Festival to take visitors back in time

The 10-day music celebration gets underway on Friday.

Stephanie Long as Amy Winehouse (centre) , Alyssa Morgan - Showgirl Glamazon on stilts (left) and Paula McGregor, Mandy Woodend and Lea Armstrong from the Beehives (right) preparing for Viva in Surfers ParadisePhotograph : Jason O'Brien. Picture: GCB - Jason O'Brien

VISITORS to Surfers Paradise will be excused for doing a double take and shaking their head in disbelief when music legends of yesteryear take to the streets for the annual VIVA festival.

The 10-day music celebration gets underway on Friday and will feature many of the world's best tribute performers across more than 25 free and ticketed events.

Tribute artists paying homage to the likes of Amy Winehouse, The Supremes and Elvis Presley will feature in free concerts throughout Surfers Paradise across the weekend.

A highlight of the opening weekend will also be the VIVA Street Parade, which will see crowds gather in Cavill Mall for a rolling exhibition of out-of-this-world performers and elaborately adorned floats from 5.30pm on Saturday.

The parade will feature everything from marching bands to Bugs Bunny and even a dinosaur before culminating in a free outdoor concert on the Beachside Stage from 6.30pm, with 10-member big band The Soul Men Blues Brothers to unleash their renowned combination of dance, laughter and the kind of tunes that make audiences yearn for what music once was.

Surfers Paradise Alliance CEO Mike Winlaw said organisers had upped the ante when it came to the number of free gigs on offer during the 2019 edition of VIVA Surfers Paradise.

"Saturday alone will feature almost 20 individual events across multiple stages and venues, including the VIVA Street Parade that will bring thousands of people together for the ultimate celebration of music, cars and good times,” he said. Along with a host of tribute artists, VIVA Surfers Paradise's opening weekend will feature free performances by the IKIN Dance Troupe, Dynamite Studios Dancers and The Memphis Cowboys.

The public is also welcome to attend Saturday's Renewal of Vows, which will see the Gold Coast's very own Elvis Tribute Artist and registered marriage celebrant Dean Vegas 're-marry' loved-up couples, while the Classic Show 'n' Shine is a free all-weekend tribute to America's legendary muscle cars.

Exclusive and limited VIVA Legends Passes are available for sale, along with Gold and Silver tickets, which will guarantee seats at performances by some of the world's best tribute artists including John Blunt performing as Freddie Mercury in The Killer Queen Experience, Greg Andrew in the Elton John Experience, The Beatles as The Ultimate Beatles Tribute and Mark Andrew in his genre-defying Dead-Set Legends Show.

Each feature show also includes some free general admission seating.

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