ONE of the world’s most famous beachfronts will erupt in a celebration of light and sound when the 2012 Surfers Paradise Festival presented by Centro Surfers Paradise is launched by Mayor Tom Tate on June 20.

The celebration of the city’s heart and soul will culminate with a spectacular lantern parade through the streets of Surfers Paradise, lit by the warmth of the community.

The Official Opening Ceremony Lantern Parade supported by Seaduction Restaurant + Bar will feature splashes of colour from the bright national costuming of multicultural groups and roving carnival performers. It will be led by marching bands and members of the Queensland Police Service, Queensland Fire Brigade, GoldLinQ, community groups and Gold Coast primary schools.

Surfers Paradise Alliance CEO Mike Winlaw, said as the parade snakes through the precinct, café diners, families of the marchers and passers-by will line the streets to take in the diverse spectacle.

“This is really something where the whole community can come together and celebrate the wonderful cultural diversity for which the Gold Coast is known world-wide,” he said.

“Of course we have some of the most spectacular beaches and tourism icons, but it’s the underlying community spirit that gives a destination its voice and the Surfers Paradise Festival is a celebration of that.

“The lantern parade will see those marching and waving to people thronged along the parade route and mums and dads will wait for a glimpse of their child as they pass by with their classmates, all to the beat of a marching band.”

The parade leaves from Neal Shannon Park on the rooftop of the Transit Centre and will make its way along Beach Road, north up Cavil and Orchid Avenue then south along the redeveloped foreshore to the Surfers Paradise sign at the mouth of Cavill Mall.

Showcasing a razzle-dazzle array of talent across events including Hard Rock Rocks the Beach presents Launch It, Australian Street Entertainment Championships presented by The High Street, One Way Street Party, Shorts in Paradise Film Festival and A La Carte in the Park presented by Hilton Surfers Paradise, the 2012 Surfers Paradise Festival is a huge drawcard for visitors from all over the world.

ARIA winners Sneaky Sound System and rock icons Hoodoo Gurus will bring their dance and rock chart-topping tunes to the 2012 Surfers Paradise Festival presented by Centro Surfers Paradise.  Sneaky Sound System and Hoodoo Gurus will take the stage and headline the Festival’s marquee music event Hard Rock Rocks The Beach presents Launch It!

Fresh from the Sneaky Sound System US tour, sultry songstress Miss Connie Mitchell and producer extraordinaire Black Angus McDonald will get the beach dance floor pumping when they perform on Friday June 22.

Australian rock icons the Hoodoo Gurus will also join the party and a star cast of performers, artists and music acts from around the globe. Over the course of the festival, bands such as Wolf & Cub, Oceanics, Bleeding Knees Club and many more will entertain from the beach stage.

Staged across four, giant action-packed weeks from June 20 to July 15, the family-friendly, free Festival is a key fixture on the Gold Coast cultural calendar and this year is set to attract 120,000 people.

Mr Winlaw said the celebration of music, food, film and art is a key driver of the Gold Coast's long-term cultural development.

“The Surfers Paradise Festival is an incredibly diverse event that attracts a remarkable array of talented musicians, artists, filmmakers and street performers from all corners of the globe,” he said.

“For the precinct to attract and host such a hotbed of creativity and talent is testament to our vibrant events-based tourism strategy and a real feather in the cap for the Surfers Paradise Alliance team who work tirelessly to put together one of the most unique festivals in Australia.”

Now in its third year, the festival has gained a tremendous amount of local business support, with Centro Surfers Paradise committing to headline sponsorship, The High Street Surfers Paradise sponsoring the Australian Street Entertainment Championships, Hilton Surfers Paradise presenting A La Carte in the Park and Hard Rock Cafe Surfers Paradise providing sponsorship naming rights for Launch It.