FATHER Christmas is looking for a new pageant partner, after South Australia’s four credit unions confirmed the 2018 event would be their last as naming-rights sponsors.

People’s Choice Credit Union, Beyond Bank Australia, Credit Union SA and Police Credit Union have been the Christmas Pageant’s collective naming-rights sponsor since 1996.

They had invested more than $7.3 million into the event in the 20 years to 2016.

The festive parade saw an estimated 330,000 people line the streets of Adelaide in 2017, with another 119,000 watching the live TV broadcast.

Events South Australia executive director Hitaf Rasheed said she was confident there would be “great interest in supporting the pageant going forward”.

“The Christmas Pageant ... is one of the best of its kind in the world,” she said.

media_camera Father Christmas stars at the 2017 Christmas Pageant. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

“It generates strong media, it is broadcast nationally, so we think it is a fantastic event.

“We understand that over 23 years situations change.

“The time has come for a new partner to enjoy this honoured and very exciting role of helping deliver this wonderful event from 2019.”

Credit Union Pageant Company chair Robert Keogh said it had been an “honour and privilege” to bring the pageant to the people of South Australia.

“We look forward to seeing the Pageant continuing to evolve as a much-loved South Australian icon,” he said, adding they would work with Events SA to “put on a spectacular” event this year.

The 2018 Credit Union Christmas Pageant will be held on Saturday, November 10.