MACKAY SHOW 

• Gates open 9am - 10pm Tuesday and Wednesday
• Gates open 9am - 4pm Thursday
• Ticket prices: Adults 17+ $20, Kids 5 and under free, Kids 6-16 $15
• Full program below

PRESALES for tickets off the charts, Australasia's biggest mobile ride and one of the best motorbike stuntmen in the country: it's the 2018 Mackay Show.

Mackay Show Association general manager Steve Gavioli reckons this year is the best year for the show so far.

"The presale tickets are off the chart, the interest (yesterday) is unbelievable so I think this is going to be one very very good show," he said.

"Watching the cattle come in, it's unbelievable, I think it'll be one of the best shows we've put on here."

Among attractions are 'The Beast' - the biggest mobile ride in Australasia. The spinning claw ride whips occupants up into the air and down again like ragdolls.

The ride was built by Holland's KMG International, a Dutch ride engineering company, and reaches speeds of 120km/h and swings 38 metres high while doing a 360 degree spin.

The rotating gondola holds 20 people at once and has the same G-forces as a fighter plane.

The ride can punch through 600 people per hour according to the company's website, and it requires three semi-trailers to transport.

The construction time of this attraction amounts around seven hours with four people on the job.

Mr Gavioli said that the 80 tonne thrill ride is one of only six in the world.

"Anyone that rides The Beast will know they've been on a ride," he laughed. "That's the biggest new ride we have."

Other rides include the Freak Out, another spinning claw-style ride, seating 16 - it weighs 28 tonnes and sits 21m high.

The Showman's Guild have also rolled out Speed, a 36m high, 28 tonne revolving arm ride, it delivers G-forces of up to 3.5 which is equivalent to a drag car.

"We also have, entertainment-wise, Eljay who is a motorbike and BMX bike stuntman - his show is sensational," Mr Gavioli said.

The Eljayshow is an 'all weather' entertainment show, with motorcycle and bicycle trials.

Testament to its popularity it has been doing the rounds for more than 20 years now and involves a series of ramps, boxes, half-pipes and much more for the riders to trick on.

The star of the show, Eljay Driessens rides both motorcycles and bicycles.

By 14 years of age he was competing at an A-grade level across Australia and even did European and world championship events.

Eljay started his entertainment company while still only in high school, and since then it has evolved and appeared at major events across the country, from agricultural shows through to hot rod shows.

"I booked him straight away when I saw him, he's on three shows a day," Mr Gavioli said.

"The Art on Show has record numbers again this year, and one of the real surprises is the kid's Lego, that has had an amazing amount of entries.

"One young chap has actually done his display up of a Lego grandstand with the roof coming off and the new grandstand coming together."

The wood chop will run from Wednesday to Thursday with top prizes of $200, while the new pavilion to be home to the baking display which is rumoured to be off the charts.

Equestrian events will run the full three days with top prizes of $600.

Minister for State Development Cameron Dick will be opening Mackay's new grandstand as well tonight.

Mr Dick said he was pleased to accept an invitation from the Mackay Show Society to officially open the Mackay Showgrounds Redevelopment Project.

State government tipped in $2.3 million to the upgrade the showgrounds with a new indoor equestrian precinct, three new commercial kitchens, new covered grandstand seating, and relocation of the existing water main.

2018 MACKAY SHOW PROGRAM - TUESDAY, JUNE 19 TO THURSDAY, JUNE 21

TUESDAY

SHOWJUMP

• 7.30am: Day begins with walk the course

RING ONE

• 8.30am: Halter classes and performance classes, all day

SHOWCOURT

• 3.30pm-4pm: Eljay BMX and motorbike show
• 4pm-4.30pm: Fame Jukebox Show
• 4.30pm-5pm: Lindsay Hains
• 5pm-5.30pm: Eljay BMX and motorbike show
• 5.30pm-6pm: Dance Express

GRANDSTAND

• 6pm-6.15pm: Fire Twirler
• 6.15pm-6.30pm: Eljay BMX and motorbike show
• 6.45pm-7pm: The Official Opening
• 7.15pm-7.45pm: The Grandstand Show
• 8pm: Fireworks

WEDNESDAY

SHOWJUMP

• 7.30am: Day begins with walk the course

RING ONE

• 9am: Led breed classes

RING TWO:

• 9am: Led hack classes
• 9am: Woodchop

SHOWCOURT

• 11am-11.30am: Chelona State School
• 11.30am-12pm: Ready, Set, Dance
• 12pm-12.15pm: Piano Players
• 12pm-1pm: Break
• 1pm-1.15pm: Eljay BMX and motorbike show
• 1.30pm-2pm: Emma-Kate
• 2pm-3.30pm: Break
• 3.30pm-4pm: Eljay BMX and motorbike show
• 4pm-4.15pm: Fame Jukebox Show
• 4.30pm-4.45pm: North High Cheerleading
• 4.45pm-5pm: St Pats College Dance Troupe
• 5pm-5.15pm: Dance Express
• 5.30pm-6pm: Lindsay Hains

GRANDSTAND

• 6.30pm-7pm: Emma-Kate and Jake
• 7pm-7.15pm: Fire Twirler
• 7.15pm-7.45pm: Eljay BMX and motorbike show
• 7.45pm: The Grandstand Show
•  
• Late: Fireworks

THURSDAY

SHOWJUMP

• 7.30am: Day begins with walk the course

RING ONE

• 9am: Open and show Hunter Galloway hack classes

RING TWO

9am: Tiny tots riding section, open and show Hunter Galloway hack classes

WOODCHOP: 9am

SHOWCOURT

• 9.45am-10am: Roby Rogers
• 10.15am-10.30am: Centre Stage

GRANDSTAND

• 10.45am-11am: Eljay BMX and motorbike show
• 11.30am-12pm: The Grandstand Show

SHOWCOURT

• 12.15pm-12.45pm: Ceilidh Irish and Highland Dancing
• 1pm-1.15pm: A-choir'd Pitch
• 1.15pm-1.30pm: Created P.A.
• 1.30pm - 2pm: Claddagh Irish School

GRANDSTAND

• 2pm-2.30pm: Eljay BMX and motorbike show