Media Release – Sri Lanka Festival 2024 held in Canberra
March 11, 2024
The Sri Lanka Festival 2024 was celebrated on a grand scale at the Sri Lanka High
Commission in Canberra on Saturday, 02 March 2024. This Festival had been held in the
past from 2016-2019 annually, and after a lapse of 5 years it was timely to hold the
festival this year.
The prime objective of this festival was to introduce Sri Lanka as an attractive
destination for tourism, trade and investment. Australia is ranked as one of the top 10
tourism markets for Sri Lanka.
At the inauguration of the festival, the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Australia
Chitrangaee Wagiswara spoke of the need to highlight Sri Lanka in Australia due some
negative perceptions in the recent past. She stated that the country is moving towards
the path to the recovery and it was timely to stage this event and project the positive
aspects of Sri Lanka.
Addressing the audience, the Commissioner for the Intentional Engagement in the ACT
Government Brendan Smyth stated that in multicultural Australia, the ACT Government
is pleased to promote and support such activities with diverse communities and provide
opportunities for the people to enjoy and experience various aspects of different
cultures.
Sri Lankan community leaders and associations joined the Sub-Committee of the High
Commission and voluntarily contributed in organizing the event.
The Sri Lanka High Commission stall featured Sri Lanka tea and flavoured iced tea
which was very popular with the visitors due to the warm weather. The additional
focus was on the promotion of tourism, with tourism clips been shown throughout the
day and attractive tourism brochures were distributed to all those who visited the stall.
The Sri Lankan Airlines partnered with the High Commission by providing a return air
ticket as the first prize in the raffle draw, while Hilton Hotel, Colombo, Mountain
Heaven, Ella and Sri Lankan Restaurant in Canberra Banana Leaf offered vouchers. In
addition, the High Commission arranged five consolation prizes.
Right throughout the day, prominent dance troupes and musical groups
performed colourful and graceful dances depicting the multicultural diversity of Sri
Lanka which included low country/upcountry dances and Bharatha Natyam. The
students from prominent dance troupes, Bhagya School of Dance, Manuki Dance Troup
from Sydney, Shalani Perera and Troupe, Janaka Banagala Troup, Aksharah Troup
presented beautiful performances. In addition, music items were presented by
Canberra based music groups adding value to the cultural segment.
This event attracted over 3,000 visitors including Australians, Sri Lankans living in
Australia, diplomatic community, the business sector and the media.
High Commission of Sri Lanka
Canberra
