Festival Events

Enduring materials, beaten, hollowed, carved, and polished to sing songs of the past and breathe life into the future. This is music of, and for, Aotearoa.

A special pre-Festival event

There are – in the tradition of Katherine Mansfield, Robin Hyde and Janet Frame – many Aotearoa writers who live beyond our shores. What message would they like us to hear?

The intricate overlaying and threading of flax fibres adds to the rich tapestry of Te Tau Ihu whakapapa and tells the unique stories associated with this art form.

Nelson Arts Festival is delighted to be bringing Selina Tusitala Marsh to Whakatū to speak to school students about her two inspirational graphic novels for middle grade readers, Mophead (winner of the 2020 Margaret Mahy Award) and Mophead Tu (a finalist for this year's award).

Ko Te Ākau — Poetics of Land, Water and Sky is a new installation and performance work created by visionary and internationally renowned artist Charles Koroneho in collaboration with Filament Eleven 11.

Spring. Daylight Savings. Arts Festival. Opening night. What better way to celebrate than watching the city unfurl after dark?

What would the love child of Courtney Love and The Gathering look like?

Need coffee? Fancy a beverage pre or post show? Or have you just finished performing and you need somewhere to unwind and meet other artists, audiences and crew?
No fear! (Almost) every night of the Fest we’ve got you covered at East St Festival Hub with post-show gigs, excellent beverages and food to save the planet by.

Join 28 of Aotearoa’s leading authors and change-makers who come together over four days for kōrero about their latest books, the lives that have informed them and how the written word enables them to explore the universal issues that matter to us all.

Experience it, be in it, craft it, share it. We’ve cooked up somethin’ special at the Refinery Visual Arts Hub (as if they don’t do special the rest of the year too).

‘Ano me He Wharepuungawerewere’ is a whakatauki that likens a beautifully carved or woven house (Wharenui), to that of a beautifully and authentically woven spider’s web. It can also be used to express or denote the ideas of a house full of spider webs, collecting dust.

Repose invites local and international artists to cross geographic boundaries and timezones to connect and create together.

Nelson City Centre ArtWalk is an outdoor art gallery in Whakatū’s streets. With 26 sites, ArtWalk takes you on a journey past artworks by some of our most celebrated artists, as well as artworks that have a particular poignancy to Whakatū.

See the world how the future does, in Through The Eye of Whakatū. A group of Whakatū tamariki have been exploring climate change through the lens of a camera.

A writing workshop to help you embrace the strange and describe the indescribable, led by writer and taonga pūoro practitioner Ruby Solly (Kāi Tahu, Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe).

A deep-dive discussion with Charlotte Grimshaw about her explosive new memoir, facilitated by filmmaker and fellow memoirist Miro Bilbrough.

Who gets noticed? Who gets ignored? Pip Adam and Jacqueline Bublitz discuss their compelling and provocative novels, which defy fiction tropes.

From the peaks of the Southern Alps to the darkest reaches of the universe, Nic Low and Annette Lees guide us through their journeys of discovery.

Both deeply immersed in classical piano and masterful improvisation, Nils Frahm and Flavio Villani have the same worldview.

The last New Zealand war took place in Auckland in 1979. It lasted three minutes.

In 2017, FRED Award finalist comedian James Roque (roh-keh) realised he’d been pronouncing his own Filipino last name incorrectly for 17 years.

Ready for a night of hip-hop and dancehall with a reggae backbone? Oof yes!

What does your town look like from someone else’s perspective? How intimate can you be with someone you’ve just met?

In this kaupapa Māori kōrero facilitated by Olivia Hall,  four wāhine – Ruby Solly, Hinemoa Elder, Hana Tapiata and Kerensa Johnston – share their wisdom about wellbeing.

Octavia Cade, Kirsten McDougall and Clare Moleta discuss their extraordinary female protagonists living in a time of cataclysmic change.

Nelson Symphony Orchestra in association with NCMA present a tribute to the big screen.

Airini Beautrais and Charlotte Grimshaw have both won awards for their short story collections. Hear from them about the attractions and challenges of the format.

