Easterfest 2012

Avery Hill wins Easterfest Spotlight

Fri, 06 May 2011 09:38 +1000

Easterfest Spotlight is an artist development initiative held during the festival to give emerging bands an opportunity to kick-start their musical career.

Participating artists were first given a free development session with leading music industry representatives including Rowan Brand, (CMJ Music Marathon, New York and co-manager of "Boy & Bear"), Scott McDonald (Radio host), Tim Weatherall (Hammered Silver) and Andy Mac (Delusion Records and manager "New Empire"). The artists then performed a 20minute set on an Easterfest stage and their performance was evaluated.

With tough competition between all of the bands, judges had a difficult time in deciding the winner. Ten enthusiastic artists entered from far and wide - including Longreach and Townsville.

Avery Hill are a Brisbane based band and will take home a $5,000 recording package from Hammered Silver studio and the guarantee of a slot on one of Easterfest's prominent stages in 2012.

Easterfest Today's coverage of Sunday in Easterfest City

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:39 +1000

With the park events closed on Sunday after Saturday nights deluge, Easterfest City came alive with many artists offering to perform their sets in venues in Toowoomba's CBD. Check out Easterfest Today's report...

Easterfest Today - Sunday with Naturally 7 from Easterfest on Vimeo.

Easterfest Today's coverage of Saturday at Easterfest

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 08:31 +1000

Highlighting Jeremy Fowler from New Empire and the guys from Rapture Ruckus. Check it out!

UPDATE: EASTERFEST ANNOUNCE FREE CONCERT

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 12:37 +1000

Easterfest is pleased to announce that Naturally 7, PC3 and Newworldson will be doing a free concert in the Toowoomba CBD.

Performance Times:
3:00PM - Naturally 7
3:30PM - PC3
4:00PM - Newworldson

Location: CBD Stage (next to Toowoomba Library)

MEDIA CONFERENCE UPDATE

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 10:50 +1000

Easterfest has just conducted a media conference with the Toowoomba Mayor & emergency representatives. We are pleased to confirm the safety of all on site last night during the rain event.

FAMILY CONTACT

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 09:09 +1000

Easterfest is encouraging everybody who hasn't contacted family and friends to inform them of their well-being to please do so as soon as possible.

EASTERFEST ANNOUNCE FREE CONCERT

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 08:48 +1000

Easterfest is pleased to announce that Naturally 7 and Newworldson will be doing a free concert in the Toowoomba CBD, in replacement of their Queen's Park concert.

Time: 3PM
Location: CBD Stage (next to Toowoomba Library)

Official Easterfest Announcement

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 22:46 +1000

Easterfest 2011 activity at queens park has been cancelled due to heavy weather. Easterfest city will still proceed as programmed.

Some Queens Park facilities have been damaged but the campsite is secure.

For campers requiring dry facilities tonight (Saturday April 23) welfare centers have been set up with local churches.

There have not been any injuries related to the site closure and Easterfest is working closely with local authorities.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 21:52 +1000

There has been significant rain event on the Easterfest site. We are pleased that our evacuation procedures were successful. All campers and attendees are safe. However, campers have had water in their tents and have been offered alternate accommodation in churches and halls in the nearby proximity. In the morning they will be able to collect any equipment.

Easterfest Today covers day one at Festival

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 22:27 +1000

Easterfest Today Part One

Easterfest Today Part Two

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 13:10 +1000

The Queen's Park camp ground is now sold out.

DO NOT ARRIVE AT THE FESTIVAL TO CAMP IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A PASS AS THERE WILL NOT BE SPACE AVAILABLE!

All other tickets and passes are still available from easterfest.com or at the Box Office in Queen's Park.

Should you still wish to camp, please contact Toowoomba Showgrounds on (07) 4634 7400 to make alternative camping arrangements. You must pre-book. Please note, Showgrounds are 8km from Queen's Park and you will still need to purchase a regular (non-camping) 3 day festival pass to access Easterfest in Queen's Park. Please contact Toowoomba Visitor Information Centre on 1800 33 11 55 for further accommodation options.

It's On This Weekend

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 09:38 +1000

Easterfest 2011 will happen this weekend and the weather forecast is looking good... although a word of warning to all you campers - bring some warm clothes because Toowoomba nights have been a little chilly lately! (Nice days though).

CAMPING TICKETS ARE SELLING FAST

We strongly advise that you don't leave it to the weekend to purchase camping passes as at the time of posting this news article we only have a few hundred camping passes available.

ALL OTHER TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE AT THE GATE

We expect all other tickets to still be available at the gate, however, if you purchase them online you only have to line up once to get your armband. If you leave it to the gate to purchase your ticket, you need to line up twice - once to buy the ticket and then once to get your armband.

To receive your armbands you must register your ticket by filling in the contact details on your ticket. If you don't do this before arriving on site, we will have an area available for you to fill it in, but it will slow down your entry process.

SCAT is BACK!!

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:40 +1000

SCAT is BACK!!

By popular demand, the Jazz band from Brisbane will once again have you dancing Sunday night away in the Red Frogs Circus! Get your crazy 'fancy pants' outfit packed or go shopping at Easterfest's very own Lifeline Bargain Bazaar which will be stocked with all sorts of outrageous, attention grabbing outfits. Whatever the case, I'm sure it will be hard to outdo SCAT on outfit creativity!

Easterfest City

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 15:14 +1000

Easterfest is too BIG for the Park, so we're expanding into the city!

Easterfest is taking over the Toowoomba Central Business District. Cafes, restaurants, shopping centres, the Empire Theater, and public spaces will all be filled with music, film arts, and food. We are calling it "Easterfest City" and we hope you will be a part!

