Festival of Bands

11/05/2026

A big thank you to Festival of Bands for having us out to Emerald and the surrounding area as artists for the 2026 Central Highlands Festival of Bands. It was a pleasure to share in the amazing music-making happening in this region. The students and teachers we met throughout the week were incredible and the gala concert last night left us all feeling inspired and invigorated. A big thank you to the organising committee and festival sponsors for making something so special happen here in Central Queensland! Our last visit to Emerald was in 2017 so fingers crossed it’s not quite so long until we are here again 🎷🎶

Photo Credit: Michael Adams

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

As the sun sets on another Festival of Bands, we want to say thank you to our Central Highlands community for supporting our musicians and making this event such a success.

This year, Festival of Bands welcomed almost 300 registrations across all ensembles, with more than 440 tickets purchased for our final concert. Your support helps create opportunities for young musicians to perform, build confidence, and share their passion for music with the community.

We’d also like to thank all our sponsors and partners, without whom this event would not be possible, in particular Glencore Coal Australia, the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, and the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund, provided through Regional Arts Australia, administered in Queensland by Flying Arts.

Thank you for being part of Festival of Bands 2026. We hope to see you all again next year.

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

We’d like to take this opportunity to say a huge THANK YOU to Glencore Coal Australia for their generous support of Festival of Bands over the past five years.

Their ongoing contribution has helped make this event possible, giving young musicians across the Central Highlands the opportunity to develop their skills, perform in a professional environment, and connect with others through music.

Festival of Bands is about more than performance. It is about building confidence, encouraging creativity, and strengthening music education in our region.

We’re grateful to have partners like Glencore who recognise the value of investing in young people and supporting the arts in our community.

Thank you for helping us continue to create these opportunities for the next generation of musicians.

09/05/2026

What a crowd! Thanks for coming out to support our musicians 🎶

09/05/2026

Will we see you at 4? Our musicians are ready! Don’t forget your tickets, chairs and picnic blankets. It’s lovely weather down here at St Patrick's Catholic School Emerald 🎶