The Gold Coast’s new free music festival proves why it’s an important staple for the city in its inaugural year.
Major Events Gold Coast’s latest free all-ages music festival SPRINGTIME finally bloomed over the weekend, bringing live music, skateboarding, art, food and entertainment to Surfers Paradise, as Australia officially welcomed in the warmer months of Spring!
Thousands of music fans, holidaymakers, families and locals flocked to the iconic beachside destination to enjoy live music with sand between their toes. Those travelling in through the Gold Coast Airport were treated to an early taste of SPRINGTIME with festival artists spinning tunes in the terminal.
In addition to showcasing the best local and homegrown musicians, artists and skaters, the festival provided locals with the perfect excuse to get reacquainted with Surfers Paradise and explore the countless bars, restaurants and entertainment offerings that have rapidly popped up across the precinct in recent years.
With Surfers Paradise’s beachfront and streets packed with people, SPRINGTIME proved why the Gold Coast is the perfect destination for a three-day contemporary music festival.
Festival Director Mark Duckworth said the inaugural SPRINGTIME had been a huge success and had achieved exactly what it set out to do – showcasing the Gold Coast as an incredible music tourism destination.
Mark Duckworth, Festival Director:
Holding a festival like SPRINGTIME is important for so many reasons, not only does it put a spotlight on our local music scene and highlight the calibre of our artists, but it also provides a much-needed economic boost for the local community.
While eager music fans danced on the sand to their favourite artists, crowds gathered to watch ‘The Cleaners’, an interactive durational performance installation by multi-award-winning contemporary performance makers Shock Therapy Productions. Festivalgoers needed no encouragement to fire paint-filled balloons via a giant slingshot at the actors 7m above.
Local artists, Dion Parker and Camille Manley, armed with spray cans and paint brushes transformed the festival precinct in real time with spring-themed murals, further highlighting the Gold Coast’s growing arts and culture scene.
At the Gold Coast’s Home of the Arts (HOTA), the 8th annual Gold Coast Music Awards proudly presented by SPRINGTIME, shone a light on more than 85 of the city’s most talented musicians, across twelve categories.
SPRINGTIME proved itself as the perfect opportunity for punters to explore the many offerings of the Gold Coast, while getting a taste of the best live music the country has to offer.
Produced by Major Events Gold Coast, SPRINGTIME wraps after an incredibly successful first year with thanks to our Sponsor Family – City of Gold Coast, triple j, Artesian Hospitality, Gold Coast Airport and Yugambeh Region Aboriginal Corporation Alliance.
This project received grant funding from the Australian Government, under the Recovery for Regional Tourism program administered by Austrade.
