Now in its third year, the Airlie Beach Festival of Music is improving and evolving to ensure it remains a popular fixture on the Whitsunday and Queensland event calendars. The festival, which runs from Thursday 5 November to Sunday 8 November, presents over 200 international and national performers from yesterday and today in an idyllic tropical environment.

Festival Promoter Gavin Butlin says, “The main marquee will still be a feature of the festival on the shores of the Coral Sea but there will be more bands and concerts will start earlier in the day. All of your favourite bands and some newcomers to Airlie Beach will also be performing around town over the weekend but some of these will now be in ticketed venues.”

The good news is that if you have a three day pass you will automatically gain entry to all venues. If you choose not to buy a three day pass you can still buy a Venue Pass for $20 a day for all venues except the main stage or a One Day pass which will give you entry on that specific day to all venues. The three day pass is great value at $245.00 for three main concerts and all venue entry all weekend.

Venue passes will be available from the ticket office, which will open in Airlie Beach from Wednesday 4 November 2015 or from Airlie Beach Festival of Music staff at the door of ticketed venues. One day passes will be available online from Saturday 1 August 2015 for $120.00. Three day passes can be purchased online at www.mackayecc.com.au and www.bigtix.com.au. The line-up for each day is listed below and you can find more band information atwww.airliebeachfestivalofmusic.com.au.

For local residents, tickets can also be purchased from Whitsunday Sailing Club, Goodness Gracious in Cannonvale or directly from the festival office by calling Libby on 0427 029 041 or emailing vip@airliebeachfestivalofmusic.com.au.

The timetable and line-up for each day of the festival will be:

Friday 6 November

11am – 3pm    Venues throughout Airlie Beach

3pm – 10pm    Main Tent at Whitsunday Sailing Club

1. Bad Luck Kitty
2. Annie O'Dee and the Hotshots
3. House of Shem
4. Bondi Cigars
5. The Black Sorrows
6. Angry Anderson with the James Southwell Band

Saturday 7 November

10am – 3pm    Venues throughout Airlie Beach

3pm – 10pm    Main Tent at Whitsunday Sailing Club

1. Electrik Lemonade
2. Mark Atkins and Grungada
3. Mason Rack Band
4. Sandi Thom
5. Richard Clapton
6. Toni Childs

Sunday 8 November

10am – 12pm  Venues throughout Airlie Beach

12pm – 6pm    Main Tent at Whitsunday Sailing Club

1. The Steady Eddy Show featuring Lance Friend & Lightning Jack
2. The Hillbilly Goats with Bill Chambers
3. 8 Ball Aitken
4. Wanita & Her Honky Tonk Bar Dwellers
5. Wendy Matthews
6. 10cc

6pm – 10pm    Venues throughout Airlie Beach

The five ticketed venues include Beaches Beer Garden, the Down Under Bar, Sorrentos (at Abell Point Marina), The Anchor Bar (at The Terraces) and the WACC – Whitsunday Arts & Cultural Centre (Waterson Way).

Other venues featuring festival bands include Airlie Beach Hotel – Cactus Jacks and Capers on the Esplanade; Barcelona's Bar (at Abell Point Marina); Club Croc Hotel (Cannonvale); Fish D'Vine; Fish Jam Stage (markets); Fusion; KC's; Magnums; Nomads and Main Beach, Airlie Beach.

Monday 6 July 2015

Notes for Editors:

Image: Mason Rack Band wow festival goers

The Airlie Beach Festival of Music is in its third year and runs from Thursday, November 5, to Sunday November 8, 2015 and includes three concerts in the main marquee on the edge of the Coral Sea at the Whitsunday Sailing Club, and over 200 musicians performing at a range of venues throughout Airlie Beach, Cannonvale and Abell Point Marina.

It is the only tropical music festival in Australia set right on the waterfront in the Great Barrier Reef and offers an entertaining weekend for over 30s who want to kick back and absorb the gorgeous setting, the great live music and the relaxed Queensland lifestyle. Headline acts this year include 10cc, Toni Childs, Sandi Thom, The Black Sorrows, Wendy Matthews, Angry Anderson with the James Southwell Band and Richard Clapton.