Queenstown Winterfestival Starts in 2 Days
Posted on 24. Jun, 2009 by Campbell in What's New?
The Southern Hemisphere’s biggest winter party is the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival and this year it runs from 26 June to 5 July. The Queenstown Winter Festival attracts some 60,000 people for a frenzy of concerts, balls, competitions, races, fireworks, bands, comedy, debates, food, wine… you name it.
Thirty five years ago a bunch of snow-crazed Queenstown locals with bad 70s hair decided that the arrival of winter was a great excuse for a party. They organised races on the mountain, lolly scrambles for the kids, beer for the grown-ups, a couple of loud concerts and a town-wide ball to give everyone a reason to get dolled up.
Since then Queenstown’s winter festival has evolved into a jumping, pumping, fully-loaded 10-day celebration of snow sport, dancing, singing, laughing, eating and drinking. This year, between June 26th and July 5th, around 60,000 people will be rocking their thermal socks off in the southern hemisphere’s most famous alpine resort.
The 35 year milestone also heralds the return of many Festival favourites as well as injection of fresh new events sure to get everyone in the party mood.
The festival gets underway in style on Friday at the free American Express Opening Party with a spectacular fireworks display, live music, mulled wine, and plenty of laughs. There’s plenty to get excited about with loads of mountain action, street parties, fireworks, live concerts, comedy, theatre, family fun, and a great mix of internationally acclaimed performers and home-grown acts. As the Festival gets ready to celebrate, this year’s programme is packed full of Festival favourites - a couple of ‘golden oldies’ by public request, as well as an injection of fresh new events. There are fireworks, comedy, drag races, birdman action, jazz, street parades, a ball – and that’s just in town! Up on the mountain you can catch loads of winter action with ski races, rail jams, night skiing, dog races and superb live entertainment.
If you’ve never been to the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival there are a few things you need to know. There’s the obvious stuff like what to bring, how to dress, how to plan your week, where to go, what events might suit you best and so on. But the first thing you need to know is that you’ve never ever been to anything like this! Nowhere and no-one celebrates winter like Queenstown does!
From the opening night fireworks through to the Festival Finale you will be amazed and entertained. To read more go here: http://www.winterfestival.co.nz/home/programme/