If you don’t already, you WILL know this comedy superstar by the end of 2021 when his very personal, very hilarious TV series 'Raised by Refugees' premieres.

Following hot on the heels of their self-titled debut, Pōneke-based musical wonders KITA make their Whakatū premiere with their dreamscape of synth-pop, layering stunning melodies over soulful beats.

Kim Hill invites Jason Boberg, Mike Joy, Dave Lowe and Kera O’Regan to explain why there’s still hope we can respond to the climate crisis.

Crime writer Alan Carter interrogates Steve Braunias and Jared Savage, two of Aotearoa's best journalists, about their new true crime books.

Hear from three contributors to the new anthology, A Clear Dawn: New Asian Voices From Aotearoa New Zealand: Angelique Kasmara, Rose Lu and Chris Tse.

Former NZ Poet Laureate Selina Tusitala Marsh shares the stage with two of Aoteaora’s most extraordinary young poets – Ruby Solly and Tayi Tibble – as they perform poems from their latest collections.

Some of Aotearoa’s finest music luminaries gather at NCMA for one night only, with the Lucien Johnson Quartet promising a sumptuous evening of mesmerising music.

Taite Music Prize 2021 winner Reb Fountain will premier material from her highly anticipated new album IRIS along with songs from her self titled Flying Nun debut.

Steve Braunias speaks with Miro Bilbrough about her memoir, In The Time of the Manaroans, which he declared on Newsroom the ‘best written book of non-fiction of 2020’.

Join Chris Tse, Ruby Solly, AJ Fitzwater and EJ Mann to celebrate the breadth and diversity within Aotearoa’s rainbow literary community.

Local food writer Nicola Galloway chats to Margo and Rosa Flanagan (AKA ‘Two Raw Sisters’) about their new cookbook, Salad.

Many moons ago, a different kind of superhero ruled this side of the Pacific: Māui-Tikitiki-A-Taranga.

The tūi chatters, the kākā cackles, and the kererū coos: each bird has its distinctive sounds from the moment they hatch. Te Taiao (the natural world) shapes their growth, stance, and song, until they are finally set to soar across the sky.

An artist arrives at his paint-splattered studio ready to create a new work. He waits for inspiration. When it finally comes, things don’t proceed quite as he would wish.

Dance and spoken word, song and pure energy, this exciting new work from Fua Creative celebrates growth, culture and new life — and the energy, experiences and creative excellence of the rangatahi of Waiharakeke Blenheim who co-created MATALA.

True stories. Truly live. The return of a local festival favourite Couch Stories, is back with the much loved couch and all new stories.

We’re told to expect a ‘psychedelic mash of futurist guitar jank and meditative croon’. Are you curious yet?

How does a surfer of Lebanese/Aotearoa origin become a flamenco guitar star in Spain?

Theatre meets dance meets song meets the immutable power of Janet Frame’s words in award-winning Red Leap Theatre’s energetic contemporary response to Owls Do Cry.

As imugi 이무기, Tāmaki Makaurau’s Carl Ruwhiu and Yery Cho navigate the slipstream between the listless ennui of late 90’s downbeat and trip-hop, silicon smooth synth-pop, and the undeniable bounce of modern R&B.

A forever festival favourite, this magical community celebration is how we welcome the start of summer in Whakatū Nelson. 2021 is all about connection - the theme for this year’s parade!

This is the news, but not as you know it.

News News News is a television news show made by children for adults, presented live from the stage of Tauranga’s Baycourt Theatre to viewers across the globe (and Whakatū).

From Dolly to the (Dixie) Chicks, The F Word is a journey of feminism through country music, from 1952 — the 1st female country artist at #1 – to today.

Missing international travel? Get your dancing shoes on and explore the far flung reaches of African Jazz with the most charismatic of saxophonists, Thabani Gapara.

Catch The Beths while you can Whakatū, ‘cos trust me — they’ll be taking off again real quick!

PechaKucha returns with a fine selection of interesting and creative folks from Whakatū and beyond.