This year the Noosa Long Weekend Festival is celebrating its 15th birthday in style. Ten intense days and nights presenting the best of the best of local and international artists, performers, authors, visual arts, film, food and fun. Opening Friday, 15th July, with a street parade and ‘beach spectacular’ and ending with the Italian Long Lunch at the Waterfront on Sunday the 24th. The festival is set to be one of the highlights of the Sunshine Coast’s social calendar.

The 2016 festival will kick off with a free community event – namely the Carnivale Infusion Parade. This will include a wonderful array of street performers, musicians, circus performers, jugglers, dancers, multiple community group performances, and an abundance of feathered boas to tickle everyone’s fancy. As a tastefully fitting finale to the opening ceremonies, spectators will be invited to the Noosa main beach for a twilight skydiving display with super-hero themed jumpers landing spectacularly on the sands themselves – an unforgettable experience, especially for all the little Avenger fans. An incredible beginning to ten days of amazing events; including jazz, swing and caberet performances, there’s something for everyone this year at the Noosa Long Weekend Festival.

The most prestigious and popular of the events on the itinerary would have to be ‘An Evening with Queensland Ballet’. Their program will include both contemporary and neo-classical ballets performed by Queensland Ballet’s Jette Parker Young artists accompanied by Company Dancers. They will perform Amy Hollingsworth’s emotionally-charged and visceral ‘Cadence interrupted’ – a high energy contemporary work about connection. Company Dancers will perform the first and last movement from Ben Stevenson’s ‘Three Preludes’ as well as a brand new ballet choreographed by Queensland Ballet’s Greg Horsman – ‘Back to Bach’.

This year, the Noosa Long Weekend Festival returns with a fantastic line up of artists, performers, and delights with something for the whole family. Personally, I’ll be venturing out to support this amazing event and its breathtaking artists. For more information on the full itinerary and booking visit the Noosa Long Weekend website.