Brisbane's skyline to light up again in 2012 and 2013

Brisbane's skyline will light up in a kaleidoscope of colour for the next two years with the Queensland Government announcing continued support for Brisbane Festival's Santos City of Lights laser light show.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said the choreographed light spectacular would be an opportunity for local families and visitors alike to get out and enjoy for free what has quickly become a centrepiece of Brisbane Festival
Premier Bligh stated "after the fantastic performance for the inaugural show in 2011, I can today announce that Santos City of Lights will continue to feature as a major attraction on the Brisbane Festival calendar in the coming years.
"Santos City of Lights is a great way to celebrate the city of Brisbane, our great lifestyle and all it has to offer.
"More than 185,000 people attended the 2011 event, reinforcing Brisbane's popularity as an arts and cultural hub.
"Attracting major events like Santos City of Lights is all part of our plan to continue building Queensland's bright future.
"In 2011, Santos City of Lights generated 5,600 visitor nights - which is great for the Queensland tourism industry, local businesses and jobs.
"That's why the Queensland Government, through Events Queensland, is investing in events like this as part of our record $174 million investment in events over four years."
Events Queensland Chief Executive John O'Sullivan said Santos City of Lights was another highlight on Queensland's growing and dynamic event calendar, adding "securing Santos City of Lights for Brisbane Festival for a further two years is the latest addition to the calendar and further demonstrates Brisbane's ability to host major cultural events.
"Brisbane will also play host to a range of significant upcoming arts and cultural events including exclusives like QPAC International Performance Series, Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb, Portrait of Spain: Masterpieces from the Prado and the current Matisse:Drawing Life.
"This follows the successes of other events in 2011 like Surrealism: The Poetry of Dreams and the World Theatre Festival."
Brisbane Festival Artistic Director Noel Staunton said he was delighted Santos City of Lights would be a part of future festivals, and the ongoing support from Events Queensland and Santos is fantastic news for Brisbane and Queensland.
Staunton added "Brisbane Festival was extremely proud to pioneer Santos City of Lights this year which was enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of spectators during the three weeks of the festival, and we look forward to creating another spectacular show in 2012."
Dates for the Brisbane Festival 2012 and Santos City of Lights will be announced in the coming weeks.