- The Sydney Opera House sails have turned bright gold in celebration of Diwali, the Festival of Light.
- But celebrations are rather thin this year, with not much happening even in Harris Park.
- Castle Hill has the only remaining celebration despite Diwali running from October 18 to 23.
The Sydney Opera House sails have become a year-round canvas to celebrate the city’s multiculturalism, and just this week they’ve gone gold in honour of our large South Asian community. It’s part of the NSW Government’s annual Diwali event, which dates back to 2011 and joins the world in celebrating colour, culture and connection.
Diwali, otherwise known as Deepavali, is widely celebrated by by Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist communities to represent the power of light over darkness and good over evil.
The Sydney Opera House’s lighting of the sails would ideally kickstart a series of Diwali celebrations in Sydney, which in previous years have been found all over the city from Harris Park, Parramatta and Blacktown to the CBD.
But 2025 seems rather quite for India’s biggest cultural celebration, especially when compared to the recent Moon Festivals that pop up in Cabramatta and Darling Square each year,
Diwali’s growth outside of India has been steady across decades. In London, thousands gather in Trafalgar Square for a vibrant mix of dance, food and fireworks. New York’s Empire State Building usually glows with saffron and gold once Diwali hits. Even Disneyland got involved last year with its own street parade.
For Sydney, the celebrations have traditionally felt much more grassroots and neighbourly, taking place mainly in Harris Park.
Where to celebrate Diwali in Sydney? Good question
If you want the big, go-hard-or-go-home Diwali celebration then you’ll need to head to Harris Park. Sydney’s Little India illuminates the night sky each year for its annual Diwali festival, filling an entire evening with cultural performances, traditional cuisine, music, dance and an overarching sense of community.
The Festival of Lights typically starts at 12pm along Wigram Street and runs until late. And yet, no date has yet been confirmed for the 2025 celebrations.
Parramatta and Blacktown have, however, already scratched off their respective Diwali celebrations of the year. Blacktown had the biggest one, taking over Blacktown Showground for two days of cultural celebrations. Those who missed out can head on down to the suburb’s Bowman Hall on Friday, October 17 for a “night filled with vibrant colours, delicious food and lively music.”
Yet none of these have been communicated very well. Unlike Moon Festival, there’s been no press blitz drawing people in. Even a search through the “What’s On” section of City of Sydney’s official website bears no fruit. There’s only one event listed: a free Indian-themed morning tea in Glebe this Friday.
Parramatta has, however, locked in another Diwali celebration.
Between October 18 and 23, the City of Parramatta has encouraged residents to decorate outside of their homes as part of a new postcode-wide competition hosted by Lord Mayor Cr Martin Zaiter. There will be a $300 gift card for first prize, which should offset the hundreds of dollars it’d take to decorate a house to the point of first-place positioning.
Anyone who wants a large-scale Diwali Festival only has one option left. This Saturday, October 18, will see Castle Hill Showgrounds turned into a one-day celebration for the Festival of Light.
Diwali celebrations are known the world over for their commitment to bright, beautiful lights. This is something that could add brilliantly to Sydney’s ongoing calendar of multicultural events so it’s about time the South Asian community’s biggest yearly celebration was treated with a sense of scale.
Until then, you can drive through Parramatta and maybe see a few houses dressed up in colour.
