More than 200 acts will perform at Easterfest in Toowoomba next Easter. The three-day festival presents the biggest lineup of Christian acts the country sees each year and attracts an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 people.

2014 sees a record lineup of artists including Aussie headliners Young & Free (Hillsong), New Empire, The Idea Of North, Alabaster Box (now a duo), Bec Laughton and NZ’s Evermore, plus Jars Of Clay, Hawk Nelson, Shonlock, DJ Maj, The Almost, and Christian music legends, Whiteheart.

Director Dave Schenk says next year’s festival will be a significant one in the history of the event.

“For us, it’s been a tough couple of years. Probably starting with Easterfest 2011 and the storm we had come through on the Saturday night. We’ve had a couple of tough years financially, partly of the back of that to be honest.

“It’s been a tough season for festivals as well. A lot of press lately about how festivals are struggling. I really feel like, for us, the tide is turning and we’re gonna see something really shift in that next year.”

Schenk says that one of the highlights of next year’s festival will the appearance of Whiteheart–a Christian pop rock band from the 80s and 90s that made 11 studio albums, plus numerous greatest hits and live records.

“The one I am most excitement about is Whiteheart because I grew up with them. And I’ve spend the past seven years trying to convince them to get back together and do a show for us.

“Whiteheart haven’t played together on any significant level for something like 15 years. They’re all living their own lives. Some are in the music industry, others in real estate, but they’ve decided they’re going to come back and do Easterfest, and as a result record some new music. So that’s a really exciting coup for us.”

But Easterfest is more than just reliving memories. Schenk says Easterfest is an opportunity to see many new acts–some appearing at the festival for the first time.

“There’s a lot of traction around with the younger crowd about artists like The Almost that is getting great airplay on Triple M. The new group Young & Free from Hillsong are going to be up here. There’s obviously a lot of excitement about what they’re doing.

“Seven of the artists we’ve announced have never been to Easterfest. And a couple have never been to Australia (before). Another four haven’t been to the festival for at least five years.

“So I think it’s quite a fresh line up and I think we’re seeing good quality music starting to cut through without having to necessarily having to have as much money spent on it behind the scenes.”

Easterfest will be held 18-20 April at Toowoomba, west of Brisbane.

And you can follow how some of the artists appearing at Easterfest – Young & Free, Shonlock, Hawk Nelson, Jars Of Clay and New Empire – are fairing on the Australian Christian music charts at Rock Across Australia.