A CULTURAL Extravaganza AWAITS

Noosa is set to explode in a spectacular of colour, music, food, wine and fun for Noosa Alive’s 21st anniversary celebrations! Penny Brand takes a sneak peek at what we can expect.

The iconic beachside village of Noosa will again be transformed into a world-class cultural epicentre when Noosa Alive! returns from July 21-30. This year will be bigger than ever as the famous festival of arts and culture rings in its 21st anniversary.

Spread over 10 days, the multi-genre festival, originally called Noosa Long Weekend, will showcase a titillating program of events covering theatre, ballet, comedy, visual arts, and more at stunning local venues.

With more than 25 events yet to be announced, the festival will deliver an exciting array of eclectic and diverse performances from local and national acts set around Noosa including The J Theatre, local schools and in stunning open spaces including Noosa Main Beach and The Woods.

Past years have set audiences’ hearts and minds on fire and the 21st anniversary promises to deliver more with a smorgasbord of thoughtprovoking, spine-tingling, sensoryoverloaded shows and performances for all tastes, ages and budgets.

It’s live. It’s intimate. It’s showtime!

While the official progam is yet to be released at the time of print, Festival Director Ian Mackellar said the 21st anniversary was a special milestone and he was planning some very special perfomances to surprise and delight.

“We are extremely excited to announce that we will be opening Noosa Alive! with a three-day program on Noosa’s Main Beach in the Evie Networks Marquee from 21-23 July,” he said.

“Last year we presented Moonlight Serenade under the Stars with three Divas and this year we will present Tenori Under the Stars, an intimate two-course dinner and show on the beach with three tenors.”

David Kidd, Craig Atkinson and Andrew Pryor will bring their sense of fun and sophistication presenting classics from the worlds of Opera, Music Theatre, Jazz and everything in between. They will be joined by guest soprano Laura Coutts and harpist Hayley Ellen for one magical evening.

“And for the final weekend of 28-30 July, we will present Music Alive! in the Woods, a 21st anniversary spectacular in Noosa Woods with a hot line up of artists, food vans, bars and headline acts taking to the stage all-day, every day.”

The family-friendly event will offer fully-catered VIP tickets as well as the option to BYO chairs and rugs and sample delicious local food and drinks from exquisite local provedores and sommeliers paired with breathtaking world-class performances.

“Expect a fabulous line up of music, dance performances and celebrate the stars of tomorrow with the Noosa Stars Alive! finalists as part of the program.

Between the Festival Village weekends, the actionpacked program will scale from the Australian Chamber Orchestra with Artistic Director and Violin Virtuoso Richard Tognetti; to the dizzying heights of Cirque Bon Bon.

Back by popular demand, Cirque Bon Bon’s Encore! will feature new acts sprinkled with some original favourites, and all jam-packed into an astonishing night of unexpected wonder and suspense that fuses mind-bending contortion, aerial artistry, sensational dancers, and death-defying feats of acrobatics in a heart-stopping 70-minute show.

Expect comedy, literature, dance, music theatre and so much more when the full program is announced and ticket sales open on 20 March.

Ian said the diversity of the program, from orchestra and opera to cirque and comedy - and everything in between was fantastic.

“We are extremely excited about what this year will bring as we always strive to welcome back muchloved favourites while also presenting a few surprises,” he said.

We can’t wait for the program to be LIVE!

Visit www.noosaalive.com.au to sign up for the Festival e-newsletter, view the program or book tickets.

BOOK NOW!

Noosa Alive is an award-winning festival which has built a reputation as one of Australia’s premier regional arts and cultural events. The not-for-profit organisation, this event would not exist without the generosity of volunteers, sponsors, patrons, friends and business friends, who commit their time and money for the success of the festival.

If you would like to contribute financially or voluntarily to the program, or for ticket sales and more information, visit www.noosaalive.com.au