Adani Rockhampton River Festival a huge success

Published on 15 July 2019

Little girl and humanoid

The 2019 Adani Rockhampton River Festival has been hailed a fantastic success, with thousands of festival-goers thrilled by the three day celebration of arts, music, culture, and food which took place on the Rockhampton Riverside.

Rockhampton Region Mayor Margaret Strelow said that the festival has gone from strength to strength over the past five years, and has become much-loved in the Region.

“Every year this festival gets bigger, better, and more exciting, and this year was certainly no exception,” said Mayor Strelow.

“Residents and visitors alike were delighted by the spectacular ‘River of Life’ water theatre shows, and the three giant glowing human figures were also a clear crowd favourite.

“And, of course, the Rockhampton Wheel stole the show for many of the festival’s visitors, with 5172 people taking a ride on the wheel.  

“Everyone I’ve spoken to about the festival has a great story of stumbling across an artwork, installation, or pop-up shop during the festival that absolutely amazed them.

“The glamour of the festival’s headline show, PANACHE, has also drawn some great crowds. The show will continue throughout this week, but tickets are selling fast, so get in quick!

“There are so many people within and outside of Council who worked so hard to deliver such a fantastic event for our Region that it would be impossible to mention them all.

“I do want to say a huge thank you to Advance Rockhampton, the Art Gallery team and so many others from across Council for all of the hard work that went into making the festival such a success.

“I want to highlight the incredible work put in by the Communities and Culture Unit of Council. They went above and beyond to deliver some of the most unique elements of the show, such as the giant human figures - Humanoids, the very popular Neon Dog Park in Country Lane, and the incredible exhibitions and installations that featured in Fish Lane.

“I also want to say a special thank you to the visitors and residents who came along to be part of the festival.

“River Festival helps us to fill our restaurants and hotels, showcase our region, promote the talents of the people who live here, and celebrate our community pride.

“I believe that great events can really bring a community together, and - judging by the cheerful and relaxed atmosphere over the entire three days of the festival – this was an unmitigated success.”

PANACHE will continue until Saturday 20 July. Tickets can be purchased at rockhamptonriverfestival.com.au