Moomba Festival parade showcases the diversity of Melbourne

The Moomba Festival parade showcased the diversity of Melbourne with various cultural groups taking part in the festivities.

The parade included performances by the Vietnamese community, Ukrainians from the Lehenda Ukrainian Dance Company, and Indonesians showcasing their culture through costumes and dance.

The festival drew an estimated 1.4 million people over four days, with many attending after Melbourne’s long COVID-19 lockdowns.

The event featured a parade of dancers, puppets, and clowns that wove its way past the Royal Botanic Gardens and through Kings Domain.

Moomba King and Queen, Rob Mills and Rhonda Burchmore, received the biggest cheers from the crowd.

Mills expressed his surprise at the enthusiasm for the Moomba monarchs, which were reinstated in 2010 after being dropped in 1999.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp was delighted with the crowds, which were on a par with last year’s record numbers, and said that Moomba represented a good value option as it is one of the most accessible festivals with much of it being free. She also mentioned that people appreciated what they had missed during COVID-19 and were more enthusiastic about attending community events like Moomba.

The festival’s appeal was that it hadn’t changed much over the years, allowing adults to relive some magic and get in touch with their inner child. The sunny weather and the enthusiasm to attend big events could also have contributed to the festival’s success.

For some attendees, it was a trip down memory lane. Jason and Rhiannon King brought their children to the festival for the first time this year after attending the event themselves as kids almost 40 years ago.

Although their daughter, Chloe, was disappointed not to be participating in the water-skiing, they adjusted their expectations and enjoyed the festivities.