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Hundreds of people have gathered on the banks of a sacred waterhole about 135 kilometres west of Alice Springs to take in the closing notes of a long-standing Central Australian festival.
After 11 years the Desert Song Festival, which has attracted visitors from across the world, wrapped up for the final time in its current form with its popular outdoor concert, A Capella in the Gorge.
Festival director Morris Stuart said more than 2,500 people attended the six-day event's finale, set in the natural amphitheatre of Ormiston Gorge, Kwartatuma.
It featured soaring harmonies from interstate and overseas choirs, as well as local icons the Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir who sing in Western Arrernte and Pitjantjatjara.
The Central Australian Aboriginal Women's Choir perform at the festival. (ABC Alice Springs: Xavier Martin)
Western Arrernte singer Nicholas Williams, a member of the choir, said the festival would be sorely missed by many.
"This week has been emotional because we know it's the last Desert Song Festival," Williams said.
"It bring so much different music and a lot of collaborations.
"It feels awesome to sing out on Country, in this beautiful place."
The 11th Desert Song Festival is the last to be curated by founding director Morris Stuart. (ABC Alice Springs: Xavier Martin)
The festival's swan song launched on Tuesday with a choral parade.
Mr Stuart said the festival's funding model, which relied on volunteers, was not "sustainable", especially as cost of living pressures continued to bite.
"I have been talking with government ministers and funders since 2017," he said.
"I''m hoping that people will come together and make the sequel better.
"I would appeal to the government to fund [these] events because they bring such good to the community."
He said while the festival had brought in millions of dollars for the territory's economy, its rippling impact on community was invaluable.
"The work that we've done would command any stage, anywhere in the world," Mr Stuart said.
"We've had artists from India, from Africa, from North America."
Quetzal 'Q' Guerrero hopes the traditions of the popular festival will continue. (ABC Alice Springs: Xavier Martin)
Associate musical director Quetzal 'Q' Guerrero said he was hopeful the festival's legacy could live on.
"It is a little bittersweet that this is the last Desert Song," he said.
"There are a lot of traditions that the community has built over the years.
"I think those are going to continue."