The 2023 Castlemaine State Festival kicked off with an opening night celebration under the Western Reserve Big Top last Friday evening with 90s sensations Frente!
Simon and Angie and the crew lit up the stage sharing tales from that time, reminiscing about the songs that hold stories for us all, as they celebrated 30 years of Marvin the Album.
This was followed by the first of the nine Castlemaine Fringe Festival after parties featuring a cabaret theme.
The opening week of the festival has been action-packed with a wide array of events including theatre, live music, performances, exhibitions, Open Studios, the popular Dialogues series and more including a performance ‘A Simple Space’ by the Adelaide based circus company Gravity & Other Myths (pictured).
Tonight Castlemaine’s own KIAN will hit the Western Reserve Big Top stage.
This will be quite the homecoming. By the time he was 16, Kian Brownfield had surpassed the status of local legend and became an international sensation with his four times platinum single ‘Waiting’.
Five years on, KIAN has been polished and held up to the light by Republic Records – home to his idol Stevie Wonder but also his contemporaries in chill melodic style, The Weeknd, Lorde, Drake and Jack Johnson. His latest EP, Shine, was produced by Ariana Grande collaborator Willie Tafa, with guest spots from Jerome Farah and members of 1300.
Shine details the pressures and growth that KIAN has experienced over the past few years. While he still has “feelings deeper than a swimming pool” – as he sang on his previous EP, BLISS, the waters now seem distinctly more sparkly.
KIAN told the Mail he is super keen to be back in Castlemaine to play a homecoming show for the festival.
“I still have great memories of my sold out debut show at the Theatre Royal in 2018 and this will be my first show back since then,” he said.
“I am very excited to announce that I will be bringing along Becca Hatch to perform our new single ‘All Of Me’. I am hoping to see some family and familiar faces in the audience,” the singer said.
For tickets to see KIAN and for other festival events visit castlemainefestival.com.au
