Entertainment
8 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% from last 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 and camping and glamping availabilities with line dancing in the mornings and after parties into the night.
Now in its fifth year, the festival is also introducing an official app, helicopter flights over Kerribee Park where the event is staged and shuttle buses to and from Atherton, Malanda, Port Douglas and Cairns.
Festival director James Dein is excited that the festival is growing, revealing that camping for the event had completely sold out and pre-ticket sales were already up by around 25% from last year.
“We’re into year five, which is a bit of a milestone for a new festival,” he said.
“The sales for the festival this year are tracking consistently at 25% up, which is very much against the trend for festivals around the country.
“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.”
With the decline in music festivals around the country ever more prolific, Mr Dein expects Savannah in the Round to draw in many avid festival-goers from around the nation.
“I absolutely think this is a good thing
for us and I feel there will be a lot of people
looking for festivals and I feel they’ll come north for Savannah in the Round,” he said.
“And I think there’s a lot of music festivals that won’t be running next year, including Big Red Bash (at Birdsville) and many others.
“At the moment, I would expect a cumulative audience of 24,000 people attending the festival. We’re not as big as the Mareeba Rodeo yet, but we’re knocking on the door.”
Mr Dein said Savannah in the Round was the ultimate country music festival because it allowed visitors to the region to not only experience world-class artists but also 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 who will perform at the event are some of the greatest in their industry such as US-based Kip Moore and Tyler Hubbard and even Australia’s pop sensation Sheppard.
In addition, many of the greatest Australian acts will be making their way to the festival including 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.
Injecting almost $4.5 million into the local economy in the previous year with the thousands of people it draws to the Mareeba area, the festival is a vital economic boost for the town and local businesses.
Mareeba Shire Council provided $5,000 funding towards the festival to support what is considered to be a valuable economic driver for the town.
“Savannah in the Round has grown to become a valuable cultural, tourism and economic event for the region,” Mayor Angela Toppin said.
“Last year alone, Savannah in the Round injected an estimated $4.47 million into the local economy and $1.15 million into the Queensland economy, attracting around 7,583 attendees.
“The festival generated more than 23,000 visitor nights in the Mareeba Shire, with many of the visitors coming to the region from Queensland.
“We are proud to support Savannah in the Round, not just for its economic benefits but also for the incredible performance opportunities it provides to both legendary, emerging and local artists.
“We are grateful to have such a world-class event right here in Mareeba Shire.”
