Kicking off the stellar 2023 season of BLEACH* Festival is the ever-moving First Light on August 3. If you’ve not yet had the pleasure, let this be the year you set your alarm, sink your toes into the sand and watch the sunrise against a backdrop of stirring song, poetry and didgeridoo led by Kalkadunga man William Barton alongside violinist Véronique Serret. This year’s festival will be held across five main hubs, which include the beachside haven of North Burleigh, Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens, HOTA, Currumbin Valley as well as  an exciting new location at the recently unveiled Broadbeach Cultural Precinct. Among the pages of this year’s bumper program, you’ll find two world premieres including a fierce roller derby-inspired theatre production aptly named Roller Coaster by Everybody NOW!, which will transform HOTA’s outdoor stage, as well as an incredibly moving sonic journey with Corrina Bonshek & Collaborators for Last Light, which will bring this year’s event to a fitting finale.

The poignant program beautifully balances stories of grand spectacle against the intimate and unexpected moments that BLEACH* Festival has become known for. Fans of Joni Mitchell’s seminal album ‘Blue’ can’t miss Katie Noonan’s incredible rendition under the stars on August 13, while live music lovers can flock to the North Burleigh Hub and enjoy an eight-hour program of free musical performances daily. Those who can’t resist busting a move can partake in a speedy 10-minute dance party or dress up, get down and let loose in the cosmic nightclub for Bliss on August 12. Last year’s sell-out success Acoustic Life of Sheds is back for another spin, this year featuring the talents of Brian Ritchie, Christine Johnston with Peter Nelson and Trent Arkleysmith, Samual Pankhurst and Ritchie Daniell. Those who are up for a little choose-your-own-adventure should check out The Imaginary Aviary on August 5, curated by Vanessa Tomlinson, which will see HOTA Gallery come alive with musicians dotted amongst the installations, spontaneously breaking out into jam sessions inspired by the gallery’s collection of work. Featuring a mix of cello, violin, flute, bass clarinet, trombone, piano and percussion, lose yourself in the alluring ambience of this sensory event. This year, the art isn’t confined to a stage with a convoy of decorated cement trucks providing moving canvasses as part of Monster Trucks, and if you see a bunch of anonymous orange people in inflatable orange suits, no need to be alarmed, you’ve stumbled upon Looks Like A Tourist, a large-scale roaming installation that encourages us to consider the behaviours and lasting impact tourists have on our iconic destinations. Artistic Director of BLEACH* and CEO of Placemakers* Gold Coast, Rosie Dennis said it best, “There’s simply no better place to be in August than the GC. So, rug up, enjoy the winter sun, sit by an open fire under the stars in some of our most spectacular locations, and grow to love this City a little bit more during BLEACH* 2023.”

This is just a taste of the culinary and cultural smorgasbord that is BLEACH* Festival 2023. To check out the entire program, peruse the website here.

Image 1: Katie Noonan, by Nick Maguire
Image 2: Bliss, by Joel Devereux
Image 3: Mad Wxrld, by Nadia Achilles
Image 4: Bleach at Broadbeach, Jorge Serra and Buzz Gardiner
Image 5: Heartland, by WILK
Image 6: Last Light Tower Divas, by Claudio Kirac Art Work Agency