Nau mai,
haere mai!

Nau mai, haere mai ki te whānau!

In 2021, we have commissioned new works especially for our place and our people, with a beautiful Refinery ArtSpace takeover from Charles Koroneho, sound ritual/absurdist dance gig by Vanessa Worm, Flavio Villani playing compositions from global sensation Nils Frahm (as well as his own), and the Aotearoa premiere of the internationally renowned Walking:Holding.

We are bookending the festival with our two full city explosions — Night Vision returns to kick us off and the revamped Mask Carnivale rings in our final weekend. Join us (almost) every night at East St Festival Hub, as we take over East St Cafe & Bar with a series of our best Whakatū and Aotearoa-wide gigs.

With most of the Fest happening within the CBD, you can dash between events with everything from top theatre productions, award-winning musos, happenings for our young ones and the whole whānau and, of course, the excellent minds and hearts housed within Pukapuka Talks. Phew!

See you at a show, a gig, a talk or perhaps even let’s hold hands — welcome to your Nelson Arts Festival 2021.

Lydia, Rose, Shanine, Annie, Kerry, Sarah, Wendy
& the Nelson Arts Festival team