Because we do not conform. We cannot afford to.

Nothing here conforms. Not the mine-ravaged hills that rise to the rain clouds in such stark contrast to the lush, green rainforest that envelopes the rest of the valley and beyond.

A moonlike landscape in the most unlikeliest of places – barren, rocky beauty?

Or despicable environmental carnage inflicted in the pursuit of making money?

A valley pillaged and ultimately exhausted? Or a geological marvel whose riches were only matched by the ingenuity of those who mined it?

Is this a sad, old mining town still clinging to a forlorn hope its ore-bearing lifeline will awaken from her slumber and yet again share her riches?

Or a community embracing change, pursuing opportunities in a new creative economy and forging an exciting future, with an eye on its unique, century-old past?

Welcome to Queenstown.
Welcome to The Unconformity.

The Unconformity builds upon the momentum gained from our first festival in 2010. We have won awards and accolades ... but it is the community that inspires and sustains us, and compels us to grow.

We see a remarkable place, home to a resilient and proud community adopting contemporary values to overcome profound local challenges.

We choose to celebrate what we have: a town that is a paradox, incongruous. Where cultural contradictions jostle for attention.

Grass sporting fields? We do gravel.

For those with imagination, boldness and belief in the transformative power of the arts, Queenstown is the perfect place for a festival.

There is nowhere else like it. We invite you to visit us, experience us, hitch a ride and share our journey – however brief – and then find a rocky outcrop with a view of the valley and its mountains, preferably illuminated by the orange light of dawn or dusk, and decide for yourself.

Dismiss us. Understand us.
Come along and make up your mind.
But, when you come back, don’t expect things to be the same.