Sun, Surf and Soul will return to Kings Beach as the Caloundra Music Festival makes a welcome return in October.
The festival has provided a place for families and friends to come together in celebration, showcasing the region to visitors from around the country since 2007.
Sunshine Coast Council Division 2 Councillor Terry Landsberg said a revised format for this year’s event aimed to increase the safety of our patrons, artists, crew, volunteers, vendors, staff and community.
The October 1-3 festival will include a reduced crowd capacity (from 10,000 to 6000) and it will be held over three days, instead of the usual four, with a genre-specific theme each day.
“We are excited to engage with our festival family again and provide some much anticipated entertainment over the October long weekend,” Cr Landsberg said.
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“For what will be the last long weekend of the year in Queensland, I encourage people to book their accommodation early and make a weekend of it here in Caloundra and the Sunshine Coast area, as we have plenty of attractions and activities to enjoy.”
The festival offers exposure for local performers and work opportunities for a range of local event and technical crew.
Festival Director Richie Eyles said he was pleased to start negotiations with performers and suppliers after COVID-19 caused the festival’s cancellation in 2020.
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Artist applications are open and event organisers will progressively call for food vendors and volunteers over the coming months.
The festival is initiative of Sunshine Coast Council and supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland.
In 2019, it generated 4.4million into the local economy.
The event will operate in accordance with a Queensland Health-approved COVID Safe Event Plan.
For more information and regular updates, follow the Caloundra Music Festival Facebook page or subscribe to the festival e-newsletter via the website, www.caloundramusicfestival.com.
Festival facts
- The 2021 festival will reduce from its usual four days to three days.
- Crowd capacity will be reduced from 10,000 to 6000 per day.
- In 2019, the Caloundra Music Festival (CMF) generated direct and incremental expenditure of $4.4 million attributable to the Sunshine Coast region economy and a further $1.1 million attributable to the Queensland economy.
- In 2019, CMF was responsible for generating 26,041 visitor nights in Caloundra/the Sunshine Coast region, and 78.5% of these nights were generated by intrastate visitors (20,464).
- In 2019, approximately $1.4 million was spent locally on procurement (equipment, products and services).
- In 2019, more than 100 local businesses were featured within the mobile festival mobile app.
- The 2019 CMF won the title of Queensland Live Event of the Year at the National Live Music Awards and received a third nomination in the Queensland Music Awards for the ‘Festival of the Year’ people’s choice category.
- More than 60 local musicians have been mentored by, performed and recorded with national and international touring artists as part of their engagement with CMF.
- CMF introduced Australia’s first BYO H20 program for a festival.
- CMF operates with a dedicated support team of 600+ volunteers, contributing more than 11,000 hours.
- CMF tickets are provided to local schools, sporting and community groups for fundraising, and providing festival experiences for disadvantaged people in our region.
