Top reggae act to headline free St Leonards Festival this weekend

Organisers 18 Hours say they are expecting around 10,000 people to attend the event on Saturday July 9, centred around Warrior Square Gardens. It runs from noon – 10pm.

There will be community stalls, storytelling, food, activities and entertainment and festival-goers will be able to dance to reggae beats with the festival headliners Gabbidon, featuring founding member of Steel Pulse, Basil Gabbidon. They will be performing at 8.30pm.

"Gabbidon are an amazing band”, says Mandy Curtis of 18 Hours, that produces St Leonards Festival. “Their infectious energy, gusto and sheer talent have audiences dancing with huge smiles on their faces.”

The event will be opened by Mayor, James Bacon and Council Leader, Paul Barnett and then warms up with a drumming circle including local groups Raven Drummers, Dende Nation, Sambalanco and Section 5. This is followed by main stage performances from Silver Swans, Kay Iris, teen band Cold Hearted, Christchurch School Choir, St Leonards Dance Troupe, local young talent Izzy Withers, Elisha Edwards and AFLO the Poet, opera singer Thomasin Tresize and Reshad Rahman.

This year’s event will see the return of the parade following a two-year hiatus. In-school workshops will take place leading up to the event where children will be making headdresses within this year’s National Children’s Carnival Week theme of “Our World, Our Future”. Loulou Cousin will be running a headdress making workshop on the day between 12-2pm for those children wanting to join the parade. The parade will line up a 2.30pm and set off around Warrior Square Gardens at 3pm.

The main stage starts again at 3.45pm with performances by MK Studios, Gizmo, 12-year-old singer Erin Colley, Ladies Swing the Blues, Emmanuel the Magnificent, Juliet Russell and local singers Mike Willis & Tom Fryer. Scott Chisholm will kick of evening proceedings at 7.30pm followed by drumming with SPARK, who will also close the festival with an illuminated spectacle which is not to be missed. Live storytelling takes place throughout the afternoon plus a circus tent.

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