This year, Southern Stars is returning to WIN Entertainment Centre, and it’s going to be bigger than ever.

“The show this year is called Embrace, so it’s really a show about giving kids the opportunity to connect, look at all the opportunities that come their way, a chance to showcase their talents and also, I guess, challenge themselves to be the best that they can be,” Paul Roger, executive producer of Southern Stars told Campbell and Tristan on Evenings.

This year’s show will feature over 120 schools and more than 3000 kids, most of them local. There will be a marching band, circus acts, an Aboriginal dance ensemble, a Rising Stars disability ensemble, a full orchestra, 500-strong choir, and over 2000 dancers putting on an arena showcase spectacular for more than 12,000 spectators across four shows.

Paul says preparation for the event is massive, from brainstorming ideas, auditions, identifying key performances, and rehearsals, which are currently in an intense phase in the back end of Term 2. “It basically starts pretty much two weeks after the last show finishes,” Paul told Campbell and Tristan.

In addition to being executive producer, Paul is also the principal of Corrimal High School. “It is an interesting mix. I have kids who perform as well, so I get to see from a parent’s perspective, also from a principal’s perspective.”

Joining local kids will be kids from as far as Young, Penrith, and even Newtown. “We know there’s a big arts scene and performing arts scene in the Illawarra, it’s nice to be able to help put that on,” said Paul.

The show is sure to be a highlight of the 2023 Illawarra Calendar. Tickets for Southern Stars are now available on Ticketmaster.