harrison Dart, Reece Dart and Ergon Energy's Michael Dart encouraged the Bundaberg community to come and enjoy the Pageant of Lights at a previous year’s event.

A popular Christmas event is set for a return in 2023 after residents and a Bundaberg MP campaigned for the council to bring back the Pageant of Lights.

Bundaberg Regional Council on Tuesday confirmed it was working to bring back the event after thousands of people and Bundaberg MP Tom Smith backed an online campaign for its return.

Mr Smith spoke publicly on Tuesday at 9am on his support of the campaign, which gained more than 3000 likes on Facebook in just four days.

“When you remember Bundaberg Pageant of Lights, you remember businesses open, kids smiling, it’s a great community event,” he said.

Page organiser Carmen Mceneany said the council needed to bring back the free and public event as not everyone had the funds or the opportunity to pay for ticketed Christmas events.

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Jack Dempsey publicly announces the return on of the beloved and missed event.

“Other events are fabulous and lots of work goes into them, but you can’t replace an event that’s for the whole town with one that‘s for a small percentage,” she said.

“So many people don’t get a ticket for these ticketed events, so it’s not really for the whole community.”

The Pageant of Lights was not on the council’s ordinary meeting agenda on Tuesday, but Mayor Jack Dempsey used his Mayoral Minute to confirm the news many had hoped for.

“While this year’s festivities are coming to an end I would like to assure the community that council has been working towards bringing Pageant of Lights back,” he said.

Covid restrictions and a “changing landscape” were said to be the reasons the event had not been scheduled for 2022.

Mr Dempsey posted the news to his Facebook page via a video shortly after, reading the same speech he had prepared for the council meeting.

“It is certainly a special Christmas tradition which sees our community come together in celebration in the Bundaberg CBD,” he said

“I know the return of Pageant of Lights will create a lot of community interest and look forward to sharing more details next year.”