Vast horizons and dazzling night skies: Festival of Outback Opera
LONGREACH & WINTON
“Only the countless stars in the night skies could provide a sufficiently high rating to this stellar event and its long-lasting impact on the lives it touches."
Limelight Magazine, 2022
An opera festival and Queensland experience unlike any other, the Festival of Outback Opera is a weeklong celebration of open-air concerts, intimate recitals, singalongs and gastronomic delights, bringing together local artists and national opera stars for a truly unique outback adventure.
Glorious horizons and fine music become the perfect pair, as you experience the outback and opera like never before. They will all come together from 16–22 May 2023 in Longreach and Winton, when Opera Queensland’s acclaimed Festival of Outback Opera returns for another year… bigger and better than ever!
This year, the Festival of Outback Opera will return for the third time with a significantly expanded program over the seven days, with the inaugural Long Lunch in Winton on 18 May 2023 and Festival of Outback Opera Gala Ball in Longreach on 21 May 2023. Other major festival events include the concerts, Dark Sky Serenade in Winton on 19 May 2023 and Singing in the Night in Longreach on 20 May 2023.
Opera Queensland’s new touring production, Lady Sings the Maroons, will also feature in this year’s Festival, celebrating Queensland artists and music including The Saints, Powderfinger, Gladys Moncrieff, Savage Garden, Joe Geia, Kate Miller-Heidke, and Harold Blair.
Opera Queensland CEO and Artistic Director Patrick Nolan said these events were the perfect way for people to visit Queensland’s unique outback towns and immerse themselves in arts and culture.
“The Festival of Outback Opera was born of Opera Queensland’s belief that audiences, no matter where they are, should have access to performances of the highest quality. Our aim is to connect audiences from all walks of life, bringing them experiences inspired by the unique nature of each location and illuminating the universal joy that singing and storytelling offers,” Mr Nolan said.