Riverside Theatres welcomes audiences back to venue for annual Spot On Children’s Festival

Following its closure due to COVID-19 restrictions, Riverside Theatres in Parramatta is opening its doors to the public for the first time since March 2020 with its annual Spot On Children’s Festival, running from 29th September to 2nd October.

This year’s four-day program offers an exciting mix of in-person and live-streamed shows and workshops, giving families the flexibility to choose how they wish to participate.

The Spot On Children’s Festival 2020 will feature live performances by The Beanies, Junkyard Beats, DrAudiYO, Tiptoe Giants, Lili and Pascal, and Avocado Smash.

It will also offer fun-filled workshops, including a behind-the-scenes look at making a podcast, tips to create your own junkyard orchestra and a comedy masterclass.

City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Bob Dwyer advised “I’m delighted to see Riverside Theatres welcoming audiences back into the venue, in line with public health requirements, after months of being closed.

“While COVID-19 has led to us develop our Riverside Theatres Digital series and stream live concerts into homes across Australia, there’s nothing quite like the experience of being in a theatre ‒ watching the curtain rise and becoming immersed in a show.”

Riverside Theatres Director Robert Love said he was thrilled that the festival is being delivered in-person and online and added “we love presenting the annual Spot on Children’s Festival each year in the spring school holidays. This is our ninth year hosting Spot On and I look forward to seeing our young audiences experiencing this entertaining and educational program, whether it’s in-person or online.”

While Riverside Theatres temporarily closed its doors to the public on Monday 23 March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has continued to entertain audiences through its popular digital series of star-studded live concerts, Riverside Theatres Digital.

Riverside Theatres is registered with the NSW Government as a COVID Safe venue.

The Spot On Children’s Festival has been developed in-line with federal and state government health guidelines, and following consultation with Live Performance Australia, other NSW venues, and various government bodies on enhanced health, hygiene and safety measures.

These measures include: reduced audience capacity with socially-distanced seating; extra cleaning; increased sanitisation of high-touch surfaces; the provision of hand sanitiser, anti-bacterial wipes and hand-washing facilities throughout the venue; traffic management plans to alleviate congestion in public spaces; and dedicated COVID Safe Hygiene Marshals.

Image of Avocado Smash courtesy City of Parramatta