Entertainment

Entertainment
THE MAIN ARENA WILL COME ALIVE EACH NIGHT WITH THE
SPECTACULAR NEVER BEFORE SEEN NIGHT SHOW, EKKANITES FEATURING WORLD FIRSTS AND SHOWCASING INCREDIBLE FEMALE
TALENT. THE NIGHT SHOW IS MADE UP OF FOUR MAIN PARTS TRADITION, THE HOT WHEELS HIGH OCTANE SHOW, LIVE MUSIC
AND OF COURSE THE BREATHTAKING FIREWORKS FINALE.
THE WORLD-CLASS SHOW WILL FEATURE
A BRAND NEW DESIGN, MORE EXTREME SPORTS
A TRIBUTE TO AUSSIE MUSIC
A BRAND NEW FIREWORKS SHOW FEATURING PYROTECHNICS NEVER BEFORE SEEN IN
AUSTRALIA
THE HOT WHEELS HIGH OCTANE SHOW FEATURING THE WORLD FIRST SPHERE OF
DEATH, A JET ENGINE PROPELLED MINI CAR, HOT WHEELS BRANDED V8 DRIFT
CARS AND THE MOST NUMBER OF FMX BIKES EVER SEEN AT EKKA JUMPING
A HELICOPTER WITH ROTATING BLADES.
SIT BACK AND PREPARE TO BE WOWED!
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AUGUST 5 AUGUST 6-14 EKKANITES
5:15pm
5:15pm
Sheep Dog Demonstrations with Dave Sharp
5:00pm
5:30pm
Trots
5:30pm
5:45pm
Woodchop Champions - Country versus City
6:00pm
Ride and Drive - QLD versus NSW
6:15pm
RACQ LifeFlight Helicopter
6:25pm
Lone Ranger Stunt
6:45pm
6:40pm
Penny Farthing Race
6:55pm
6:45pm
National Anthem featuring the Guruman Dancers and Brandon Woods
7:05pm
6:55pm
A Tribute to Aussie Music with the songs of Cold Chisel, Keith Urban and Kylie Minogue
7:20pm
7:10pm
Heroes of the Outback
7:30pm
7.20pm
Agro's Ekka Return
7:35pm
7:25pm
Hot Wheels High Octane Show
7:50pm
7:45pm
Fireworks Spectacular
8:00pm
8:00pm
Meet the Stars of EkkaNITES
5:45pm
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NIGHT SHOW COMPERES
KIMBERLEY BUSTEED
Former Miss Universe Australia, Kimberley Busteed, is the Ekka’s very first female night show
compere. After winning the national beauty pageant when she was just 18 years old, Kimberley
went on to become a presenter and segment producer on Channel 7 lifestyle programs
‘Queensland Weekender’ and ‘Creek to Coast.’ Kimberley has also worked on global campaigns
such as Olivia Newton John’s 2008 ‘Great Walk to Beijing.’
MARK FORBES
Former sports journalist, Mark Forbes, will co-host EkkaNITES with Kimberley. Mark does ground
hosting and PA work for Queensland Cricket, the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Suns, as well as
hosting in corporate areas for the Brisbane Broncos home games. Mark has also appeared on TV
screens, presenting Harness Racing.
TRADITION
PENNY FARTHING RACE
The audience will be riding back in time when the
Penny Farthings make their very first appearance
in EkkaNITES. These impressive big-wheeled
bikes from the Queensland Penny Farthing
Historical Club will race around the track on the
Main Arena.
TROTS
The legendary trots will be back in 2016 to wow
the crowds and stomp their mark on the Main
Arena. The hot to trot horses and their brave
drivers will entertain all with this true
Ekka tradition.
WOODCHOP CHAMPIONS COUNTRY VERSUS CITY
The axes will be swinging in this showdown of
pure strength! The audience will cheer on their
chosen team, as the talented axe men and
women put their woodchop skills to the test in a
Jack and Jill relay race – just who will come out
on top, Country or City?
