Magic in the Stars | Disney On Ice Returns to Newcastle
- Liane Morris
- 11 hours ago
- 6 min read
For many Newcastle families, Disney On Ice has become a winter tradition. It’s the kind of event that draws together parents, grandparents and children for a few hours of shared wonder. This July, the beloved production returns to Newcastle Entertainment Centre with Disney On Ice presents Magic in the Stars skating into town from 9-12 July.
Bigger, bolder and more ambitious than ever before, the all-new arena spectacular features an extraordinary 56 Disney characters and the largest cast assembled for a Disney On Ice production to date. Combining elite-level figure skating with breathtaking aerial acrobatics, larger-than-life storytelling, dazzling costumes, cutting-edge special effects, and beloved Disney music, Magic in the Stars promises to deliver one of the most visually spectacular productions the global phenomenon has ever staged.
And once again, Newcastle remains the only non-capital city on the Australian tour schedule, a testament to how enthusiastically local audiences continue to embrace the production year after year.
Hosted by Mickey Mouse alongside Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Daisy, the production takes audiences on a journey through some of Disney’s most beloved worlds. Guided by Jiminy Cricket and the shining North Star, the show celebrates courage, dreams, friendship and the idea that every great adventure begins with a wish.
This year’s production features beloved stories from Frozen 2, Moana, Encanto, Toy Story, Cars, Beauty and the Beast, Tangled, Cinderella, Snow White, Aladdin and The Princess and the Frog, alongside one of the show’s biggest highlights - the live on-ice debut of Raya from Raya and the Last Dragon.
For Australian skater Simone Aubrecht, however, this year’s tour carries a very personal significance.
The 22-year-old Sydney performer will return home to Australia to portray Elsa in front of family and friends for the very first time.
“This will be the first time I’ve ever performed a Disney On Ice show in Australia, so I’m really excited,” Simone says. “Only my parents have seen me skate professionally before, so having my extended family and friends in the audience is going to feel really special.”
Raised in the Blue Mountains, Simone was practically born into skating. Both of her parents were figure skaters who met through the sport, and she first stepped onto the ice at just three years old.
“My parents got me into skating,” she says. “I grew up around it.”
Training at Liverpool Catholic Club under the guidance of her parents, Simone built an impressive competitive career, completing every major single skating test available in Australia while competing nationally and internationally.
But despite years spent chasing technical perfection, Disney On Ice offered something entirely different.
“In competitive skating, you’re skating for judges and trying to get as many points as possible,” she explains. “It’s very technical, and sometimes the performance side can get a bit lost.”
“In Disney On Ice, nobody cares what jump you do - they just want a good performance. The audience is on your side. It’s honestly so much more enjoyable.”
That shift from competition to storytelling has transformed the way Simone approaches skating itself.
“When I first joined the tour, I focused more on the character performance and used easier tricks,” she says. “Now I can add in more technical elements as well, and when they land, it feels incredible because it’s like a bonus on top of the storytelling.”
Before joining Disney On Ice in late 2025, Simone spent time performing professionally aboard cruise ships, an experience she says helped prepare her for the demanding pace of touring life.
“On a cruise ship, you live there and do other jobs as well as the performances,” she explains.
“Disney On Ice is completely different because your only job is to skate and portray the character. You really get to dive deep into who they are.”
And few Disney characters are more beloved than Elsa.
“I love the character of Elsa,” Simone says. “She’s one of the few Disney characters who really goes after what she wants and learns how to control her power. I actually relate to that stubborn side of her personality.”
One of Simone’s standout moments in the production is performing Elsa’s iconic solo from Frozen 2.
“I get to skate to Into the Unknown, which is such an incredible number to perform,” she says.
“It’s emotional and powerful all at once.” She says one of the most rewarding parts of the role is seeing the reaction from young audience members, many of whom arrive dressed exactly like Elsa.
“Elsa is one of the most popular Disney characters,” Simone says. “When you see the little kids smiling at you from the audience, it’s just perfect.”
While Simone brings Elsa’s icy power to the arena floor, another performer is helping take the production to entirely new heights - quite literally.
