The Sunshine Coast's Horizon Festival has always carried a certain electricity, an exuberance for expression and a deeply-rooted sense of self. It has the kind of energy which makes it feel less like an ordinary event on a calendar and more like a beckoning pulse moving through a place.
As anticipation builds for the next iteration of this much-loved celebration of art, performance, and imagination, we speak with Festival Director Bec Martin, whose passion for artist-led work and creative possibility is unmistakable.
It's clear that Horizon is not simply programmed. It is carefully, thoughtfully, and courageously shaped.
One of the defining characteristics of Horizon is its reputation for bold, artist-driven programming. The festival has become known as a space where experimentation is not only welcomed but celebrated. Yet what makes Horizon particularly compelling is that this creative risk never feels alienating or obscure. It feels open, welcoming, and deeply human. A wink at our shared experiences and feeble attempts to pretend we’re not all connected.
Check out the 2026 Horizon Festival programme highlights.
When asked how she balances experimentation with accessibility, Bec reflects on the delicate but essential dance between artistic innovation and audience connection.
“I think it's so important to not programme in a way that tells people what 'good art' is, but rather meets people in the way that they'd like to consume culture. I’m excited to be living here and to be able to reimagine what a cultural offering is on the Sunshine Coast, which is a community that wakes up very early and goes to bed a little bit earlier, and so might not consume art and culture in a traditional way. Something that I'm really passionate about is inclusivity, and creating and programming work which feels like anyone can enjoy and be a part of.”
There is something refreshing in this philosophy. Rather than diluting artistic vision to reach broader audiences, Horizon appears to trust that people are curious, intelligent, and eager to be surprised. The result is a festival experience that feels both adventurous and warmly inclusive, where audiences are invited into new worlds rather than kept at a distance.
Horizon’s relationship to place is another thread that runs through every aspect of the festival. Set against the striking landscapes of the Sunshine Coast, the festival feels inseparable from its surroundings. The environment is not a backdrop, it’s a collaborator and co-conspirator.
Bec speaks thoughtfully about how being on Kabi Kabi and Jinibara Country informs her curatorial thinking and the festival’s identity.
“I think it's really important that the cultural offering of Horizon Festival is in conversation with place. So we want to be a place-based festival where the art speaks to the incredible country that we're living in,” she says.
“We have a First Nations programme, and we work really closely with traditional owners. It's so interesting that the Sunshine Coast is such a large geographical region, and so we've got Kabi Kabi and Jinibara people, but they aren't a monolith, either. And so it's important that the work and the curation speak to the nuances of that, and that any kind of First Nations offering isn't simply a package of ‘this is what the First Nations are’.”
This connection to landscape and Country gives Horizon a distinctive sense of grounding. Works are not just presented in venues. They are embedded into environments, woven into streets, coastlines, and shared spaces. Audiences do not merely attend. They move through experiences that feel intimately tied to where they are.
'Yauar Warai Wandi – Sing, Dance, Gather' - Image © Daniel Fewquandie
Of course, what audiences witness is only a fraction of what it takes to bring a festival of this scale to life. Behind every installation, performance, and fleeting moment of wonder lies an immense amount of unseen labour, coordination, and resilience.
When asked what people rarely understand about directing a festival, Bec offers insight into the complexity behind the scenes.
“People maybe don't realise how small the teams are that tend to run these things. So we are a team of eight who plan, deliver, execute the entire festival over the whole region. And that's been my experience across all the festivals that I've worked on is the team is so small, dedicated and hard-working, and everyone does everything.
“For example I'm the Festival Director, but I will get in and do data entry and admin because we all need to be hands on deck. Or the marketing team will contribute programming ideas. The programming team will get in and do budgets. It's the nature of any kind of festival like this, everyone has to do everything, and all be pulling in the same direction and who are doing a lot more than people think.”
It's easy, as an attendee, to experience a festival as seamless. Yet hearing about the layers of planning, problem solving, and collaboration required to make Horizon possible adds a deeper appreciation for what unfolds so effortlessly for audiences.
Looking ahead, Horizon’s tenth anniversary in 2026 marks a significant milestone. A decade of creative evolution is no small achievement, particularly in a cultural landscape that is constantly shifting.
Reflecting on this journey, Bec shares what has felt most significant and perhaps unexpected about the festival’s growth.
“As we reach the ten-year mark, I think it’s interesting they brought me on board because I'm the first Director that’s come from a completely different place. So there's a real sense moving forward, of wanting to look out and beyond. As we move towards Brisbane and 2032 and the Cultural Olympiad, we are asking what will Horizon Festival be integral in delivering for the Sunshine Coast region.
'The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave' - Image © Mark Gambino
"My role here will be to look up and out a little bit more to how we can be a regional festival that plays on the global stage. There is a sense that Horizon has not only expanded in scale but matured in confidence. It has developed a strong artistic identity while remaining responsive, curious, and willing to transform. This capacity for evolution may be one of its greatest strengths.”
For those who have never attended Horizon, the invitation is especially compelling. Festivals can sometimes feel intimidating from the outside, as though they require prior knowledge or cultural fluency. Horizon, however, seems to resist this notion entirely.
When Bec is asked what she hopes first time attendees will experience, her answer speaks not just to programming but to feeling.
“Oh, we want them to walk away with a sense of belonging, with a sense of wonder and with a sense of community,” she says.
“I think whether you're a local attending the festival, or whether you're attending the festival from Brisbane, from interstate, or even internationally, I think it’s about getting a sense of who the Sunshine Coast is as a community.
“Horizon Festival is people connecting in place through art. That's what I want – for people to walk away feeling like they made a connection, they felt something.”
This emphasis on feeling is perhaps what makes Horizon so magnetic.
Beyond individual events and performances, the festival offers something less tangible but deeply memorable. A sense of discovery, a shift in perspective and a reminder of the role art plays in expanding how we see and experience the world.
As Horizon continues to grow, one thing remains clear: This is a festival driven by a genuine belief in artists, audiences, and the transformative magic of creative experiences. It is an invitation to step out of the everyday, to encounter something unexpected, and to participate in a shared cultural moment that feels alive with possibility.
For anyone considering whether to attend, the answer feels wonderfully simple.
Come, wander, be surprised and delighted. Let Horizon Festival show you something you didn't know you were missing.
Horizon Festival (Sunshine Coast) is on from 1-10 May.
