Some rain on Saturday night was not enough to turn the lights off at Shepparton’s Illuminate festival on the weekend.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Roughly 10,000 people walked through the event on Friday night, with figures harder to count on Saturday night as the rain hit, however, organisers said about 6500 were in attendance on the second night of festivities.
Lanterns along the foreshore were sculpted into the shapes of different Australian animals, while a blue-tongued lizard sat atop the hill at Shepparton Art Museum, looking out over Shepparton’s Victoria Park Lake.
There were more food options than in 2022, which were spread over a wider area, while a light show over the lake every hour on the hour wowed crowds.
Image 1 of 41
Crowds packed out Victoria Park Lake on Friday night as part of Illuminate 2023. Photo by Megan FisherImage 2 of 41
Khycen May, 5, in front of some of the performers at Victoria Park Lake on Friday night. Photo by Megan FisherImage 3 of 41
Tessa Nordbye, 6, bringing some light of her own to the Victoria Park Lake foreshore on Friday night. Photo by Megan FisherImage 4 of 41
Victoria Park Lake was lit up as part of Illuminate festival over the weekend. Photo by Megan FisherImage 5 of 41
Victoria Park Lake was lit up as part of Illuminate festival over the weekend. Photo by Megan FisherImage 6 of 41
Lacey, 5, and Lennox Grant, 2, were all smiles at Illuminate on Friday night. Photo by Megan FisherImage 7 of 41
A spider lantern along the Victoria Park Lake foreshore on Friday night. Photo by Megan FisherImage 8 of 41
Victoria Park Lake was lit up as part of Illuminate festival over the weekend. Photo by Megan FisherImage 9 of 41
Lennox Grant, 2, was creating some lights of his own as part of Illuminate festival. Photo by Megan FisherImage 10 of 41
Victoria Park Lake was lit up as part of Illuminate festival over the weekend. Photo by Megan FisherImage 11 of 41
The blue-tongued lizard atop the Orchardists Hill at Shepparton Art Museum as part of Illuminate. Photo by Megan FisherImage 12 of 41
Victoria Park Lake was lit up as part of Illuminate festival over the weekend. Photo by Megan FisherImage 13 of 41
Lachlan Power, 4, with a big cheeky grin and a potato spiral at Illuminate. Photo by Megan FisherImage 14 of 41
Victoria Park Lake was lit up as part of Illuminate festival over the weekend. Photo by Megan FisherImage 15 of 41
Victoria Park Lake was lit up as part of Illuminate festival over the weekend. Photo by Megan FisherImage 16 of 41
Victoria Park Lake was lit up as part of Illuminate festival over the weekend. Photo by Megan FisherImage 17 of 41
An 'underwater' tent as part of Illuminate 2023 Photo by Megan FisherImage 18 of 41
Some of the bright lights of Illuminate. Photo by Megan FisherImage 19 of 41
Victoria Park Lake was lit up as part of Illuminate festival over the weekend. Photo by Megan FisherImage 20 of 41
Victoria Park Lake was lit up as part of Illuminate festival over the weekend. Photo by Megan FisherImage 21 of 41
Victoria Park Lake was lit up as part of Illuminate festival over the weekend. Photo by Megan FisherImage 22 of 41
Lit up: Shepparton Art Museum. Photo by Megan FisherImage 23 of 41
An 'underwater' tent as part of Illuminate 2023 Photo by Megan FisherImage 24 of 41
The blue-tongued lizard atop the Orchardists Hill at SAM as part of Illuminate. Photo by Megan FisherImage 25 of 41
An 'underwater' tent as part of Illuminate 2023 Photo by Megan FisherImage 26 of 41
Lit up: Shepparton Art Museum. Photo by Megan FisherImage 27 of 41
A snake lantern crawling through the undergrowth at Victoria Park Lake. Photo by Megan FisherImage 28 of 41
The Victoria Park Lake foreshore was lit up on Friday and Saturday night. Photo by Megan FisherImage 29 of 41
Some of the performers brought their Daft Punk A-game to a Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger 2023 version of Illuminate. Photo by Megan FisherImage 30 of 41
Some of the artwork at Shepparton's Illuminate festival. Photo by Megan FisherImage 31 of 41
The Shepparton Art Museum all lit up on Friday night as part of Illuminate festival. Photo by Megan FisherImage 32 of 41
Bugs galore: A cockroach the size of a child scales one of the trees on the lakeside of Shepparton Art Museum. Photo by Megan FisherImage 33 of 41
A platypus lantern having a cheeky lie on his back along the shore of Victoria Park Lake. Photo by Megan FisherImage 34 of 41
Shepparton's Victoria Park Lake came alive during Illuminate on Friday and Saturday night. Photo by Megan FisherImage 35 of 41
Shepparton Art Museum all lit up on Friday night as part of Illuminate festival. Photo by Megan FisherImage 36 of 41
Shepparton Art Museum all lit up on Friday night as part of Illuminate festival. Photo by Megan FisherImage 37 of 41
Perri Mustica, 9, with a massive dollop of cotton candy at Illuminate on Friday night. Photo by Megan FisherImage 38 of 41
Jacque Hiscock with her daughter Elke, 2. Photo by Megan FisherImage 39 of 41
Shepparton's Victoria Park Lake came alive during Illuminate on Friday and Saturday night. Photo by Megan FisherImage 40 of 41
Illuminate mesmerised all those who attended. Photo by Megan FisherImage 41 of 41
Eye-catching show on Friday night. Photo by Megan FisherLive music was performed on a stage at the Sobaron St end of the lake, despite some hiccups due to rain on Saturday.
The temperature hovered around 13°C on a clear Friday night, but 0.4mm of rain fell in a 20-minute shower on Saturday night, with the evening a few degrees chillier.
While that shower sent people scurrying for cover, Greater Shepparton City Council’s major events team leader Sharlene Putman said event staff had “pivoted” and changed the program to ensure it still went ahead.
‘’When the rain came down a lot of people scattered and found shelter but once the rain disappeared people either came back or more people came down,’’ Ms Putman said.
She said she spoke to people who had held off coming down until after the rain stopped and others who had sheltered in the car for 20 minutes or so until it eased off.
She said aside from Saturday night’s weather she was delighted with how the festival had gone, with more laser shows, more space and the later start time during the year allowing the light show to really pop.
“They were great nights and it all came together really well,” Ms Putman said.
Shepp News