Music Festival takes over regional city

Every year, the Darling Downs city of Toowoomba swells as thousands of people converge for Australia's largest Christian music festival Easterfest. An independent study done by QUT after last year's festival showed the festival injects around 12 million dollars into the local community every year. This was enough evidence for the QLD government to this year give Easterfest funding through the significant regional events funding program, ensuring major event status for the festival over the next 3 years.

Joel Parisien &  Dave Watson "NewWorldSon"

Headline artists like Peter Furler, Paul Colman, New World Son and AudioAdrenaline rocked crowds on Main Stage each night, despite a wet muddy experience Sunday night after heavy rain in the afternoon. Away from the main stage, 4 Queens Park stages and multiple venues across Toowoomba City saw smaller independent artists and a variety of popular Contemporary Christian Music performers entertain nearly continuously over the 3 days.

Brisbane Jazz band SCAT

In an effort to keep things fresh, organisers also introduced a continuous worship venue over the entire weekend in the former church adjacent to the Empire Theatre, a Jazz Supper Club on Saturday night in The Palace featuring Sharny Russell, perennial favourites SCAT, and Trumpet Maestro James Morrison accompanied by vocalist Emma Pask; a Rockwiz style comedy quiz show on Sunday afternoon with comedian/radio host Luke Holt, former Alabaster Box lead Singer Naarah Seagrot and Brisbane singer Bec Laughton amongst the talent. 

Trumpet Maestro James Morrison

There was also a variety of low key Gospel in the City events in CBD churches culminating in a special 90 minute performance by James Morrison, Emma Pask and band on Sunday afternoon at the Empire theatre. Other things new this year was the variety of stages able to be streamed live on the internet on Easterfest TV and a simulcast of the main stage on Sunday night across the country on Christian radio network Vision Radio and some affiliate stations.

Festival Director Dave Schenk paid tribute to his entire team in making the event come alive and commented that the wet weather did have an impact on final numbers for the festival. “Numbers were down on Sunday, but the other days had similar numbers to last year" he said. Mr Schenk also recognised that the combination of wet weather and thousands people had caused significant damage to the grounds at Queens Park which Easterfest will be paying Toowoomba Regional Council to fix.