Hume City Council's bid to bring Melbourne to the north has received a boost with today's official launch of the Hume Winter Lights Festival 2023 in the heart of the CBD.
Promising to go bigger and better than last year's inaugural festival that helped put Hume on the map, the launch of the 2023 event on the iconic Southern Cross Footbridge was a chance for Melbourne to see what attracted more than 5,000 people in 2022.
Hosted by Hume City Mayor Cr. Joseph Haweil, a range of festival entertainment was on hand to encourage Melburnians to jump on a train and head north on 17 June for an afternoon and evening of all ages entertainment.
Joining the Mayor was internationally renowned headline act Havana Brown, Hume's own local musician Ceeko, traditional visual artist Oznur Ates, a backdrop of drummers and a fire performance. It was a chance to provide city-goers a taste of what they can expect from the festival that has become an exciting fixture on Melbourne's winter activity calendar.
The launch event and the festival's name up in lights alluded to what is to come in just over a week's time at the Broadmeadows Town Hall Precinct, which will feature projections on surrounding buildings, an ice rink, live entertainment, fireworks display and mulled wine to round out the winter experience.
Backed by a $150,000 grant from the Victorian Government's Suburban Revitalisation Project, the Hume Winter Lights Festival is truly a festival all Victorians can enjoy while providing a boost to the local economy. People drawn to the festival by the lures of a unique winter experience are sure to discover a Hume visitor experience that will keep them going back.
Quotes attributable to Mayor of Hume City, Councillor Joseph Haweil
"We've shown Melburnians today that they can come, stay and play in Hume while enjoying a wonderful part of the world just 15 kilometres from Melbourne's CBD."
"This festival is a major part of rebuilding Melbourne's north, in the capital of Melbourne's north, by bringing together a first-class event of arts and culture that will keep driving people back to Hume City for years to come."
"This is an experience that you do not get to see in other parts of Melbourne, you do not get to see in Melbourne's suburbs at a world class, international standard, punching above its weight in the heart of Melbourne's north."
