Prime Minister John Key To Open American Express Queenstown Winter Festival

Queenstown, 7.00 pm Thursday, June 18, 2015.

The 41st American Express Queenstown Winter Festival will kick off tomorrow (Friday, June 19th) with Prime Minister John Key officially opening the event at 7.00 pm.

Prior to the American Express Opening Party and Fireworks the Prime Minister will take part in a Spark Digital business lunch at the Skyline Restaurant where the future of aviation will be the focus. The lunch will also be attended by Auckland Airport CEO Adrian Littlewood, Air New Zealand’s Chief Sales and Commercial Officer Cam Wallace and hosted by Destination Queenstown CEO Graham Budd.

The Rt. Hon John Key will be on stage in Earnslaw Park just before 7.00 pm to countdown the famous fireworks display over Lake Wakatipu which will mark the official start of the Festival. Getting the crowd warmed up for the fireworks is a group of the world’s top street musicians who will perform for the first time in public. The Toyota Feeling The Street project invited street performers from all over the planet to pitch for a stage slot at the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival. The six winners, selected by a global internet vote, only met each other a few days ago and the Festival will see them perform together on stage in a world first. After the fireworks the crowds will be kept entertained by New Zealand’s own darlings Margret Urlich, Debbie Harwood and Annie Crummer from When the Cat’s Away.

The Queenstown community is welcoming today’s heavy snowfalls which have topped up the local ski areas creating amazing early season conditions. In the meantime downtown preparations for Winter Festival have been unaffected by the weather and the Festival schedule is on track.

The American Express Queenstown Winter festival attracts over 45,000 visitors and generates over $55 million for the local economy. The event is the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest winter celebration and has been voted one of the world’s top ten “must see” festivals. The Festival runs for 10 days from June 19th to June 28th and involves over 50 individual events located in the surrounding mountains as well as the town centre.

Weather and Festival updates will be posted to the official website www.winterfestival.co.nz

For more information on the Feeling The Street project www.feelingthestreet.com

Contact: Peter Newport, Media Relations Manager American Express Queenstown Winter Festival 021 380 318media@winterfestival.co.nz

ENDS

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