American skater Sydney Berrier portrays Raya in the show’s spectacular new Raya and the Last Dragon sequence, which features an advanced aerial acro-pole routine unlike anything audiences have previously seen in Disney On Ice.
“When I found out I was going to portray Raya, I was filled with so much excitement and gratitude,” Sydney says. “She’s such a strong and earnest warrior, and I love that she teaches audiences about trust and understanding people who are different from you.”
Originally from Minnesota, Sydney has been touring with Feld Entertainment since 2018 and has performed across countries including France, Scotland, Belgium, Spain, Colombia, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
Like Simone, she first discovered skating as a child.
“I convinced my mum I needed a skating dress,” Sydney laughs. “She told me I could only have one if I actually learned how to skate.”
That childhood fascination eventually evolved into a professional career built on both athleticism and performance. Sydney describes her skating style as “steady, fast and powerful,” qualities that suit Raya’s fearless character perfectly.
But she says Raya’s story resonates for reasons beyond the action itself.
“One of the biggest lessons in Raya is learning to trust people who are different from you.”
“I really believe that’s something the world needs more of today.”
The production’s aerial sequence has quickly become one of the show’s most talked about moments.
“I get the pleasure of representing Raya’s strength through this really high-flying aerial performance while still skating at full speed,” she explains. “When I first fly up into the air, you can hear the audience gasp. I don’t think they expect it.”
That audience reaction, she says, is one of the greatest joys of performing.
“Kids react to Raya almost like she’s a superhero,” Sydney says. “There’s a lot of cheering and shouting when she appears. It feels like a rock concert sometimes.”
Behind the scenes, however, life as a Disney On Ice performer requires immense discipline and resilience.
The touring production travels with a massive international team of skaters, technicians, costume staff and crew members, many of whom spend most of the year living out of hotel rooms and suitcases while moving from city to city across the globe.
“The best part is definitely getting to travel and perform,” Simone says. “The hardest part is being away from home.”
Sydney agrees.
That sense of connection and shared joy sits at the very heart of Disney On Ice itself. Since its launch in 1981 as Walt Disney’s World on Ice, the production has grown into one of the most successful live family entertainment experiences worldwide, performing in more than 68 countries and entertaining hundreds of millions of audience members.
Behind the magic lies extraordinary athleticism. Performers rehearse for hundreds of hours before ever stepping onto the ice in front of an audience, mastering complex choreography while navigating moving set pieces, rapid costume changes, intricate lighting effects, aerial stunts and high-speed ensemble routines.
Yet despite the scale of the production, its greatest strength may still be its emotional connection.
For adults, Disney On Ice offers nostalgia wrapped inside familiar songs and cherished characters. For children, it’s the chance to see heroes step off the screen and into real life before their eyes.
Parents who once attended Disney On Ice as children now return with their own families. Grandparents sing along beside toddlers. Teenagers rediscover the stories they grew up loving.
“I love seeing new places and finding great local food,” she says. “But you definitely miss home-cooked meals.”
Still, both performers say the close-knit touring community quickly becomes its own kind of family.
“I’ve learned to love so many different human personalities and make them family,” Sydney says.
For a few hours, entire families step into the same shared sense of wonder. And perhaps that’s why the production continues to resonate generation after generation.
At its heart, Magic in the Stars isn’t simply about spectacular skating or dazzling visual effects, although there is certainly plenty of both. It’s about courage, hope, friendship and believing that something extraordinary might still be possible.
Whether it’s Elsa embracing her power, Moana finding her path across the ocean, Tiana refusing to give up on her dreams, or Raya fighting to unite her world, each story reminds audiences that strength can take many forms.
As Jiminy Cricket reminds audiences beneath the North Star, the most magical things can happen when you make a wish.
And this winter in Newcastle, plenty of wishes are about to come true.
Disney On Ice presents Magic in the Stars is on at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre from Thursday, 9 July, through Sunday, 12 July, with multiple time slots daily. Tickets are on sale now at www.premier.ticketek.com.au.
Note that all guests aged two and over require a ticket to attend.
