Leading Sunshine Coast contemporary arts festival, Horizon is back for its ninth year in 2025 – with a brand-new date, a bright new identity, and a bold programme.
The theme in 2025 is ‘Radical Hope’.
The ten-day festival, which celebrates and connects with art, people and places in Kabi Kabi and Jinibara Country, will feature more than 50 entertaining, evocative events programmed across locations along the Sunshine Coast hinterland, coastline, skyline and streetscape.
Among the highlights in 2025 are Patricia Piccinini’s ’Skywhales Across Australia’ soaring through south-east Queensland skies for the first time; the Australian premiere of dance theatre work ‘BERSERK’ in a double-bill with the Queensland premiere of ‘Phantom Femme Fatale’; and new work from acclaimed artist Vernon Ah Kee.
It all kicks off with a fun, family-friendly and FREE Opening Night Street Party, taking place in Maroochydore’s Ocean Street – Horizon Festival’s 2025 Precinct.
Also at this precinct, attendees can look forward to live music, performances from local artists, food and drinks, and an Urban Gallery. . . Every afternoon throughout the festival.
Patricia Piccinini's 'Skywhales Across Australia'
Then, when the sun goes down, there are world-class performances during 10 Nights At Solbar including C.W. Stoneking, Full Flower Moon Band, ‘Queer PowerPoint’, and The Ironing Maidens.
The festival’s signature Dawn Awakening event has evolved. ‘Yauar Warai Wandi – Sing, Dance, Gather’ will bring together a record number of traditional dance groups, at Coolum’s Stumers Creek.
Plus, the Sunshine Coast’s stunning locations and unique venues serve as the backdrop to experimental and engaging events across all genres. . . There’s the food-focused ‘Supper Club Mapleton – Catching A Whiff’, the fashion-forward ‘Confashional’, art project ‘The Daily Muse’, and crowd-sourced dance project ‘Us And All Of This’.
Award-winning arts collective The Farm bring not one but two shows to Horizon: ‘Social Muscle Club’ and ‘Hold Me Closer Tony Danza’. Interactive performance mavens Counterpilot will bring an AI-powered performance piece, ‘Pigeon Fool’, to the Festival Precinct.
'Hold Me Closer Tony Danza' – Image © Art-Work Agency
“‘Radical Hope’ is the idea that hope is not merely an optimistic sentiment but a verb – an act of defiance or rebellion, a call to actively create and participate in change,” Creative Director Megan Rowland says of Horizon’s theme in 2025. “We’re all grappling with uncertainty and instability – be that political, environmental, social or economic – and the arts play a critical role in uniting people, activating new ways of thinking, imagining new futures and creating positive change for people and our planet.”
“Horizon’s programme is curated to offer many ways to enter into this idea of ‘Radical Hope’. Some work is edgier, more experimental and designed to challenge people a little bit; other work is grounded in gathering and fun, and then there’s work around cultural understanding and First Nations knowledge.”
“Horizon is vital to the fabric of the Sunshine Coast,” Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli says. “It offers a platform for our artists, presents a beautiful natural canvas to visitors and connects people, both within our communities and to nationally significant works and global ideas.”
“In nine short years, Horizon has welcomed almost 320,000 visitors to the Sunshine Coast, employed 6,800 creatives and delivered a $16.2 million economic benefit to the region.
“I invite everyone to explore the incredible programme and give themselves over to ‘Radical Hope’ this May.”
Horizon Festival 2025 takes place from 2-11 May.
