Sutherland Shire residents are in for a massive Australia Day weekend of free entertainment, spread over two days.
Last year, more than 30,000 people attended the festival, which is staged by Sutherland Shire Council at two venues – Cronulla and Illawong.
With the great lineup and forecast of good weather, even bigger numbers may turn out this year.
Nine hours of entertainment will start at Cronulla beach at 12.15pm on Australia Day with the screening of one of the most popular movies of 2018, The Greatest Showman, and finish with fireworks at 9pm.
Christine Anu will take to the stage at 6.15pm, followed by Rai Thistlethwayte from Thirsty Merc at 7.15pm and Mark Vincent at 8.15pm.
Earlier performances will feature Sharnielle Hartley, Miranda and Engadine Musical Societies, DJ Jazzy and Australian Trilogy
Australia Day celebrations for Menai District will again be held at Blaxland Oval, Illawong, starting at 4pm with the Endless Summer Beach Party and climaxing with fireworks at 9pm.
The entertainment will also include The Coldplay Show, ANSTO Science Show, DJ Jazzy and Australian Trilogy.
The music will continue at Cronulla on Sunday with the staging of Shire Vibes, kicked off by Alex Hurt at 4pm, followed by Evie J Willie, Tim Moxey and The Coldplay Show..
The Endless Summer Beach Party show, starting at 8pm will climax a great weekend.
The Sydney cover band “brings alive the sounds of the beach and classic 60′s, mixing it with retro sounds of the 70′s and 80′s and spicing it up with current modern chart toppers”, according to promotional material.
“With an emphasis on fun and crowd involvement, Endless Summer will have everybody dancing from the very first song.
“With over 15 years experience in entertaining audiences all around Australia and Overseas, Endless Summer have a repertoire that will entertain audiences of all ages.”
The Coldplay Show features what is described as “arguably Australia’s most authentic Coldplay tribute band”. It is fronted by Dylan Weberbauer, of Cronulla.
Songwriter, singer and dancer DJ Jazzy is promoted as “creating fun and uplifting music for kids and teens, which is free of adult content but sounds exactly like the bops you hear on the radio thanks to her mix of dance, pop, dub and hip hop”.
“DJ Jazzy is the new face and sound of family music, a pioneer, a new breed never seen before,” says her website. “Her performances and shows are totally fun, interactive, and super colourful. Her catchy songs will get stuck in your head for days.”
The council will donate all profits from the 2019 celebrations to Rural Aid to assist drought-afflicted communities.
Mayor Carmelo Pesce said the events were expected to be even bigger than last year.
“Our Australia Day festival is one of the largest and longest running in Australia and truly showcases how culturally rich and vibrant our community is,” he said.
