Revellers keen to start early can get into the Festival spirit by helping “light the lights” at the new ‘Parade of Lights’ at 6pm tonight. After congregating at the top of the Mall, Mayor Clive Geddes will flick the switch and the crowd will walk down to Earnslaw Park with thousands of lights illuminating as they go. The parade finishes in Earnslaw Park where the crowd will get their first chance to see the new floating stage fully lit up for the first time.
Then at 6pm tomorrow night (25 June) the 36th annual Winter Festival gets underway in style at the free American Express Opening Party. Thousands of locals and visitors will come together on the shores of Lake Wakatipu to kick off 10 days of winter fun with a spectacular fireworks display, live music, mulled wine, and plenty of laughs.
Wakatipu High School’s ‘Rock Formation’ will get the party started with a sizzling performance, followed by the much anticipated Pipeworkz, a Celtic, Maori and Pacific Island blend of musicians based in Invercargill who perform everything from Braveheart to Split Enz.
At 7pm, Prime Minister Hon Mr. John Key will officially declare the festival open and the skies will light up with a stunning fireworks display timed to an outer space theme which Festival Director Simon Green promises will be “a real crowd pleaser”.
The official opening party wraps up with local favourites The Lynch Mob performing the best of Pink Floyd until 8.30pm.
Those in the mood for glitz, glamour and plenty of dancing can get glammed up, don a mask and celebrate winter Queenstown-style at the Moulin Rouge-themed Lindauer Masquerade Ball on Saturday 26 June.
The new Mountain Scene Thriller in the Chiller on Sunday 27 June at Queenstown Events Centre looks set to be a knockout with Sugar Ray Leonard, one of the world’s best boxers of all time, making a special appearance.
There are plenty of free events downtown during the first weekend of the festival including the colourful Oaks Hotels & Resorts Festival Parade and Family Fun Day (Saturday 26 June) and the crazy MoreFm Day on the Bay featuring the infamous MoreFm Birdman, Jetsprints, Splash for Dash and H&J’s Undy 500 (Sunday 27 June).
A four-night comedy extravaganza kicks off on Monday 28 June at the Memorial Hall with local and national comedians coming together for the new Canadian Club Comedy Gala, a hilarious standup show and live stage performance of the cult TV3 show “7 Days”. The laughs continue on Tuesday and Wednesday (29 and 30 June) with Canadian Club Late Night Laughs at the new American Express Ice Box, a silked and chandeliered downtown temporary venue.
Downtown Queenstown will be buzzing on Tuesday 30 June as thousands of people take to the streets for the Air New Zealand Holidays Mardi Gras. There’ll be food stalls, mulled wine, and a fantastic live music lineup from 5.30pm featuring The Cartel, the Ukulele Orchestra, London-based I Am Giant, and Kiwi rock legends Dragon who take the stage at 8.30pm.
Queenstown locals will be out in force to cheer on their favourite ‘Queen’ on Wednesday 30 June. The fiercely competitive and totally hilarious Q92 MoreFM Drag Race is an invitation-only high speed steeplechase race around Earnslaw Park where normally reserved local gentlemen let their hair down and flaunt their feminine side. The drag race starts at 2.00pm and is followed by the Dodgeball championship finals at 5pm.
Later that evening one of the world’s most sought after tenors, internationally acclaimed ‘singing policeman’ Daniel Rodriguez, will wow crowds at the American Express Ice Box. The US star will perform alongside expat Kiwi songbirds Marla & Marissa in a one-night only performance of pop, musical theatre and light opera titled ‘Pop to Pagliacci’.
Expect big thrills and skills at the Air New Zealand Holidays Invitational Rail Jam which brings the best of freestyle skiing and snowboarding to downtown Queenstown on Friday night (2 July). A star-studded lineup of 35 Kiwi skiers and snowboarders, including Nick Hyne and Jossi and Byron Wells, will pull out their best tricks for this spectacular showdown at Earnslaw Park.
There are plenty of magical events for the little ones like the Cookie Time Teddy Bears’ Picnic on Sunday 4 July which features an afternoon of stories, fun and a special visit from Cookie Muncher, and the MoreFM Wild about Water Pool Party on Friday 2 July. Both will be held at the Queenstown Events Centre.
Festival hits a high note on Saturday 3 July as Sola Rosa, Eru Dangerspiel, LA Mitchell, Coast and Vanessa Kelly take to the stage for the hugely popular Lindauer Jazz Night, held in the spectacular setting of the Skyline’s mountain-top complex.
There’s plenty of on-mountain action throughout the week at Coronet Peak with the Tararua Skin to the Summit, the Speights Dog Derby, Budget Rent-A-Car Mountain Bikes on Snow, and the grabaseat Mountain Mayhem Day. The fun and games wrap up at the Jim Beam Closing Party celebrations on Sunday 4 July with Night Skiing kicking off at 4pm and Kiwi band dDub slope-side at 5pm.
The American Express Queenstown Winter Festival runs from 25 June to 4 July 2010. For more information or for a programme please phone 0800 FESTIVAL (03 441 2453) or visit the Festival website www.winterfestival.co.nz.
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