Where? Musgrave Park & The Greek Club, Edmondstone Street, South Brisbane
When? Saturday May 19 from 12 noon, & Sunday May 20 from 10am.
OPA! Next week’s Paniyiri Festival will celebrate the authentic flavours, faces, and culture of Greece, and Backstreet Brisbane has two double passes to give away! Head over to Backstreet Brisbane’s Instagram for your chance to win.
Since it began in 1976, Paniyiri has become Queensland’s signature celebration of all things Greek, as well as the country’s longest-running Greek festival. Beginning with a passionate group of Greek-Australians who wanted to share their cultural traditions with Brisbane, the festival has exploded and more than 60,000 people are expected to join the celebrations next weekend. Paniyiri is a community initiative of the Greek community of South East Queensland, and funds raised are channelled back into the community via the Greek orthodox Community of St George, Brisbane.
This year’s festival highlights include the Hellenic Dancers Showcase Program; the Coking Program starring the faces and flavours of Greece; over 30 food stalls showcasing the tastes, recipes, and secrets of food from all over Greece, from haloumi and souvlaki to honey puffs and dolmades; and dancers, singers, speakers, chefs, authors, and a variety of celebrity guests. There’s plenty for the whole family, including a free Kids Zone with arts and crafts, games, and dance lessons with the Junior Hellenic Dancers Group. If you’re left wanting more after the festival closes for the day, the official Paniyiri After Party will be hosted at the newly refurbished The Greek Club with beats from DJ Kossi.
Another special event will be the Greek Dancing with the Stars, which this year will include competitors Sophie Dillman and Patrick O’Connor from Home and Away, Josh & Brandon Jarius of 2018’s House Rules, and two lucky hit105 listeners, with the competition being judged by Channel Seven’s Tony Auden and hit105’s Stav Davidson and Matty Acton.
As part of the 2018 festival, Paniyiri ticket holders travel free network-wide on Brisbane City Council buses and Queensland Rail City Network trains thanks to a partnership between Paniyiri and TransLink (must present valid ticket when boarding, see website for details).
Tickets are available at the Paniyiri website – see you there!
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