Sunshine Coast’s leading contemporary arts festival, Horizon, returns next week with a bright new identity and a bold program of captivating events. The 10-day festival runs from Friday 2 to Sunday 11 May with more than 50 entertaining and evocative events programmed across locations and venues that span the Sunshine Coast’s hinterland, coastline, skyline and urban streetscape.
Now in its ninth year, Horizon is evolving into a nationally recognised contemporary arts festival that celebrates and connects with art, people and places in Kabi Kabi and Jinibara Country on the Sunshine Coast.
The 2025 program collaborates with artists, producers, organisations, businesses, communities and Traditional Owners. It will present live music in unexpected places, crowd-sourced dance works, art and technology, exhibitions and installations, family events, food experiences and more.
Among this year’s highlights are Patricia Piccinini’s eye-catching Skywhales Across Australia, soaring through South-East Queensland skies for the first time. Dance theatre work BERSERK makes its Australian premiere, in a double-bill with the Queensland premiere of Phantom Femme Fatale; and new work by acclaimed artist Vernon Ah Kee.
Grounding the program is the 2025 theme of Radical Hope. Creative Director Megan Rowland said the theme is rooted in the belief that change emerges from community-driven efforts.
“Radical Hope is the idea that hope is not merely an optimistic sentiment but a verb. It is an act of defiance or rebellion, a call to actively create and participate in change. We’re all grappling with uncertainty and instability, be that political, environmental, social or economic. The arts play a critical role in uniting people, activating new ways of thinking, imagining new futures and creating positive change for people and our planet.
Horizon’s program is curated to offer many ways to enter into this idea of Radical Hope. Some work is edgier, more experimental and designed to challenge people a little bit. Other work is grounded in gathering and fun. And then there’s work around cultural understanding and First Nations knowledge.”
Horizon begins with a fun, free, family-friendly Opening Night Street Party at this year’s festival precinct on Maroochydore’s bustling Ocean Street.
Every afternoon the precinct is home to live music, performances by local artists, and food and drink. An Urban Gallery will weave through shopfronts and streets, which is free and suitable for all ages.
By night, snap up tickets to world-class performances during 10 Nights at Solbar, including C.W. Stoneking, Full Flower Moon Band, the outrageously fun Queer PowerPoint, and The Ironing Maidens heating things up in Electro House Wife.
Yauar Warai Wandi – Sing, Dance, Gather is an evolution of the festival’s signature Dawn Awakening event and will bring together a record number of traditional dance groups on the banks of Coolum’s Stumers Creek.
Sunshine Coast’s stunning locations and unique venues are also the backdrop to experimental and engaging events across every genre. From the food-focused Supper Club Mapleton – Catching a Whiff to the fashion-forward Confashional. The feel good public art project, The Daily Muse, and the crowd-sourced dance project, Us And All Of This.
Award-winning arts collective The Farm brings two productions to Horizon – Social Muscle Club at Solbar and Hold Me Closer Tony Danza at Nambour’s Old Ambo. The interactive performance mavens Counterpilot bring the AI-powered performance piece, Pigeon Fool, to the Festival Precinct.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said Horizon celebrates the region’s stories, people and natural beauty.
“Horizon is vital to the fabric of the Sunshine Coast. It offers a platform for our artists, presents a beautiful natural canvas to visitors and connects people, both within our communities and to nationally significant works and global ideas.
In nine short years, Horizon has welcomed almost 320,000 visitors to the Sunshine Coast, employed 6,800 creatives and delivered a $16.2 million economic benefit to the region. I invite everyone to explore the incredible program and give themselves over to Radical Hope this May.”
Horizon runs from 2 – 11 May at various locations around the Sunshine Coast. For full program and tickets, visit the links below.
Tickets: https://www.horizonfestival.com.au/program
Website: https://www.horizonfestival.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/horizonartfest/
Hero image photo credit: The Ironing Maidens who will perform Electro House Wife, photo by Cristina Bevilacqua
Check out the short video below about the fashion forward project Confashional, part of Horizon Festival.
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