Across Australia, homes, halls and entire streets are preparing to shine for Diwali. The festival of lights, which marks the triumph of brightness over darkness, is being embraced by councils, community groups and families in ways that speak to both tradition and modern expression. This year’s calendar is rich with events, competitions and cultural gatherings, showing how Diwali has taken root as part of the national rhythm.
Blacktown City has once again thrown open entries for its Diwali Lights Competition, encouraging residents to decorate homes and streets. The categories, from Best Street to Best Rangoli, carry cash prizes, but the real value is in how neighbours collaborate to create shared celebration. The competition has grown into a fixture of the local calendar, with families preparing months in advance. The decorations and colourful rangoli artworks have become symbols of how cultural traditions can find new life in suburban streets. Council has underlined that the competition is open to all residents, inviting people of every background to take part in a festival that has become part of the city’s identity.
Melbourne too will host gatherings that combine cultural performance with public festivity. Glen Eira’s Diwali Festival at Booran Reserve promises lights, dance, music, food and a dhol drumming procession to draw in the crowds. Performers from Chandralaya School of Dance, Rhythmic Feet and Ignite Bollywood are among the line-up, while food stalls will serve Nepalese and Indian fare alongside Australian-Indian fusion. The event is free and family-friendly, designed to create an open invitation to experience the colours and sounds of Diwali together. At the Hawthorn Arts Centre, audiences will see bansuri master Vinod Prasanna blend classical Indian melodies with Melbourne guitarist Jenna Campbell, with tabla accompaniment by Pranav Ramji. Rangoli and rows of diyas will complete the setting, bringing tradition into dialogue with contemporary artistry.
While Diwali is the anchor, the season has also inspired new ways of sharing culture. Sydney will host the Big Fat Fake Indian Wedding, a one-night event promising the atmosphere of a grand desi wedding without the couple at its centre. Organised by DesiWed Australia, it features DJs, food, décor showcases and henna, all designed to open the doors of South Asian celebration to a wider audience. Founder Merlyn R explained, “We wanted to celebrate our amazing South Asian Australian wedding vendors & give people here the chance to experience all of that magic; without needing to be part of a real wedding!!” The response has been enthusiastic, with thousands engaging online and tickets selling fast. While playful in concept, the event also highlights the creativity of South Asian professionals in Australia’s wedding industry and their growing influence in shaping the country’s cultural landscape.
Diwali coincides this year with important public conversations. Western Australian Labor MLC Parwinder Kaur has stirred debate with a parliamentary speech on ancestry, migration and belonging. She argued that genetic research links South Asians and Aboriginal Australians, saying, “I think we need to stop the debate right here about who is more Australian and how we define that, because if we are looking for evidence, the evidence is very, very clear.” Her comments have drawn both support and criticism, but they underline how festivals like Diwali exist not in isolation but in the broader currents of national life. The presence of South Asian Australians in parliament and public institutions is part of what gives Diwali its contemporary resonance.
The edition also touches on global debates, with Australian experts countering claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that paracetamol causes autism. The largest studies, including one tracking 2.5 million children in Sweden, have found no such link. For communities celebrating Diwali, where family and children are central to festivities, the reassurance that evidence still holds stronger than rhetoric matters. Public trust in science, like trust in one another, is essential for shared wellbeing.
Cricket too plays its part in the season of light. Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has signed with Sydney Thunder for the upcoming Big Bash League. His arrival is a milestone: the first male Indian cricketer to join the BBL, promising both skill on the field and inspiration for young fans. Thunder’s Trent Copeland noted that Ashwin’s presence will connect with the Indian diaspora in Western Sydney, creating a fresh wave of engagement. In a city already preparing for Diwali lights competitions, his signing is a reminder of how sport and culture often move together.
The threads across these stories point to a broader truth. Diwali is about more than lamps and fireworks. It is a time of creativity, music, conversation and new beginnings. It reminds us of what communities can build when they come together, whether through a rangoli pattern on a suburban driveway, a dance performance in a city hall, or a cricket signing that excites a new generation. Political debate, artistic expression, family health, weddings real and imagined: all find a place in the light of Diwali.
Many elected representatives and community leaders have taken this moment to wish Indian Australians an auspicious festival. Their greetings reflect the place Diwali now holds across the country, acknowledged not as a niche celebration but as part of the wider story of Australian life. To everyone marking the occasion, may the lights bring joy into your homes, warmth into your families, and a sense of belonging into the year ahead.
Happy Diwali.
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