Townsville ready to celebrate Festival 2018

Details have been unveiled today for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games arts and cultural program – Festival 2018 – which takes place in Townsville from 4 – 15 April.

Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones said Townsville would be a hive of activity with a world-class line-up of Festival 2018 acts set to perform from April 4 to April 15.

“The Uncontained art installation will be piled four storeys high in some areas and will be one of the highlights of the entire Commonwealth Games Festival 2018 program,” she said.

“This is about giving Townsville locals an opportunity to get involved in the Commonwealth Games.

“History has shown us that the people of Townsville love live entertainment – this is one of the best arts and culture programs ever to be put together in this region and I’m proud to be part of a government that has delivered it.

Arts Minister Leeanne Enoch said Festival 2018 would excite, intrigue and inspire, with the program featuring more than 3500 performers delivering over 500 events on the Gold Coast, in Cairns, Townsville and Brisbane.

“Emerging and renowned Queensland talent will join world-class artists from across Australia and all parts of the globe, while Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture unique to our state will feature alongside other First Nations artists from the Commonwealth,” she said.

“Over 12 days, Festival 2018 will create a palpable energy in Queensland which will leave a positive legacy for our arts and culture sector, and it will help further enhance our global reputation as a world-class destination.”

Program highlights across Townsville will include:

• Uncontained – A massive industrial installation is headed for Townsville’s Strand Park, boasting monumental artworks by some of Australia’s best street artists. Stacked on shipping containers up to four storeys high, the Uncontained site will feature illumination, projection, film screenings, a skate bowl, chalk art, Commonwealth Games broadcast and live entertainment.
• Live music – Australian artists including Thundamentals and Vaudeville Smash will take to the Strand Park stage during Festival 2018 with free public performances. Meanwhile, the Queen’s Garden stage will boast a diverse collection of musicians such as Lior, Archie Roach, and the AUSLAN choir.
• A celebration of the arts – a huge range of performances are making their way to Townsville for Festival 2018, including award-winning troupe Dancenorth and a circus performance from Golden Ball. In addition, kids will love the array of child-focused activities, including acts from Jay Laga'aia, circus workshops and a unique presentation of Alice in Wonderland.

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said the festival would be a celebration of arts and culture on a scale never before seen in Townsville.

“Townsville is thrilled to be part of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, so the festival is our chance to put on a 12 day party for locals and visitors, and show the world what this region has to offer,” she said.

“There will be everything from music, film, dance, circus, street theatre, free family friendly activities, and events to showcase the First Nation peoples from around the Commonwealth.

“We have some big names travelling to Townsville to perform over the festival which is very exciting, but I’m also proud that we can showcase the amazing talent that exists here in North Queensland and giving them the opportunity to perform on the world stage.”

For more information on Festival 2018, visit www.gc2018.com/festival2018.