Entertainment
11 October, 2024
Ready, set, Savannah!
THOUSANDS of people will converge on Mareeba to attend the biggest music festival in the region, with ticket sales up 25 per cent on year and new initiatives introduced.
Up there with the country’s top music festivals, Savannah in the Round will feature chart-topping, international headlining acts, a multitude of Australian talent, Far North Queensland’s premier bullriding series, a wide range of culinary options, camping and glamping, and line dancing in the mornings and after parties into the night.
Now in its fifth year, the festival is also introducing an official app, as a convenient way to have the festival schedule in your pocket, helicopter flights over Kerribee Park, and shuttle buses to and from Atherton, Malanda, Port Douglas and Cairns. Bookings are essential and are available at the “Buses and Helicopter Flights” ticket option on the Savannah in the Round website.
Festival director James Dein said pre-ticket sales were already up by around 25 per cent from last year and that camping for the event had completely sold out.
“There’s something for everyone at this festival and like any great, family-oriented event, there will be people from the ages of eight to 80 getting to see renowned international acts and also many great Australian acts.”
Mr Dein said Savannah in the Round was the ultimate country music festival because it allowed visitors to also experience nearby natural wonders.
“I think being on the doorstep of Far North Queensland, the Tablelands, the Savannah region, the rainforests and the Great Barrier Reef, all of those amazing attractions that you can see while you’re here visiting the festival, is a great reason to travel up here for a holiday,” Mr Dein said.
International artists include US-based Kip Moore and Tyler Hubbard. Australian acts include pop sensation Sheppard, Lee Kernaghan, Troy Cassar-Daley, Graeme Connors, Jon Williamson, Jon Stevens, The Living End, the Hoodoo Gurus and James Johnston, just to name a few.
The Great Northern Bullriding Series will again be returning to the festival, adding that extra-country experience. Set to kick off at 2.40pm on Saturday, it features some of best riders in the region battling it out in the second-last event in the series.
Workshops will be held at 9am at the Backyard Stage each day, with Julian James teaching vocal and stagecraft on Friday, Chris Matthews heading the “Never Practise” workshop on Saturday and Tim Woodz hosting a songwriting session on Sunday.
