A TALENTED mix of local and national acts will ignite King Street as part of the free Thirroul Open Street Festival.

The two-day festival on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November will include a lively line-up of musicians such as Ruby Gill, Jack Davies, Romy Vager, Andy Gleedge, Alara Livingstone, Earth Wind and Choir and Beth and Blue.

Wollongong City Council in conjunction with Thirroul Arts and Entertainment District will deliver this free, all ages, two-day program of street events and activations that will complement the established Thirroul Music Festival, held on Saturday 29 November.

Thirroul Open Street Festival is supported by the NSW Government’s Open Streets Program, led by Transport for NSW, with Council securing $350,000 in funding over three years .

On Saturday, the stage will be graced by artists like:

• Earth, Wind & Choir, a local community choir who will be performing a blend of popular music arrangements.
• Ruby Gill, a South African born and Melbourne based artist known for her bold truth-telling lyrical style.
• All the way from Freemantle, Jack Davies is a folksinger with raw lyrical honesty and grassroots storytelling.
• Romy Vager will up the pace with her blend of post-punk intensity and poetic lyricism.
• Andy Golledge and band will bring his high-energy, genre bending storytelling and lyrics to end the day.

On Sunday, the show goes on with a surf focus and will see artists such as:

• ‘Ain’t That Swell’ who will celebrate our coastal culture with a live podcast hosted by Jed Smith and Vaughan Blakey.
• Alara Livingstone, a 17-year-old Yuin women who is a local singer-songwriter with a soulful, heartfelt presence.
• Wollongong-based act, Beth and Blue, known for their dreamy harmonies and lyricism.
• Enjoy Annie Hamilton’s dreamy, guitar-driven indie-rock. Annie is an acclaimed singer-songwriter and former Little May guitarist. Her music is emotionally rich and sonically adventurous.

Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown is encouraging the local community to come out and immerse themselves in an exciting weekend of entertainment.

“Bringing events to our suburbs is part of our commitment to building a diverse economy, supporting creativity and culture, and increasing public access to arts and events in our city,” she said.

“Thirroul Open Streets Festival is set to transform a local street into the perfect family friendly event. There’ll be a face painter and sausage sizzle for the kids as well as plenty of musical talent to keep everyone entertained.

“We want to bring fun and vibrancy to our streets and suburbs.

“We’re grateful to the NSW Government for their funding to support three years of this event in Thirroul in November. I encourage everyone to mark this weekend in their calendars as you don’t want to miss out on a great weekend.”

Part of the NSW Government’s $39 million Vibrant Streets Package, the Open Streets Program allows NSW councils to temporarily close streets to vehicles and bring them to life for a day, or series of days, as walkable public spaces for people to enjoy and safely access.

State MP for Heathcoate Maryanne Stuart said the event will bring the community together for a weekend of music, dancing and fun.

“We already have a lot of people that come from out of town to this particular area because of its beauty. [The festival] will enhance that, build community and make the streets of Thirroul more vibrant and a whole lot of fun,” she said.

For more information on the line-up and the festival, visit Thirroul Open Street Festival

For more information about the wider program, visit Open Streets Program | Transport for NSW

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