The Australian Musical Theatre Festival will bring top talent to Launceston, with workshops, performances, and other musical theatre-related activities.

Premier Will Hodgman said it was part of the strategy to bring tourists to Northern Tasmania year-round. 

“We now have a calendar of world-class events, and we are getting visitors to events, not only in regional Tasmania, but also in the cooler months,” he said. 

“Launceston is the state’s capital for musical theatre, it has such a strong culture and history and it’s something that the city and the northern region can capture as it’s own.”

The festival will be promoted nationally, with the program to be released in February. Events will primarily be held at the Princess Theatre and the Earl Arts Centre. 

The idea came out of research from Tourism Northern Tasmania searching for an off-season festival. 

“When we first started out, we were looking at many different festival options which would attract interstate participants, but musical theatre kept coming up again and again,” said TNT researcher Gillian Miles.

“It’s something that is truly community driven, inclusive and widely loved both in Tasmania and throughout Australia.”

Mr Hodgman added that it was just another string in the state’s tourism bow. 

“This is such a neat fit for Launceston, and it will be another unique event for Tasmania to continue such strong growth in our visitor economy,” he said. 

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