Australia’s largest Rock ‘n’ Roll and nostalgia festival, Cooly Rocks On has announced that it will merge with the award-winning VIVA Surfers Paradise in 2021.
The Major Events Gold Coast owned and produced events will see Cooly Rocks On welcome the spirit of VIVA Surfers Paradise with five days of Elvis activity to be added into an already bursting program, bringing ‘The King’ to Cooly. The event will feature the cars, music, memories and moments of the 50s, 60s and 70s in a colourful explosion of sound and culture.
The merge will see VIVA’s Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, an Elvis Presley Enterprises sanctioned event, move to the Coolangatta beachfront, bringing music from The King with concerts, dances and performances over five action-packaged days and nights. The free family-friendly festival will transform Coolangatta into a hub of Rock ‘n’ Roll from the 9th to the 13th of June 2021.
Enthusiasts near and far are expected to flock to the festival to experience the nostalgia, from the Shannons Classic Car Show ‘n’ Shine to Harvest Moon Swing Ball and dance classes. The Cooly Rocks on Merge with VIVA will have visitors rocking and rolling across the beachfront's Queen Elizabeth Park as they embrace classic favourites.
Major Events Gold Coast Director of Events and Festivals, Mark Duckworth, said the new additions to the festival will make next year one of the best.
"Adding the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest to Cooly Rocks On will continue to complement the unique nostalgic experiences...for over almost 30 years visitors have flocked to the Southern Gold Coast to experience the feeling of eras gone by, and after a year off in 2020 we look forward to showcasing the music, the dancing and much-loved events like the Shannons Classic Car Show ‘n’ Shine again in June 2021."
As the festival continues to evolve, Cooly Rocks On is set to attract over 120,000 visitors on a local, drive, intra-state, inter-state and international level. The new additions will drive widespread interest and continue to support the Gold Coast’s reignited tourism industry.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said it’s exciting to see such an iconic event on the Gold Coast Festival and tourism calendar returning in 2021 with its expanded schedule.
"To combine the two events makes absolute sense as we reimagine our major events calendar under the new major events organisation."
Continuing to support the local tourism community, Cooly Rocks On looks to drive overnight visitation from the 120,000 visitors, boosting the local Gold Coast economy. Visitors and local enthusiasts are invited to immerse themselves in the Coolangatta celebration of sound, memories and cars of the 50s, 60s and 70s.
For further information on the Festival including updates and programming, visit the Cooly Rocks On website.
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