Kuranda Spring Festival last hope to save Kuranda Amphitheatre
A much-loved community landmark is on the brink of closing after 40 years, leaving many locals devastated – but volunteers are not ready to give up yet.
Cairns
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AN ICONIC live music venue, played by top bands such as Midnight Oil and Mumford and Sons, is on the brink of closing after 40 years, leaving volunteers fighting to save it.
After no concerts over the last two years, Kuranda Amphitheatre is struggling to keep afloat but hope the Kuranda Spring Festival might help them raise money.
Kuranda Amphitheatre Society president Liza Dewey said the venue are only a couple months off closing the place since they have had constant cancellations due to Covid.
“We are almost close to closing down if we don’t get a concert. We got some Covid funding last year to help us pay the bills. It costs about $60,000 a year to sit there with all our bills and insurance,” Ms Dewey said.
Due to the group being 100 per cent made up of volunteers they don’t rely on government funding, only grants they can apply for.
“It is very hard at the moment, we don’t know what is going to happen. We are trying to stay optimistic but it is pretty tricky,” Ms Dewey said.
“To lose that space would be devastating to the community. I think it is very important for the whole region, not only Kuranda, it has always been a meeting place for everybody.”
This weekend is the 40th anniversary of the Kuranda Amphitheatre and Ms Dewey said they were going to celebrate no matter what, with hopes that they will be able to fundraise this weekend to keep it going for at least a few more months.
“Forty years is a very long time for a voluntary organisation such as us to have survived so far without any real government help,” Ms Dewey said.
The festival on the weekend will be an event for the family with face painting, a box car rally, treasure hunt and performances from local bands.
“It will definitely be a family event, there will be entertainment for all,” Ms Dewey said.
There will be a bar and food as well including mostly home cooked food.
The Kuranda Spring Festival starts at noon on Sunday at the Kuranda Amphitheatre with a $5 entry to go towards saving the amphitheatre.
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Originally published as Kuranda Spring Festival last hope to save Kuranda Amphitheatre
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