Set to dazzle, delight and entertain, the 6th annual Surfers Paradise Festival includes a giant marquee on the beach with 10-days of free family-friendly fun.
The much-loved event also includes the Australian Street Entertainment Championships, Shorts In Paradise Film Festival and SeaFire; one of the country’s biggest and best fireworks challenges.
Surfers Paradise Alliance chief executive Mike Winlaw said the hugely popular beachfront festival was gearing up to be the best yet as it returned with an action-packed program guaranteed to suit everyone.
“A host of exciting events celebrating music, art, food and culture will be on show throughout the precinct from April 3 to 18, offering something special for the whole family,” he said.
“The Festival Pavilion is a first for the Surfers Paradise Festival and promises to be a 10-day extravaganza of great entertainment for all the family covering music, art, food, fashion, acrobatics and comedy in the giant marquee on the beach.
“It is perfectly placed during the school holidays with three free shows a day, this will be a must-do for residents and holidaymakers on the Gold Coast.”
Mike Winlaw -
All of the events will play out across four beachfront zones along the Surfers Paradise foreshore, including the tiered amphitheatre of the Hanlan Street beach volleyball courts.
The festival is expected to attract more than 135,000 people over two weeks and three weekends including locals and tourists from across Australia.
Main events
Australian Street Entertainment Championships – April 3 to 6.
It’s the ultimate busk-off in Surfers Paradise and it kick-starts this year’s festival over the Easter long weekend. Spectators will be captivated by invited professional street performers covering a range of areas from music, dance, magic and comedy, as well as youth, semi-professional and amateur performers competing for cash prizes. Come down and vote for your favourite entertainer in the People’s Choice Award and make sure you stick around to check out the feature show daily in Cavill Mall – The Wheel of Danger.
Festival Pavilion – April 9 to 18.
Located at the beach volleyball courts, the pavilion offers 10 days of free action-packed entertainment including comedy, dance, the Chefs of Surfers Paradise, theatre, fashion parades, acrobatics, kids’ shows and workshops. Feature performances include Cirque Va-Voom, Michael Boyd the illusionist and the return of the much loved sustainable fashion show Undress Gold Coast.
Shorts In Paradise Film Festival (SIPFest) – April 12.
The city’s biggest short film festival is back as part of the Gold Coast Film Festival and Surfers Paradise Festival. With most professional filmmakers beginning their career on the set of a short film, SIPFest provides an opportunity to identify and reward talented emerging filmmakers both locally and from around Australia. This year the film festival moves from Neal Shannon Park to the iconic Surfers Paradise beach to deliver a unique outdoor film experience like no other on the Gold Coast.
Seafire - April 18.
Festival goers will watch as teams of Australia’s greatest pyro-technicians will go head-to-head in the skies above the foreshore, lighting up Surfers Paradise with cutting-edge fireworks timed to a thumping musical beat.Displays will be launched from two barges, anchored just beyond the breakers and will be synchronised to a popular music soundtrack. Exciting intermission entertainment will thrill the audience and hold their attention between displays and the event will finish with all three companies collaborating in one spectacular finale.
Supporting events include:
Koalas in Paradise – as part of the world-class public event, Animals With Attitude, 15 giant decorated Koalas are making their way to Surfers Paradise for a parade on April 9.
Glow – be captivated by this spectrum of digital arts from animation and projection, to glow yoga and interactive gaming. Located at Lakeside Evandale Parklands from 5pm to 10pm on April 11, Glow aims to throw a light on the Gold Coast’s thriving creative scene.
Chevron Illustrated – takes place daily by various artists, live on site at Chevron Renaissance Shopping Centre and features live street art installations, live music, Forty Supply Co. pop up store, insta photo upload competition and more.
Women in Film Lunch – the Gold Coast Film Festival’s inaugural Women in Film Luncheon will feature Australia’s most respected movie critic, Margaret Pomeranz and her daughter-in-law, Philippa Whitfield Pomeranz.
To get involved or to view a full schedule of events for the 2015 Surfers Paradise Festival visit www.surfersparadise.com.
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