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Performing arts conference coincides with 2023 Cairns Festival

l CAIRNS REGION

| Nick Dalton

SOME of the top performing arts specialists in Australia will be in Cairns when the city’s signature festival is being held.

Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said, in a coup for Cairns, the city had been chosen as the destination for the annual Australian Performing Arts Exchange conference by PAC Australia to be held during the Cairns Festival.

“This event, which has been held annually since 1986, brings together 350 to 500 industry leaders in performing arts from around the country and abroad,” he said.

“Having the conference during Cairns Festival is a great opportunity to showcase the city’s worldclass facilities, regional talent and venue-based skills to a national and international audience.”

The festival is from August 25 to September 3 and will be the first fully physical event since 2019 when COVID-19 restrictions forced it to be held through a digital medium.

Last year, more than 100,000 people attended an array of events, from the ever-popular grand parade and Carnival on Collins, to projections and immersive lighting installations and live music, as well as fireworks and art exhibitions.

Cr Manning said this year’s program was set to be more thrilling and diverse, packed with an array of events that will showcase the rich cultural identity of Cairns, including the much-anticipated return of Reef Lights at the Esplanade Lagoon.

The program also includes:

• The Grand Parade and fireworks display on August 26 City Lights, which will light up the Cairns City Library façade with its annual projection

• A showcase of talent at Festival HQ, on the lawn at the Court House Gallery

• Carnival on Collins on September 3

• Live performances by iconic acts such as the Soweto Gospel Choir, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and Gulgi-barra (Sand Stories) by Miriki down by the Esplanade Lagoon Roald Dahl’s The Twits will be brought to life by Shake & Stir Theatre Co at the Cairns Performing Arts Centre.Spanning 10 days and across many venues.

Cr Manning said Cairns Festival was the biggest arts and culture event on the city’s calendar.

“Whether you are local or visitor, Cairns Festival is a great opportunity to celebrate our vibrant tropical north Queensland city, and everything that makes it so unique,” he said.

“Over the past six decades, the festival has grown into a staple fixture on the regional Queensland events calendar, drawing thousands of people to our city.

“This year’s program provides entertainment for all ages, with the return of events like the grand parade and fireworks, as well as the interactive Reef Lights that was so popular last year.

“Put those together with worldclass national and international music, theatre, art, film, and comedy events, and you have a feast for the senses.”

For more information on the Cairns Festival 2023 program and events, visit the website at www.cairns.qld.gov.au/festival.

Big Star Tour at the Tanks

l EDGE HILL

| Gail Sedorkin

TO coincide with the release of her new album, Big Star, Katy Steele is on a massive national tour that arrives at Tanks Arts Centre tonight.

Presented by Double J, this will be the first time fans get to witness the new album in its entirety along with a few crowd favourites and a full band.

The tour also marks the release of her latest single, ‘Come and See Me’, described as an elevated dance floor filler guaranteed to brighten your mood. The new track was recorded and produced entirely in her home studio in Perth with the help of Josiah Padmanabam (Grevious Bodily Calm).

Ms Steele said ‘Come and See Me’ was born when they were asked to contribute a song for a travel campaign, one that never eventuated.

“We were trying to capture the spontaneity of two people travelling, exploring new terrain and looking for a new landscape,” she said. She will be supported at the Tanks tonight at 7.30pm by Amber Farnan. Further information and tickets from tanksartscentre.com