By Laura BennettFriday 25 Jan 2013Hope NightsMusicReading Time: 2 minutes
4 stages, 100 artists, 18,000 punters, that’s Parachute Music Festival.
Since 1989 Parachute Music has existed as a charity with a mission: to help Christian musicians shift pop culture, and 23 festivals later that’s exactly what they’re doing.
Over the years Parachute Festival has seen some of the biggest international acts take to their stages, including Casting Crowns, Skillet, Chris Tomlin, Brooke Fraser, DC Talk (the list truly could go on), and this year’s no different with Switchfoot, the Newsboys and Evermore all taking part.
Yet, while that all sounds super impressive, what makes the Festival stand out as the biggest in the southern hemisphere, is its heart for local talent. Each year some of the best of New Zealand’s new faces are given the opportunity to test out their vocal wings, learn how to capture a crowd, and workout how to change a broken guitar string midsong.
Some of our local faves have even honed their skills on the Kiwi shore, with New Empire, Tigertown, Jake Nauta, and The Calling of Levi all returning to new-found fans over the weekend.
So, stay tuned across the next 3 days as I’ll be going right into the thick of it and taking you with me. (I don’t know about you, but I’m totally ready for the 32 degree days, ill-placed tent pegs and occasional mystery-meat style crew meals…)
Laura Bennett will be reporting from Parachute Music Festival over the Australia Day weekend for Hope 103.2.