It feels like only yesterday… or maybe last week, depending on your age, but whatever the sensation 2024 marks 30 years since the release of iconic Australian film ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’.
And that means the far western NSW outback – the setting for some of the more iconic scenes from the film – is in party mode, courtesy of the annual Broken Heel festival which grinds the region to a halt every September.
Broken Heel was launched in 2015 and since then has grown to be one of the biggest events in Outback Australia, drawing thousands each year to the historic Palace Hotel in Broken Hill, Australia’s only heritage-listed city (the town has almost 400 individual ‘items of interest’ on the state and national heritage registers).
WHEN: 5th to 9th September 2024
WHERE: The Palace Hotel Broken Hill, Far West NSW…The Outback has never looked so fabulous!
WEBSITE: www.bhfestival.com
This year, the five-day festival of ‘all things drag queens’ will feature another icon of the Australian screen – singer, performer, reality television star and all-round American-turned Aussie superstar Marcia Hines, who will be hosting the event.
This year’s line-up also includes Greg Andrew from the Elton John Experience, Kita Mean, Anita Wigl’it, Rita Menu, BeBe Gunn, Tanzer, The Huxley’s, Vonni, Dame Liz Taylor, Gayleen Tuckwood, Woody, DJ Jack Shit, St Just Sisters, Christina Knees-up and more.
Broken Heel also includes plenty of free events to the general public including the annual Main Street Parade, where locals gather to watch Priscilla-inspired outfits parade for the famous lap up the ‘main drag’.
There’s also an interactive screening of Priscilla, with a special Q&A featuring former cast/crew, plus a Dance Flash Mob in the dusty streets of Silverton (a tiny town just outside Broken Hill, which was the setting for the Mad Max series).
Travel and Glamping Packages available for visitors, including a dedicated bus with a Queen host from PlanetDwellers (leaves from Sydney) and the Stiletto Train Service (also leaves from Sydney, with NSW TrainLink).
And of course you can follow the Broken Heel on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Donate To New Matilda
New Matilda is a small, independent media outlet. We survive through reader contributions, and never losing a lawsuit. If you got something from this article, giving something back helps us to continue speaking truth to power. Every little bit counts.
