Press release from American Express Queenstown Winter Festival
1 April 2010

Winter Festival’s ‘big four’ events go on sale

Tickets to the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival’s biggest events go on sale at 3pm today (1 April) and festival goers are urged “not to fool about” in case they miss out.

Festival Director Simon Green anticipates sellout crowds for the ‘big four’ as he calls them - the Masquerade Ball, Jazz Night, Thriller in the Chiller and the Comedy Gala.

“All other tickets will go on sale in May but we’re expecting huge demand for these specific events so we’re getting tickets out now,” he says. “I’m really excited about the lineup we’ve put together for each event and believe all of them will be a fantastic night out as well as great value for money.”

The Lindauer Masquerade Ball is Festival’s glamour event and a great excuse to dress up, don a mask and slip on some dancing shoes to celebrate the Festival ‘Queenstown-style’. Ball-goers will get a real kick out of this year’s Moulin Rouge cabaret theme and are urged to dress the part. There will be Moulin Rouge-inspired floor show entertainment accompanied by a French-style dinner and then three hours of non-stop dancing with Diva, a talented all-female trio from Auckland, interchanging with returning favourites The Hitmen who perform everything from ‘70s hits to modern classics. The ball is on Saturday 26 June at the Millennium Hotel from 7pm to midnight and tickets are $159 per person. Tickets include entertainment, a three-course dinner and wine, beer and Lindauer bubbles.

This year Sola Rosa, Eru Dangerspiel and LA Mitchell will headline at the ever popular Lindauer Jazz Night to be held on Saturday 3 July from 7.30pm at the Skyline complex. Sola Rosa’s unique blend of dub, hip hop, lounge and jazz combined with Eru Dangerspiel’s raw live energy will get the crowd dancing downstairs while upstairs LA Mitchell and emerging talent Coast will deliver a true jazz club experience. Tickets are $89 per person (including gondola) or $111 including supper.

The new Mountain Scene Thriller in the Chiller, on Sunday 27 June at Queenstown Events Centre from 7pm, looks set to be a knockout. With final local match-ups being announced next week, the 40 contenders are training hard to see who will be picked to square off at the fun charity fight night. The event will also feature several celebrity bouts including former Kiwi rugby league hero Tawera Nikau and TV2 Lotto presenter Russell Harrison. Funds raised via a charity auction on the night go to the Festival’s official charity, the Wakatipu-based Bruce Grant Youth Trust. Ticket prices vary depending on choice of seating – floor seating costs $39, grandstand seating is $59 and ringside corporate tables cost $1,000 for a table of 10 (includes table service and food platters).

The new Canadian Club Comedy Gala replaces the Comedy Debate and celebrates the start of a four-night comedy extravaganza with a stand-up show sure to split the sides of the audience. Hosted by funnymen Ward & Tuthridge, the all-star gala brings together the cream of local and national comedians featuring Jeremy Corbett, Steve Wrigley, Paul Ego, Dai Henwood, Ben Hurley, Jeremy Ellwood and Michelle A’Court for a night of hilarious standup comedy and a live stage performance of the cult TV3 show “7 Days”. The comedy gala will be held at the Memorial Hall on Monday 28 June from 7pm. Seating is theatre-style and tickets are $69.

Festival tickets can be purchased from TicketDirect online www.ticketdirect.co.nz, by phone 0800 224 224 (03 450 9110), in person at the Queenstown Events Centre or Queenstown i-Site (corner of Shotover and Camp streets), or via the Festival website www.winterfestival.co.nz.

ENDS

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