Sheep DOG DEMONSTRATIONS
WITH DAVE SHARP
How well trained is your dog? Witness
professional sheep dog handler Dave Sharp
guide a mob of sheep with precision around the
arena with his clever K9 dogs, showcasing the
close working relationship between a farmer and
his trusted best friend.
NATIONAL ANTHEM
GURUMAN DANCERS
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The internationally acclaimed Guruman (meaning
kangaroo) Dancers will perform nightly. The
group’s goal is to protect and revitalise language
and culture through traditional dance. Members
of the group have performed all over the world,
including in Denmark, U.S.A, Canada and Russia.
EMILY WURRAMARA
Brisbane’s Emily Wurramara will sing the National
Anthem each night of show. The talented 20 year
old is already a seasoned performer, having taken
to the stage at festivals in France and Sweden
and at Woodford Folk Festival in Australia. Emily
has also received some 2016 Queensland Music
Award nominations and when her first single
debuted on the AMRAP charts it stayed in the
top 10 for more than a month.
BRANDON WOODS
Electric violinist Brandon Woods is one of the
most unique musicians in Brisbane. He’s taken
the traditional Celtic style of fiddle music into
the future, by adding the elements of electronic
and hip-hop music. Brandon is competing in the
World Championships of Performing Arts in Los
Angles, California, in July. He’ll perform each night
at Ekka as part of the National Anthem.
QUEENSLAND POLICE SERVICE
Queensland’s first female police highway patrol
motorbike riders will feature as part of the
National Anthem, along with squad cars and
Mounted Police horses.
OPENING
CEREMONY
WHEN: FROM 6PM,
FRIDAY AUGUST 5
On the first night of show each year, a special
opening ceremony is held to welcome Ekka
guests from across the state. The Mounted
Police and 8th/9th Battalion The Royal Australian
Regiment Army Brigade will join in the ceremony
and The Governor of Queensland Justice Paul de
Jersey will also attend.
HOT WHEELS
HIGH OCTANE SHOW
HOT WHEELS
The pink and blue Hot Wheels drift utes will tear
around the Main Arena in a time trial not to be
missed. It’s boy versus girl in this action packed
race, guaranteed to have the crowd glued to the
edge of their seats. Putting pedal to the metal in
the pink ute will be Queensland born and bred
Renee Gracie, aka Devil Princess. She’ll be tough
competition to beat! Then for the first time ever
at Ekka, the Hot Wheels Stadium Truck will hit a
jump, launching high into the air. The crowd will
also fall in love with nine year old Madz Mingay,
who will be tearing around in his very own
custom built mini Trophy Truck.
RENEE GRACIE
(AKA DEVIL PRINCESS)
Born and bred in Queensland, Renee Gracie
made history in Australian motorsport when she
was just 18 years old, becoming the first ever
female V8 Supercar driver to compete in the
Porsche Carrera Cup Australia - one of the top
Porsche race outfits in the southern hemisphere.
Renee will contest this year's Supercheap Auto
Bathurst 1000 alongside Swiss open wheel
ace, Simona De Silvestro. The 21 year old has a
highly competitive desire to take on and beat the
best in the business – no wonder she’s known
as Devil Princess!
FMX FREESTYLE KINGS
The most FMX riders ever seen at Ekka will be
flying through the air, as the Freestyle Kings show
off their aerial tricks and wow the crowd. Six of
the best riders in the world, including international
female FMX superstar rider Vicki Golden, will
perform the most daring tricks in the sport,
including launching themselves over a Pterodactyl
helicopter with rotating blades! Watch on as FMX
superstars Josh Hannah, Pat Bowden, Brodie
Markham, Jake Smith, Pete Anderson and Vicki
Golden backflip, superman and jump high in the
air above the Main Arena.
THE GOLDEN GIRL OF EKKANITES
- VICKI GOLDEN
American FMX superstar Vicki Golden is
flying half way around the globe to rip it up at
EkkaNITES for the very first time. The golden
girl of the night show is the only woman in
history to qualify for a men’s National AMA
Supercross championship and she has three
Gold X Games Medals under her belt.
