Mark your calendar for Saturday, 2nd of November at 9.30am, when the streets of Adelaide will transform into a dazzling display of festive cheer for the 92nd National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant! Bring your biggest smiles and waves to the streets of Adelaide as Father Christmas’ journey will finish where it all began – in the heart of Rundle Mall.
Decking the streets with red and green decorations, the official welcoming of Father Christmas is here as the largest public parade in the southern hemisphere will journey through the streets of Adelaide. The man in red will be greeted by well over 320,000 excited parade-goers waving their favourite floats by from behind the Blue Line.
In 2024, Father Christmas will be led through Rundle Mall in style by a band and dance group to Gawler Place, where he will deliver his special Christmas message to the people of South Australia. The tradition began in 1933 and has now grown to include over 300 clowns and elves, more than 80 magical floats, and 30 dance groups and bands.
Three new floats have been revealed for the Christmas Pageant lineup and are set to captivate audiences of all ages at this year’s event – Humpty Dumpty, the PS Murray Explorer and Bee Merry.
Mr Gilbertson has shared his delight in saying, “we’re thrilled to welcome fan favourite Humpty Dumpty back to the Pageant line up after so many years.” The design, created by Dave Clarke, celebrates Humpy Dumpty’s rich history in the Pageant, adding a touch of nostalgia to the float lineup.
The second new float, the PS Murray Explorer, is a tribute to the iconic riverboats from the Murray River region. The grand float will feature a live band, playing festive tunes and as the second-largest float in the National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant, after the Father Christmas float, the PS Murray Explorer is sure to be a showstopper.
Make sure to keep an eye out for the joyful buzz of Christmas as the winning design of the 2024 mini float competition, ‘Bee Merry,’ was revealed ahead of the Christmas Pageant.
Competition winner Lia Mewett said on her chosen design, “I was inspired to design the Bee Merry float because Christmas is around summertime and that’s when all the bees come out. It was so amazing to see my float come to life. I felt so proud and I’m excited to see my design next to all the other well-known floats.”
Vito Borello, Chief Executive Officer of National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant, has highlighted the importance of the joy of Christmas; “The National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant is more than just a parade – it’s a celebration of community and togetherness and an event that the team at National Pharmacies is very proud to support.”
With Pageant Day being one of the biggest in South Australia, ensure the day is as easy as possible:
- Beat the traffic as public transport will still be operating.
- Arrive early to get first pick of the best spot along the route, some enthusiastic pageant-goers camp out all night long!
- Keep the kids busy as they wait for Father Christmas and bring some colourful chalk to decorate the roads.
- Bring plenty of snacks and cool drinking water is essential for a day filled with fun!
- Comfort is key with cosy blankets, rugs and cushions.
- Be sun smart and Slip, Slop, Slap. Don’t forget to apply plenty of sunscreen and reapply throughout the day. Remember – you can still get burnt even if it’s cloudy and overcast!
But most importantly, have lots of fun!
The National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant is a magical, free community event, full of fantasy, floats, colourful characters, bands, dancers and more, shared by generations of Australians. For the 2024 route map, float list and handy tips to make it the most magical Christmas experience, go to our website christmaspageant.com.au.
