June 4-14, 2010
THOUSANDS of people converge on the border towns of Coolangatta, Kirra and Tweed Heads for Australia’s leading rock ‘n’ roll nostalgia retro event – a celebration of rock ‘n’ roll music, all things Elvis, classic cars and great dancing.
Held around the first week in June, Wintersun delivers two weeks of day and night events across various venues including concerts, dancing and dance workshops, classic and vintage car parades, music quizzes, kids entertainment and a street parade. View the 2009 Wintersun program for an idea of what to expect.
Many of the events are free, with some held in the streets and others in the local clubs and shopping centres.
The 2009 festival was held from May 29 to June 8 and attracted around 80,000 visitors, with the final weekend of the festival luring the biggest crowds.
Winter usually brings fabulous weather on the Gold Coast, creating ideal conditions for outdoor concerts and car shows.
Wintersun veteran Kevin Megee, of Tweed Heads, celebrated his 15th visit to the festival in 2009 and said the Gold Coast-Tweed location was perfect.
“There’s no other venue like this,” he said. “It’s got everything – the ocean, the river, the high-rises, the accommodation, parking for more than 60,000 people – it doesn’t equate anywhere else.”
For a program and ticketing information for the 2010 event, keep an eye on the official Wintersun website. For specific questions you can contact the organisers directly on (07) 5536 9509.
Accommodation for Wintersun tends to be booked from one year to the next, so be sure to get in early. Browse beds in the area online otherwise the Tweed Visitor Information Centre is in regular contact with accommodation providers and will know what is available – call (07) 5536 6737.
A little history
The Wintersun Car Show is for pre-1974 vehicles only, so FJ Holdens line up alongside XP Falcons as side-burned drivers reminisce about Bill Hayley and the Comets.
The festival began as a local carnival in 1978 and by 1988 had evolved into an annual rock ‘n’ roll festival.
By 1995, the Wintersun dancing competition was offering trips to Graceland Elvis’ home as the major prize and the first Wintersun music CD was released.
The festival continued to grow and record crowds enjoyed record entries in the car shows.
By 2003, the Roulettes were performing their aerobatic routines in the skies over the festival and in 2004 fans could tune into Wintersun Radio for the duration of the festival it has come a long way since 1978!
In 2009, 80,000 visitors attended the festival which pumped some $20 million into the local economy. Despite the event’s success, there is continued speculation over shifting the event to a new location due to issues of council compliance and funding. The event is safe for 2010, however, and organisers have promised to give the community 12 months’ notice if it is to be moved.
