St Joseph’s Cathedral Rockhampton Lights of Christmas 2023

The ‘Back Story’:  All the way back in 2017, The Cathedral Parish of St Joseph decided to celebrate Christmas in a vibrant way that could be shared with the wider community. Thus, a week long Christmas projection was created by illuminart Stories in Light for St Joseph’s Cathedral, a beautiful heritage listed Gothic Cathedral in Rockhampton Queensland.

The beautiful production gained recognition with a national award for Best Small Event at the Australian Event Awards in October 2018. Held across multiple years since 2017, the free public event was attended by thousands of people in the days leading up to Christmas as the team added new creations each year.

This year the glow returns to this beautiful cathedral, with many beautiful new elements and enhancements to the stunning original animated stories.

Enjoy a mesmerising new narration for The Night Before Christmas. A new spangled version of the classic Charles Dickens tale The Christmas Tree features the glorious voices of the Rockhampton College Cathedral. See more of Santa and the bustle of activity in his workshop. Don’t be surprised if you’re carried away by joy and sparkles when cherubs and angels wing their way through your hearts in a virtual reality twist. Everyone’s beloved Nutcracker Suite and a number of beautiful new slides that feature exquisite original iconography all promise to bring light, spirit and love to your family this Christmas!

The reprisal of existing content is also an opportunity to celebrate all of the artists in involved in the creation of the various elements. To read more about the history and elements of this stunning show, or watch the unique and captivating virtual version we were invited to create during Covid, head to Lights of Christmas.

The Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton’s Lights of Christmas website also has plenty of gorgeous pictures with a contextual history about the project and community involvement.

I've been every year since they started and I'm still totally amazed at the incredible spectacle that is the Lights of Christmas. There is just something so striking about the way the architecture of the church and the projection stand out against the night sky, it really is breathtaking ~ Christmas Lights Finder Rockhampton

Rob Alexander, Principal, The Cathedral College