18.2 C
Byron Shire
June 10, 2026

Local students shine at Schools Spectacular

Latest News

Community to rally against ‘relentless’ RA house demolitions

Northern Rivers locals and flood-impacted residents will gather in Lismore this Saturday to demand the NSW Reconstruction Authority stop demolishing heritage homes and deliver on broken promises, as community anger at the failed flood recovery reaches a new peak.

Other News

Catalano’s twin Wategos mansion DA wins court approval

A controversial dual-mansion development at Wategos Beach has been approved by the NSW Land & Environment Court, ending an 18-month battle between media entrepreneur Antony Catalano's company and Byron Shire Council.

Marooned yacht on rocks near Ballina

A local photographer has shot a marooned yacht at Flat Rock, in Ballina Shire. It's the second boat to be washed ashore in recent months

Flood-free land and houses hit the market for Lismore buyback residents

In what the government has described as a step forward for the region’s housing recovery, flood-affected homeowners will get the first opportunity to buy into Goonellabah’s Mount Pleasant estate.

Byron Shire mens Rebels suffer first defeat at the hands of Wollongbar

Hywel David It was a mixed day out at Pioneer Park in Wollongbar-Alstonville on a sunny Saturday, with the Rebels...

Drugs: a health problem needing law reform

The 2024 Penington Institute’s Annual Overdose Report stated that, ‘in 2022 there were 2,356 drug-induced deaths in Australia, equating to approximately six lives needlessly lost each day’.

What lies beneath – AUKUS grows murkier

Senate Estimates descended into 'Yes Minister' territory last week when the vexed subject of AUKUS came up, following the revelation from deputy PM and defence minister Richard Marles that Australia's best case scenario was now that we would receive three second-hand submarines from the USA during the transition stage of this very expensive project, possibly between 2032 and 2038.

Alstonville High student Sam Green will be one of the featured artists in the 2019 Schools Spectacular held in Sydney in November. Photo supplied.

At the end of the school year, around 5,500 students from right across New South Wales will converge on Sydney’s QUDOS Bank Arena in Olympic Park for four performances of the 2019 Schools Spectacular.

This is the biggest entertainment event in the school year and students start working on their performances from now until November and it’s time to reach for the stars as the schools have been named for this year’s lineup.

North Coast and Mid North Coast schools who will be contributing stars to this year’s Schools Spectacular have been revealed.

Students joining the show will perform in Aboriginal Dance (AD), Combined Choir (CC), Combined Dance (CD), Featured Ensemble (FE), D’Arts Ensemble (D), Combined Drama (CDr), Puppets (P) or Signing Choir (SC).

Locally the school heading to Sydney are Banora Point High (CD), Coffs Harbour Senior College (CD), Grafton High (AD), Kingscliff High (CD), Kingscliff Public (CD), Modanville Public (CC) and South Grafton High (AD).

The spectacular also highlights featured artists, this year the list includes Sam Green from Alstonville High School

Musicians, including members of the 100-piece symphony orchestra, stage band and Millennium Marching Band, will be announced closer to the Schools Spectacular.

Schools Spectacular Creative Director, Sonja Sjolander said that this year’s theme, STARS is a tribute to everybody involved in the Schools Spectacular.

‘In the Schools Spectacular, everyone is a star,’ said Ms Sjolander. ‘We are recognised as the biggest performance of its kind in the world, and to attain this success everyone has to shine in their role.

Ms Sjolander says we are are all stars, whether we are the performers on stage, backstage, crew, the dedicated teachers who make everything happen for their students or the parents who devote countless hours ensuring their children have this wonderful opportunity to star in the Schools Spectacular.’

‘The galaxy of talent includes 40 Featured Performers, an incredible 100-piece symphony orchestra, stage band, 2,700-voice choir, 2,300 amazing dancers, the D’Arts Ensemble disability program, the Aboriginal Dance Company, puppets and an indispensable behind-the-scenes team.’

In the true spirit of variety, the fast-paced show will transition through a colourful choreographed kaleidoscope of music from pop and hip hop to the classics, from a crescendo of massed voices to stunning solos, and a full spectrum of dance styles.

Four performances of the Schools Spectacular will be staged at QUDOS Bank Arena on Friday, 22 (11am, 7.30pm) and Saturday, 23 (1pm, 7pm) November and will be later broadcast across Australia on Channel 7 networks.



For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling.

If you are a local business owner help us and in turn we help you. All The Echo asks for is advertising, not a free ride. It is every advert in The Echo and on www.echo.net.au, which creates the space for all the stories and coverage of community events, happenings and concerns.

If you are a reader you can become a sponsor of The Echo. Your support keeps the us independent.

Even a small one-off or regular donation from you will help keep the echo’s independent voice alive and strong.

Support Us

Become one of the supporters who helps keep independent, local journalism alive in the Byron Shire by contributing anything from as little as the cost of a coffee each month.

You're Wonderful, Thank you for supporting independent journalism in the Byron Shire

You’re supporting The Echo, thank you

Your contribution is keeping independent, local journalism alive in the Northern Rivers.

Because of supporters like you, we can keep every story free for everyone — no paywall, no exceptions. Your money goes directly to funding our newsroom of 40-odd local workers covering the stories that matter to this community.

Tell us what you think, give us your opinion

The Echo loves your letters and comments and is proud to provide a community forum on the issues that matter most to our readers and the people of the NSW north coast. So don’t be a passive reader, email us your epistles at editor@echo.net.au.

The letters deadline for The Echo is noon Friday. Letters longer than 200 words may be cut. The publication of letters is at the discretion of the letters editor. Please remember to include your full name, address and telephone number.

Online comments are no longer available.

Myall Creek walk starts conversations and opens eyes to difficult history

The Walk 4 Stolen Children, Land & Lives has successfully concluded in Myall Creek, having completed 474km on foot from Ballina and visited a number of massacre sites along the way.

Emergency departments buckling under pressure

Nurses working at emergency departments (ED) across the state are continuing to feel the effects of increased presentations and very unwell people coming through their doors, with the latest health snapshot painting a worrying picture of NSW public hospitals.

New exhibitions opening at Lismore Regional Gallery

All are welcome to the official opening of four new exhibitions at Lismore Regional gallery this Friday evening, with live music and a talk from Melbourne artist Sarah Ujmaia.

Missing man

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a 35-year-old man missing from Tugun on the southern Gold Coast since 9 June.