Feats and feasts on the foreshore to kick off Upstream festival

Upstream – Festival of Art + Culture will officially kick off on Friday, March 6, with a gala opening event on the Noreuil Park foreshore.

The gala event will be filled with spectacular feats and curious wonder featuring music, dance, acrobatics and gourmet feasts with something for everyone on this fun-filled night.

The evening will get under way from 5pm but there is plenty to experience all weekend on the foreshore with MAMA’s Girl, The Magical Bila Tree, 3D Chalk Art and the Upstream Sculpture Walk filling the space.

The night will start with the high-energy Shirazz Jazz Band playing the hottest trad jazz this side of New Orleans. The band will be playing a live on stage as well as roving through the precinct to kick the night off with a bang. 

Catch our local Flying Fruit Fly Circus at 6pm as they twist and tumble through the air on the tram wall and then take a change of space at 7pm with a performance by 5 Angry Men telling the story of The Bells through a spectacle of endurance and discipline. 

Afrobeats will fill the air later in the evening when King Marong and Afro Mandinko take the crowd on an audio-visual journey of high energy grooves and funky Afro moves before the night finishes with a spectacular laser show and soundscape along the banks of the Murray River.

Throughout the evening, enjoy food from around the world at Upstream’s Eat Street featuring food trucks, dessert stations and beverages.

Be informed about the plight of the Pygmy Perch in an immersive short film experience or join in Bits ‘N’ Pieces lantern making workshops.

There will be giant lawn games including chess, checkers and chance games and the Active Arts Hub will feature five artists painting, spraying and creating works you can watch in the making and then purchase when complete.

And take a dreamily absurd and comically surreal voyage in the Boat of Faith with Dr Curly at the helm as Born In a Taxi presents a roving performance inspired by the work of Michael Leunig throughout the night.

The James Fallon Wiradjuri Dance Troupe will help launch the festival with a Welcome to Country at 5.30pm.

For more information check out the Upstream program on our website and see the full schedule and stay informed by checking the going or interested button on our Facebook event