Thousands of people have gathered in the outback for a glittering weekend of drag and cabaret performances as the fabALICE festival returns to Alice Springs.
The four-day festival features a spread of events, including a community celebration in the Todd Mall, drag queen story time and a gala under the stars at the Old Quarry.
Arrernte drag artist Stone Motherless Cold said the festival "added some colour to the earth tones" of the Central Desert.
"It allows the community to come together in ways that allow self-expression," she said.
Stone said as one of Australia's "queer capitals", Alice Springs was the perfect backdrop for the festival.
"We have the oldest continuing cultures in the world, we've got sistergirls and brotherboys and we've had them for 60,000 years," she said.
"So we have the oldest continuing queer culture as well."
Festival aims to unite community
The festival comes as the Central Australian tourism sector battles soaring airfares and negative media attention.
Multiple events have pulled out of the region recently due to crime fears, with one top tourism operator announcing it was moving its operations to Darwin.
But fabALICE organisers have forged ahead and said more than 2,000 people were expected to attend events over the weekend.
Organiser Kaye Pedersen hoped the festival would unite the community for a positive reason, after a difficult period in the outback town.
"With all of the press that's going on, it's nice to have something that actually celebrates what's great about Alice," she said.
"It focuses on our fantastic community, instead of always focusing on doom and gloom.
"We can bond over something more positive."
Festival returns for fourth year
This is the festival's fourth year, after last year's event was cancelled due to COVID-19.
Organisers said attendance had been growing every year and about 400 people were expected to attend the Gala Under the Stars, one of the festival's flagship events.
"It's building slowly," Ms Pedersen said.
Known for its vibrant queer community, Alice Springs has one of the highest proportions of lesbian couples in the country.
Annalese Parsons came out in Alice Springs, and said the festival was close to her heart.
"My first fabALICE was my first ever queer event that I got to go to," she said.
"Everybody's so lovely and open and honest here.
"You can actually feel comfortable in the skin you're in and just be whoever you wanna be."
