A party tonight on the new outdoor deck at the
Mecure Hotel in Kings Cross kicked off the
2012 Kings Cross Festival that sees 4 days and nights of events in the one acre area that comprises the Cross, parts of Darlinghurst and Potts Point.
 |
| Stephan Elliott |
Dozens of restaurants , coffee shops and retailers are joining in the celebrations along with pubs and nightclubs. At last count there were over 40 nightspots alone in the Cross and it's side streets. The change the Cross has been going through over the past 5 years has been remarkable. New apartment blocks are springing up like the old Metropole Hotel that has been transformed into million dollar luxury pads.
 |
| Glynis Trail Nash,Damien Woolnough,Jennie Brockie |
Darlinghurst Road, a past base for drugs,criminal gangs, strip clubs and prostitution rings still has it's gaudy neon strip facade. Turn into elegant Macleay Street and it could be a tree lined boulevard in Paris with it's elegant Art Deco apartment blocks, restaurants , boutiques and decorating shops.
 |
| Ignatius Jones & pal |
 |
| Rebel Russell & Max Rendall |
Over the next 4 days until Sunday there will be non-stop activities with a great artistic team under the umbrella of
Ignatius Jones who has designed Sydney's famous New Year's Eve celebrations at the Opera House. Fashionistas
Damien Woolnough and
Glynis Trail Nash have organized a pop-up fashion store,
Sebastian Goldspink is curating art shows while man about town
Alex Zabotto-Bentley has created installations and window art in 22 store windows.
Mandy Sayer and
Madame Lash will be giving literary talks.
 |
| Margaret Fink & Warren Fahey |
Legendary
Les Girls performer
Carlotta is presenting a one woman show while music legend
Warren Fahey has organized several music events including buskers and a big show on Saturday night beginning at 6pm in Fitzroy Gardens with the great songbird
Renee Geyer (the
lurve Renee in Germany )
At the party tonight along with Lord Mayor
Clover Moore were many from the diverse Kings Cross' community that numbers around 20,000 and makes it the most populous area in the country. 3 Hollywood
Oscar winning filmsters :
Margaret Fink , Rebel Penfold Russell and
Stephan Elliot , SBS presenter
Jennie Brockie and journalists like
Melissa Hoyer, Richard Akland and Australia's top foodies
Jill Dupleix and
Terry Durack.
Go to the
Kings Cross Festival website to get a full list of activities and travel arrangements.
Below : a time lapse video of Kings Cross by the creative team at
Virtual Network :
www.thevirtualnetowrk.com.au
