Top five things to see and do at Festival 2018 Week One
It’s been hailed the most ambitious multi-day festival the Gold Coast has ever seen and it’s finally here! Festival 2018 kicks off on Wednesday April 4 and brings with it a culinary and cultural smorgasbord of things to see and do, from wandering maze-like sculptures to marvelling at the physicality and power of contemporary Australian circus. With so much happening around the coast, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and miss something so we thought we’d do you a solid and round-up our top five must-see events in week one (from April 4 to 8).
RITE, Roundabout Stage Broadbeach, April 4–8
Get ready to be awed and amazed as ten brilliantly talented acrobats put their bodies on the line in an electrifying explosion of physicality and power. In this world-first, Brisbane’s Circa will take on Stravinsky’s musical masterpiece The Rite of Spring and reinterpret the enduring classic for a modern audience. See bodies hurl, flow, twist, pulse and collide in this ecstatic tribal circus ritual.
Holoscenes, Surfers Paradise Beach, April 5–15
Fresh from captivating crowds in NYC’s Times Square, Holoscenes is something that truly needs to be seen to be believed. Set within an enormous aquarium-like tank, the performers must carry out everyday tasks such as making a bed, getting dressed and reading a newspaper whilst water rapidly rises and falls around them. Combining beauty, lyricism and impact, Holoscenes explores our relationship with the rising seas and aims to connect the everyday actions of individuals to global climate change.
Arboria, Kurrawa Park Broadbeach, April 5–15
Awaken your sense of wonder as you step inside the luminarium and be captivated by beauty and colour. The walk-in sculpture has entranced millions of people across the globe and now it’s our turn to journey through a dazzling blow-up maze of winding paths and scope the soaring domes. Immerse yourself in the spectacular, luminous world of Arboria – Architects of Air.
NightQuarter Festival, Helensvale, April 5–14
Northern residents, you’re in for a real treat as NightQuarter keeps the party cranking for ten fun-filled days. The massive NightQuarter Festival dishes up an insatiable program of food and music to ignite your senses and celebrate everything local. Taste the flavours of the Gold Coast with Aboriginal kupmurri, sip botanical cocktails made with local micro-herbs and sample some fruit spaghetti made by a Queensland physicist using molecular gastronomy. Afterwards, mosey on over to the main stage to check out a range of local musicians and performers from around the globe including Baker Boy, Hot Potato Band, Kallidad, Vou, Electrik Lemonade, Bullhorn, The Space Cowboy, Emily Wurramara, The Twine, The Mojo Webb Band, Jesswar, Felicity Lawless, Devils Kiosk, Elska, The Kitty Kats and plenty more.
Tide, Currumbin Estuary, April 8–10
If you were lucky enough to catch The Farm’s bold (and certifiably crazy) performance of Tide back in 2015, you know you’re in for a wild ride. For those that didn’t, well, prepare yourself for a theatrical experience unlike anything you’ve ever witnessed. Situated on an actual sandbar in Currumbin Estuary, Tide follows the journey of two office workers as they carry out typical tasks for 49 hours straight, yes you read right, 49 gruelling hours straight. These two fearless performers will put themselves at the mercy of both the tide and the compassion of the community, all they ask in return is that a kind spectator brings them a bite to eat or a coffee from time to time. Tide is a timely reminder to us all that we are nothing without each other.
Love live music? Festival 2018 offers a sensational line-up of free live music across various stages. If you like the sound of The Cat Empire, Meg Mac, Salmonella Dub and Yothu Yindi and the Treaty Project, check out our run down of happenings at the Main Stage in Surfers Paradise and if you’re into aerial yoga, acrobatics and genre-bending dance theatre, then check out our round-up of acts on the Roundabout Stage in Broadbeach.
To find out more about what’s on in the Gold Coast, head to our Event Guide.