The Parkes Elvis Festival is preparing to shake, rattle and roll once again and at the heart of the excitement you can find the Parkes Elvis Festival director and manager of events and tourism, Brendan Shipley. The Parkes Champion Post sat down with Brendan ahead of next week's festival program launch, for which he can't wait to announce all of the exciting new things coming to next year's festival. Brendan joined the Parkes Shire Council team as the Parkes Elvis Festival director in December last year and now oversees not only the Elvis Festival but also the broader events and tourism strategy for the region. "It's a big job but it's always exciting and there's always something happening," he said. Brendan said the 2026 Elvis Festival is already shaping up to be one of the biggest yet with the introduction of some new and exciting initiatives. "We're introducing a new family fun zone based on feedback from previous years," he said. "We've got global superstars from the children's entertainment world coming, names the kids will know and the parents will love too." The festival program is being refreshed with exclusive theme shows at the Parkes Leagues Club, a new late night 'After Dark' performance and extended hours of the Memphis Stage to keep the music going well into the afternoon. Other exciting changes to the festival include an earlier parade time to beat the heat, the Clarinda Street activation will be extended and see Cars of the Era located in front of Woolworths, and Church Street will also be activated to include food vendors and market stalls. Brendan's journey to Parkes is as fascinating as the festival itself. Originally from Sydney, Brendan attended a performing arts high school and was a member of the mass choir. He performed in Schools Spectacular twice as part of the mass choir and always found himself drawn to how the lighting works and where the cables led. "I was more interested in the technology side of things and how it all ran and operated." This curiosity led Brendan to be a crew member in his third year and then full-time at the event in his fourth. "Back at school I was always the one in the hall operating the sound and lighting," Brendan recalled. His career took off in Queensland where he spent 12 years working with major entertainment brands such as Village Roadshow, Outback Spectacular, The Wiggles, Bluey and the Toowoomba Royal Show. "I've moved on to create my own production company where we produce shows and tour them around the country and eventually around the world," he said. "I've worked in every position moving up into the roles that I'm in now and I just love it." Now based in Parkes, Brendan is bringing his expertise to a festival that draws more than 25,000 visitors each year. "What I love about the Elvis Festival is the joy. It's unlike anything I've experienced," he said. "People are just here to have a good time." Brendan's role as festival director involves everything from programming and logistics to coordinating with the team at council, volunteers and external stakeholders. "We have over 100 volunteers who help make the festival happen, we couldn't do it without them," Brendan said. As the 2026 Parkes Elvis Festival program launch approaches, Brendan is excited to unveil a host of new surprises. "We've got two international Elvis Tribute Artists who've never performed here before and a Wall of Fame artist who's a global superstar." For the first time the festival will also integrate the Visit Parkes tourism brand, showcasing the region's year-round attractions. "Parkes isn't just open for five days. We want people to discover the gold mine at Peak Hill, the charm of Trundle and everything else our region has to offer," Brendan added. While 2026 is buzzing with anticipation, Brendan and his team are looking further ahead with planning for the 2027 Parkes Elvis Festival already underway.
