In 2019, NAFA made its debut and successfully welcomed over 100,000 people attending a range of events and ticketed shows. Excluded in that attendance figure, were the thousands of audience members that also attended HALO and Strand Ephemera in 2019. The festival ended its final weekend on a high note with tens of thousands of people attending HALO alone.
Over 600 performers, artists, musicians, comedians, dancers, and more were involved in the NAFA program with hundreds of others involved in Northern Fringe Festival events. Out of the 300 shows programmed, 21 were sold out, resulting in a very successful first year at NAFA.
Below are some highlight events that made 2019 such a wonderful and successful year!

FESTIVAL OF STORIES

Townsville’s Festival of Stories 2019 was a repositioning of the previously successful Savannah Writer Festival presented by Townsville Citylibraries. This festival attracted local, national, and internationally renowned authors, presenters, and storytellers to Townsville. The aim was to entice people to explore, challenge and enjoy storytelling in all its forms. Usually a stand-alone event, Festival of Stories this year joined many other art forms to be included in NAFA. Festival of Stories was well supported across its 49 events with 3,054 people attending throughout the month of July. 

STRAND EPHEMERA

Strand Ephemera began in 2001 and has become a much-loved biennial exhibition. The event has grown over the years to be celebrated not only locally, but to be an outdoor sculpture exhibition of state and national significance. In 2019, Strand Ephemera reached over 130,000 visitors during the 10-day display period.

HALO

Townsville City Council commissioned AGB Events, the creators of Sydney’s Vivid Lightwalk, to create and produce this new and exciting experience titled HALO to Townsville. HALO illuminated the city through a series of light art installations and lighting treatments in Queens Gardens and Castle Hill over 17 fantastic nights.

As part of the Townsville 2020 clear vision for our city, a long-term concept plan for the activation of Castle Hill was completed. This was created through a series of projects that were identified for immediate delivery, including lighting the rock face of the hill in a ‘vivid’ style light show.

AUSTRALIAN FESTIVAL OF CHAMBER MUSIC (AFCM)

In 2019, AFCM featured internationally acclaimed classical musicians, masterclasses, and signature events across multiple venues throughout Townsville including on the beach settings of Orpheus Island and Magnetic Island. The Queens Gardens Concert was a huge success, with over 5,000 attendees enjoying a variety of entertainment.

LEGACY: REFLECTIONS ON MABO

Legacy: Reflections on Mabo celebrated the man behind the game-changing Native Title Act, Eddie Koiki Mabo, and the ongoing influence and impact he’s had on Australian society and culture. The exhibition brings together 26 Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists in the spirit of reconciliation, 27 years after the historic achievement. The artworks came together in surprising ways, with reverence, compassion, anger, sadness and respect, celebrating a man who was both a rebel and a dreamer.

NOISE

In 2019, Dancenorth Australia and Townsville’s percussion community of 100 drummers came together to thump out a scintillating live score composed and directed by King Social’s Costa Hagiaglou. NOISE was a gathering of united force of percussive energy and powerful dance designed to pull audience members into the present moment, and wholly captivate their attention and energy.

FESTIVAL PROGRAM
IMPACT REPORT
2019 AWARDS