Parkes Elvis Festival Director Brendan Shipley.
A life-long passion for performing and live entertainment has led Brendan Shipley to his current position as Festival Director of the 2026 Parkes Elvis Festival.
At a young age, Brendan was inspired to join the school choir after first hearing them perform. Years later he attended Campbelltown Performing Arts High School, where he was heavily involved with the annual School Spectacular, before moving on to roles with Campbelltown Theatre Group.
His corporate career with Bunnings provided the opportunity to move to the Gold Coast, where Brendan then worked at The Australian Outback Spectacular. During this time, he also worked across a number of theme parks including Movie World, Sea World, Wet N Wild and Paradise Country, where Brendan’s team put together a Shaun The Sheep character suit show. Brendan even worked on the Gold Coast theatre production of “Wicked” the musical.
Brendan then landed a role with the Bluey and Bingo team, which for the next five years saw him tour around the country and overseas. He has also worked in the role of merchandising coordinator for The Wiggles.
Fast forward to 2025 and Brendan took on the prestigious role of Parkes Elvis Festival Director, saying with the national media coverage the festival has received, “It’s all eyes on us.”
According to Brendan the 2026 event is shaping up to be massive, with sales for shows well ahead of previous years in the weeks leading up to the five day Elvis extravaganza. “The numbers don’t lie,” said Brendan.
We asked Brendan what festival goers should be excited for this year, and his first response was “Everything!” He went on to say, “Marcia Hines, she is coming to be honoured on the Wall of Fame and to perform her Disco Inferno concert, which was one of the fastest selling shows we have ever done.
“Joshua and Toki with the Ultimate Tribute Show, the eight feature concerts at the Parkes Leagues Club, Elvis After Dark, UETA Competition, Elvis Express, Elvis Central for official merchandise, busking in the main street, the Memphis stage, market talls, Miss Priscilla, Poets Breakfast, Kidszone and the Parade which will kick off at 9am on Saturday in an effort to beat the heat.”