Promoter hunts for '80s festival venue

By Angela Thompson
Updated November 6 2012 - 1:26am, first published January 14 2011 - 10:28am
Promoter hunts for '80s festival venue
Promoter hunts for '80s festival venue
Promoter hunts for '80s festival venue
Promoter hunts for '80s festival venue
Boy George, Rick Astley and Kim Wilde have appeared at the UK Rewind Festivals. Promoters haven't announced who may come to Australia.
Boy George, Rick Astley and Kim Wilde have appeared at the UK Rewind Festivals. Promoters haven't announced who may come to Australia.
Retro royalty Bananarama have performed at UK Rewind.
Retro royalty Bananarama have performed at UK Rewind.

Promoters behind a bid to bring a grown-up version of Woodstock to Australia are eyeballing the Illawarra as a possible venue.They are seeking a landowner in this region - or in Newcastle or Windsor - to offer a picturesque acreage where up to 40,000 mostly baby boomers can go "glamping" and attend performances by retro royalty such as Kim Wilde, Rick Astley and Bananarama.The annual event will be modelled on the '80s Rewind Festival which started in 2009 in the United Kingdom.Hosted by Wollongong City Council, Terry Youngman recently toured the Illawarra on behalf of a France-based promoter, Shane Sanderson, who is looking to bring Rewind to Australia in October.Mr Youngman told the Mercury he was looking for a fairly level block of 28-40ha, perhaps with a section of higher ground for a bandstand.It should be at least 500m away from residential areas and should have a "country feel" in line with the festival's ambitions for creating a civilised, boomer-friendly atmosphere."It's going to create a new benchmark for outdoor concert venues," Mr Youngman, of Cherrybrook, said."It's not going to just be bums on the grass, it's going to be stylish - comfortable. It's a pleasant environment where you're not having to feel like you're roughing it."Kiama and Jamberoo in particular appealed, he said.Rewind was designed to tap into a market of 1980s music lovers with the finances to indulge their nostalgia and a higher standard of festival-going.The website for the UK events shows festival-goers in costumes, wigs and fluorescent sunglasses. It promises a lounge-style bar and "posh nosh" alongside the usual festival grub and beer.Acting general manager Peter Kofod said Wollongong City Council was keen to help bring a major cultural event to the region.Earlier this week Keira candidate Ryan Park publicly lamented the lack of major events being hosted in the Illawarra.Landowners interested in providing a venue for the music festival can contact Mr Youngman on 0410 781 151.

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