Attendees at Hume City's not to be missed Hume Winter Lights Festival have embraced the "rain, hail or shine" mantra as they danced the night away for the return of the event on Saturday, 17 June 2023.
A truly Melbourne-style weather forecast promising high winds and evening rain didn't deter more than 12,000 pre-registrations for the event, coming from all over Victoria and even as far as Brisbane, WA and the USA.
The swell of interest for the 2023 festival resulted in more than 6,500 people streaming through the gates at the Town Hall Precinct Broadmeadows, a significant growth on the inaugural 2022 event.
Proving that Victorians know how to take winter in their stride, the rain was no match for the thrill of being immersed in winter activities flooded by a backdrop of art and light installations. The crowd remained full of revellers throughout the event, dancing along to major international acts The Potbelleez and Havana Brown as the sky opened up above them, before it erupted in a spectacular fireworks finale.
The ice rink and interactive local art also kept attendees busy, with many taking to social media to thank Council for the opportunity to experience the unique event in their own backyard, one even highlighting the opportunity to "dance in the rain."
With Hume Winter Lights made possible thanks to a significant grant from the State Government's Suburban Revitalisation Program, Hume City Council is particularly pleased by the growth in visitors to the festival from outside the local area compared to the previous year – including from Frankston, South Yarra, Preston, Ballarat and Geelong.
Designed to be a major part of rebuilding Melbourne's north, the festival has delivered in spades by bringing an experience to the suburbs unrivalled by any other, featuring arts and entertainment at an international standard and boosting the local economy.
Quotes attributable to Mayor of Hume City, Councillor Joseph Haweil
"Building on the popularity of the first Hume Winter Lights festival in 2022, we've proven that Hume is consistently capable of hosting world-class entertainment that rivals anything you would find around Australia"
"By turning out this year in droves, despite the less than ideal weather, it shows that people will travel from all over Victoria when we showcase Broadmeadows as the vibrant space that it is."