The professional Freestyle and Supercross rider
is also the first female team member of Metal
Mulisha. Proving she’s got guts, Vicki made a
name for herself in racing when she travelled
through an ice-storm for 1,000 miles to get to
Denver in 2011, in her bid to become the first
woman to qualify for an Arenacross main event
– and that she did! Inspired by her brother
and father, Vicki began racing at the age of
seven and her career really took off at age 16
when she won the Women’s Amateur National
Champion title at the AMA Loretta Lynn’s
amateur Championship.
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THE SPHERE OF DEATH
Mechanical mad scientist Sam Xuereb is back
with a never before seen creation. The world
first Sphere of Death, powered by a V8 Monster
Truck engine, is 4 metres in diameter and travels
11 metres in one rotation – with Sam strapped
inside! Sam has created Monster Trucks for the
last three EkkaNITES, but this takes it to a whole
new level.
ACTION AND
ENTERTAINMENT
Sam’s inspiration for this crazy creation came
from his fascination with rollover vehicles. He
came up with the unique design with the help of
his 13 year old son, Jarryd – who is following in
his father’s footsteps as an inventor.
Two forms of horse power will be on display in
this exciting race to the finish line. Two riders, one
from QLD and the other from NSW, will complete
a horse jump race, before running to two vehicles
and doing a handbrake turn in the dirt. They’ll
race back to tag their partner, who will do the
same course. The crowd will go crazy cheering
for their state of origin!
GO GIRLS - 'SCI-FLEET TOYOTA
MX RACING DIVAS'
It’s girl power all the way as the female motocross
riders speed into the Main Arena. The awesome
foursome - Jamie Sanders, Chelsea Carter,
Cheyenne Taylor and Chrissy McCarthy, will rip
up the dirt track at high speed. The teenagers
from Queensland ride like girls - so try to keep up!
THE COMBAT DRAGON AND
BILLY BURN OUT
Proving size doesn’t matter, the incredibly
powerful Combat Dragon mini car is fitted with
a jet engine and is sure to impress as it shoots
30ft flames out the back, leaving the sky ablaze.
Travelling at speed, this pocket rocket will shake
the ground as it performs the ultimate light show.
It’s loud, it’s powerful, it’s extreme!
Also taking to the Main Arena is Billy Burn Out.
He’ll really get things smoking as he burns rubber
on steel plates, showing the audience what he’s
made of.
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RIDE AND DRIVE QLD VERSUS NSW
LONE RANGER STUNT
Imagine this – a rooftop trailer travels around
the outside of the arena at speed lit up with
LED lights. A galloping Aussie cowgirl appears,
performing a series of tricks and stunts on her
horse, before leaping from the horse onto the
side of the trailer and climbing a ladder onto
the roof. It’s action at its very best – dangerous,
exciting and fast! The audience will then be
introduced to a cowboy, who will attempt the
same stunt as he races a clock on the big screen.
Who will get the quickest time? The crowd will
cheer on their favourite character in this never
before seen Ekka show, guaranteed to make
those watching catch their breath.
MIKAYLA JADE
Trick riding superstar Mikayla Jade has toured the
globe with the world renowned Cirque De Solei
show Cavalia. When she was just 15 years old,
she became the youngest trick rider ever to join
the Australian Outback Spectacular.
HEROES OF THE OUTBACK
Heroes of the Outback is a first class arena
spectacular show like no other, featuring world
first horse and cattle stunts and true blue
Aussie comedy. The crowd will be wowed as
cattle climb to great heights - onto the roof of
a truck! The show’s loveable bush characters,
the Aussie Stockman Dave Manchon and
American Cowboy Anthony Lucia, will compete
against each other in an amusing storyline which
encourages crowd participation and family fun.
Heroes of the Outback, created especially for the
Ekka, is a must see for anyone who ever wanted
to put on a cowboy hat!
