The Big Pineapple Music Festival line-up announced

THE revamped Queensland icon, the Big Pineapple, has announced some big names among the line-up for its annual music festival.

The Veronicas loved it so much, they’re coming back.

The Big Pineapple Music Festival has announced its sweet line-up for 2017 - and high on the

The Big Pineapple on the Sunshine Coast. Picture: The Courier-Mail.

list is Queensland duo The Veronicas. They’ll be joining bands including Birds of Tokyo, Peking Duk, Safia, Northlane, Cloud Control, DZ Deathrays, Alex Lahey, Sampa the Great, Vera Blue, Harts and many more, who will be heading to the iconic Sunshine Coast site on May 27.

The Veronicas’ appearance last year was their first Australian festival performance.

“We never had so many requests for an act come back,” said event organiser Mark Pico. “Over 300 (requested). They were the biggest act last year and there were some big bands. The whole place was singing their songs and they said it was the best festival experience they’d ever had. They wanted to come back really badly and we wanted them to come back really badly, so we’re stoked.”

Tickets go on sale on Thursday, February 9, via Moshtix, from $87, with camping optional.

The festival – which often reaches sell-out crowds of 12,000 – has been a great boon for the nostalgic site since their first event there in 2013.

It’s part of Big Pineapple’s reinvention over the past few years under new owners Sunshine Coast construction industry locals Brad Rankin and Peter Kendall, who bought the property in 2011.

They came to Pico and his team, who also run the Originals festival, with the idea of hosting a music event. And the younger generation has embraced it, says Pico.

“We’ve got a huge amount of people aged 18 to 25 coming all the way up from Adelaide and Western Australia,” Pico said. “There’s a bit of romance with the pineapple and a bit of craziness. So much so you even get people going to get their head shaved in a pineapple pattern.”

Revellers watch a band during the 2013 Big Pineapple Music Festival. Picture: Glenn Barnes

The site’s owners are currently canvasing public opinion into further development of the site with a community information session to be held there on February 18.

The heritage listed attraction first appeared on the Queensland horizon in 1971 becoming a beloved family destination in the ‘70s and ‘80s. The site now hosts an animal hospital and zoo.

Other options to revitalise the site including food festivals, a theme park, markets, camping and RV sites and eco-tourism options.

To discuss the project or for more information on community information session contact [e-mail] or 1800 100 204.

Originally published as The Big Pineapple Music Festival line-up announced