Most events in the city are FREE, including....

FREE BUSES: Buses will depart Queen's Park every 10 minutes from 9am to 5pm Saturday, with stops near some of the most flood affected businesses, Grand Central Shopping Centre, and Easterfest City live performance venues.

FREE RIDES: School aged chidren can enjoy rides for free at the front of Grand Central Shopping Centre

FREE SHOWS: With more than 50 FREE live music performances on the Saturday and over 100 during the weekend from rock to jazz, folk, indie, pop, and reggae - the list goes on. Artists from all over will perform in cafes around the city.

Don't miss out on Easterfest City this year! For more info, check out the website at http://easterfestcity.com/

JC Epidemic

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:14 +1000

Come check out our new JC Epidemic extreme venue this year at Easterfest! There will be skate sessions, extreme jumps, and a chance to meet and greet with JC Epidemic in their own environment. Don't miss your chance to see JC Epidemic throw it down.

Online Schedule

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 11:42 +1000

This year the Easterfest schedule is much, much more than just a timeline....

Plan your personalised festival schedule
Share your schedule on facebook and twitter
View your friends schedules
Folllow the most popular performances
View the schedule as SIMPLE, DETAILED, GRID and PRINT views

Church Service Volunteers Needed

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 16:02 +1000

Join with hundreds of other volunteers to create an 'Olympic Ceremony' type feature during the 'Bible Society Combined Church Service' on Easter Sunday night.

All volunteers will need to be available for rehearsals on both Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 nights as well as the performance on Sunday 24th April between 4pm - 8pm. Volunteers will not need an Easterfest pass to be involved with the service.

To be part of this exciting event please register your information by completing the form HERE.

Premium Tickets

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 09:03 +1000

HURRY! Free upgrade to Premium Tickets close at the end of this month...

Premium tickets will provide a whole new experience of Easterfest with all sorts of exclusive benefits that will not be available without them.

Premium tickets will not provide access to the festival site on their own but will only be valid in conjunction with a 3 Day Pass or 3 Day Pass with Camping. Every 3 day pass purchased by Monday 28 February will be automatically upgraded to premium status, but after that date costs will be as follows:

Adult - $40

Child - $30 (16 years & under. Children 2 years & under admitted free with a paying adult.)

Family - $110 (Dad AND Mum and their own dependent children who are 16 years or younger. Medicare card or ID required as confirmation of family members.)

Single Parent Family - $90 (Dad OR Mum and their own dependent children who are aged 16 years or younger. Medicare card or id required as confirmation of family members.)

Benefits available to premium ticket holders at Easterfest 2011 are as follows...

Early access - grab the best seats in the house by getting access to Mainstage and the Big Top Nights program before gates are opened for everyone else.

Exclusive shows - last year there were 'secret' headline artist shows that we announced via SMS on the weekend but this year we will instead be running a number of unique shows with feature artists that in venues such as the Alley and the Arena. Special acoustic performances by headliners, unique feature artist collaborations, intimate shows with some of your favorites - anything is possible but you will only have access to these events if you have a premium ticket.

Headline artist signings - demand for artist signings has grown so large that you will now ONLY be able to participate in them if you are a premium ticket holder.

Discounts - some festival exhibitors and Easterfest City retailers will be offering discounts and special offers to premium ticket holders including show rides being only $1 per ride (usually $2) and free entry to Easter Praise.

Parachute Music helps flood victims

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:38 +1000

With the 'Indescribable concert' in Brisbane just around the corner (Australia day, 7pm, Citipointe), our friends at Parachute Music have free tickets for flood victims!

If you know of a family/person who has been really badly affected by the floods who would appreciate a free ticket you can nominate them for a free ticket.

Tickets are limited and will be given to genuine flood victims as nominations are received.

More inforation HERE.

Toowoomba Floods

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 11:21 +1000

Toowoomba, the home city of Easterfest has experienced a massive disaster when flash flooding engulfed much of the city centre within minutes yesterday.

Hundreds of cars were flooded with many being washed into the fast torrent, with others stuck in trees and on top of other vehicles. Local businesses have been inundated with water, bridges have collapsed and most tragically there has been loss of life with many more missing.

The main Easterfest office escaped flooding, however, across the road in a secondary office (used by Easterfest for accounts) has been internally ruined, with storm water breaking through glass windows at shoulder depth.

Thankfully all Easterfest staff are safe but shocked as much of the major flooding happened in the Queen's Park and central business district, all located within close proximity to the office.

Easterfest 2011 will still go ahead...

The main priority now is to assess and clean up the secondary Easterfest office. Phone lines are cut in and out of our main office so please don't try and call during this time.

Easterfest 2011 will still go ahead. Queen's Park is obviously very wet at the moment, but remains largely undamaged. Thankfully Easter is scheduled very late this year (at the end of April) which gives us a little extra time to get things ready.

The city of Toowoomba will appreciate the tourism boost from Easterfest more than ever this year.

UPDATE:

Here at Easterfest office our phone lines, email, website and online ticketing system is all back up.

We have some key staff unable to get back to Toowoomba due to road closures, so we aren't fully operational just yet.

There are still some really heartbreaking stories emerging from the region. Many people are still doing it tough, so please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

This is the view from Grand Central Shopping centre towards Queen's Park up Margaret St.

Neil Street, one block from the Easterfest office.

The Chalk Drive carpark near Queen's Park, one block from the office.

Many roads have washed away throughout Toowoomba.

Easterfest's secondary office is inundated. This was taken several hours after the floods had crashed through the glass and destroyed the inside of this office.