RACQ LIFEFLIGHT HELICOPTER
The crowd will look to the sky at EkkaNITES as
the iconic blue, white and yellow RACQ LifeFlight
(formerly CareFlight) helicopter, flown by Chief
Pilot Paul Forcier, hovers above the main arena
to perform a mock rescue. During the display, a
rescuer will be winched down to collect a person
in trouble, airlifting them to safety to receive
expert medical care.
AGRO'S EKKA RETURN
Everyone’s favourite puppet, Agro, will have the
crowd in stitches with his cheeky personality
and naughty sense of humour. Operated by
well-known comedian and media personality
Jamie Dunn, Agro was hugely popular when he
launched to fame in the 1990’s. His show, Agro’s
Cartoon Connection, won seven consecutive
Logies for most popular children’s program.
LIVE MUSIC
A TRIBUTE TO AUSSIE MUSIC
WITH THE SONGS OF COLD
CHISEL, KEITH URBAN AND
KYLIE MINOGUE
This talented trio will rock the crowd when they
take over the Main Arena, backed by a live band.
Farren Jones from X-Factor is Keith Urban.
With his striking resemblance and charismatic
performance, he’ll rock out to all the hits like Days
Go By.
Carter Roser will entertain as he impersonates
legend Jimmy Barnes. For over three decades,
the songs of Jimmy Barnes have dominated the
airways so the crowd will be well versed to sing
along.
Neridah Leishman is pop princess Kylie Minogue.
The audience will instantly dance along to her well
known hits including Spinning Around and Can't
Get You Out Of My Head.
The energetic artists will entertain the crowd with
separate performances, before taking to the
stage together to belt out their big finale.
NERIDAH LEISHMAN
A woman of many talents, this singer,
songwriter, actress and professional horse rider
is no stranger to the spotlight. Acting on wellknown TV show ‘Neighbours’ at just 18 years
of age, she has gone on to work with some
of Australia’s iconic performers including John
Farnham, John Foreman and original members
of Little River Band Derek Pellici and Roger
McLachlan.
MEET THE STARS OF EKKANITES
Meet the very talented stars of the night show,
as they walk around the outside of the Main
Arena talking to fans, signing autographs and
of course getting selfies taken.
EKKANITES
FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR
The breathtaking EkkaNITES fireworks finale
will feature a Pyrotechnic Tower never before
seen in Australia. Fireworks will be fired from
49 positions on the 25 metre high tower
creating a Bellagio fountain effect – shooting
sideways, inwards and skywards - engulfing
the entire arena in explosive light and colour.
Quad motorcycles will tow 20 kites with silver
fountain fireworks, while six illuminated horses
will gallop around the arena changing colours
before the crowd’s eyes. The audience won’t
miss a second of the action, with the 360
degree show design allowing them to have an
equal experience from any spot. Topping off
the spectacle will be the fireworks soundtrack
– a custom made mash up of jukebox classic
hits mixed in the Main Arena by hot Brisbane
DJ Yakedo.
THE MEN
BEHIND EKKANITES
JACK ELLISON
EkkaNITES will be produced for the fourth year
by entertainment extraordinaire Jack Ellison. Jack
is a professional athlete turned special events
producer who has worked on blockbuster films
including James Bond Quantum of Solace and
Mission Impossible 2. Taking entertainment to
the extreme has always been Jack’s philosophy
in designing shows and EkkaNITES will be no
exception, it’s all about more excitement, more
extreme and more action.
MAX BRUNNER
The Director of Skylighter FireworX is back with a
brand new spectacular display, never before seen
in Australia. Max, who has been involved with
major events around Australia and internationally,
travelled to China to source fireworks especially
for EkkaNITES.
JEFFREY JOHN PAVEY
This is Brisbane based international lighting
designer Jeffrey John Pavey’s first year working
on EkkaNITES. Jeffrey has toured the world with
rock bands, including Prince, Ozzy Osbourne and
Black Sabbath. His spectacular lighting is sure to
take EkkaNITES to a whole new level.
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