Vibrant festival returns

HORIZON Festival, the Sunshine Coast’s premier arts festival, returns in 2023 with a vibrant and topical program that celebrates the here and now.

From 25 August 25 to September 3, as the region’s winter draws to a close, the highly anticipated festival will captivate locals and tourists alike with a diverse and unique array of music, cabaret, theatre, comedy, family events and more.

Horizon Festival salutes the vibrancy of the Sunshine Coast, with artists, their stories, and the community at the heart of this year’s program. Staged in stunning locations and unique venues, the 2023 program is bursting with free and ticketed events for all ages and interests. Across 10 days and nights, the multi-arts festival supports the growing and sustainable arts and cultural ecology of our region.

First Nations-led programming once again beats through the heart of the Horizon Festival program, celebrating Kabi Kabi and Jinibara artists and makers, who share their incredible cultural experiences.

Horizon Festival Director Hannah Clissold said this year’s program was designed to offer residents and visitors to the region an abundance of opportunities to engage with premiere works by local artists, as well as nationally and internationally recognised acts.

The festival’s opening weekend is jam packed with programming in and around the popular Wonderland Spiegeltent and Festival Hub at Cotton Tree Park, with an array of free events and experiences.

An impressive line-up of internationally recognised shows including ROUGE, a decadent circus for grown-ups; the all-ages Circus Wonderland: A Neverland Adventure; Dirty Laundry, a fun and fabulous cabaret from Briefs Factory; Conversations with

Men, moderated by Clementine Ford; Common People Dance Eisteddfod; and the Sunshine Coast Comedy Gala – will all be held at the Wonderland Spiegeltent

“The atmosphere at the Festival Hub will be exhilarating and uplifting, and this year we’ve programmed more food, free live music, art experiences and family entertainment to complement the worldclass program of shows,” Ms Clissold said.

She said this year would see a wealth of accessible and inclusive experiences as part of the free program for children and families including a free maker space, a rock concert just for kids and performances by the eyepopping Dr Hubble’s Bubbles and Bees by Polyglot Theatre.

The festival will this year again present programming across the region in a range of stunning locations including a unique live music event featuring an intimate sunset performance by Lior in the Glass House