Festival Events

Ka tangi te Tītī, ka tangi te Kākā, ka tangi hoki ko ēnei Pīpī Paopao! Tihei māuri ora!

Pīpī Paopao is a performance for tamariki aged 3-5 years old - and their adults - which adopts the unique characteristics of our Manu Rangatira (noble birdlife) through waiata and play, echoing the sounds of Te Taiao (nature).

Ko Te Ākau is a visual arts installation and curated performance programme for live and virtual spaces, created for group and solo performances, within a design accurate, site-specific installation of lighting, sound design and video projection. The project references the collaborative works of artists Ralph Hotere and Bill Culbert and serves as the inspiration for exploring the poetics of Te Ākau, the space where the ocean meets the land, where the horizon connects land, water and sky.

Opening night, spring time, longer days. What better way to celebrate than watching our city unfold after dark? Night Vision returns to kick off our 11 days of unmissable arts experiences.

NUKU: The Exhibition features a selection of larger-than-life-size images of 14 of the kickass Indigenous wāhine who appear in Māori storyteller and photographer Qiane Matata-Sipu's extraordinary self-published book NUKU, which was a finalist for the 2022 Ockham NZ Book Award for Illustrated Nonfiction.

Did you know you can get arts on prescription? To look at a painting, read some poetry or immerse yourself in a performance may be exactly what the doctor ordered!

What does it mean to be a young person in these uncertain times?

In collaboration with Arts, Design and Music students from NMIT, Whispers in the Streets shares rangatahi voices and reflections on uncertainty and what that means to them here and now, in Whakatū. Watch their visual arts interpretation unfold on bollards and listen to their whispers in unexpected places around town.

Let’s paint the streets of Whakatū in bright colours and showcase our community’s diversity and creative superpowers! We are working with local businesses to create displays of fantastic creations old and new - and we'd love you to contribute. Submit your own creations for the showcase or send us photos - we’d love to share them with far and wide!

Novelist Rebecca K Reilly (Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Wai) - winner of the Hubert Church Prize for best first book of fiction at the 2022 Ockham NZ Book Awards - and poet Rebecca Hawkes read from their stunning debut books. 

From across the musical time/space dimensions and from around the motu, we are excited to present our contemporary music programme at its all-new home at Deville.

In the summer of 2019, Erny Belle relocated from Tāmaki Makaurau to the Northland township of Maungatūroto to write and record what would eventually become her debut album, Venus Is Home, released in February 2022.

Did you know that night doesn’t fall, it rises? That there are three grades of twilight? If you have ever wondered what goes on at night beyond the lit-up boundaries of our human world, then this special event, which explores the stories and themes in Annette Lees’ latest book, After Dark: Walking into the nights of Aotearoa, is for you. Ruru (owls) are likely to be our companions. 

Experience selected works from Te Papa’s summer exhibition - Rita Angus: New Zealand Modernist | He Ringatoi Hou o Aotearoa - alongside contemporary Aotearoa painter Selina Foote this Spring.

For this installation, led by their Artistic Director Karolina Serrano (from Colombia), the creative community weaves connections and create a space-filling installation of thread and hands coming together in the spirit of community, hope and unity. Watch it evolve over the course of the Festival.

In te ao Māori, tāne and wāhine once lived in balance with each other, and all other beings who originated from Ranginui and Papatūānuku. Gender and sexual diversity were normalised but colonialisation brought a strict gender hierarchy and static sexual identities. With the power of pūrākau and whakapapa, this exhibition attempts to draw forth mātauranga Māori of gender and sexuality.

We have an all-new Sculpture Symposium for you! Our friends at the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary are hosting Sculpt Nature, celebrating human connections to nature through the sculptural arts. The event has a strong conservation theme, with the participating sculptors creating works which use only natural materials and fiber and reflect on their relationship with nature.

We’re thrilled to collaborate with this inspiring kaupapa and host a second Viewfinder Window in our Festival office at Morrison Square, in addition to their other home on Bank Lane, between Trafalgar Street and Montgomery Square. 

Come see the view change in a street near you - unexpected experiences in otherwise familiar spaces! 

Inspired by the incredible THAW installation, we've put together a series of events and workshops across the Festival to continue the call to action, including an opportunity to contribute with visual artist Gabby O'Connor.

Throughout the festival don’t miss our innovative digital commission, which celebrates incredible Aotearoa writers, spoken word artists and storytellers exploring the theme, ‘Belonging’. The series will be headlined by Ko Wai Koe (from whose waters do you flow?), a spoken word/waiata/music performance by Motueka-based collective, Te Ora Hā, and will be presented throughout the festival, for free, via our digital stages and online.

We’re proud to feature a star-studded line up – plus some of the most exciting new literary talent in Aotearoa – in this year’s Pukapuka Talks.

Anke Richter’s Cult Trip is a gripping, visceral, thriller-like investigation into Centrepoint, Gloriavale and Agama Yoga. In this session, Noelle McCarthy quizzes Richter about the dynamics that turn a group into a cult, and why we are all susceptible to undue influence. 

Bestselling authors Wendyl Nissen and Charity Norman have both ‘been through the fire’ of supporting a parent with dementia, which led to them writing two astonishing books. In this session, they will explore what works when it comes to dementia treatment and care and what desperately needs to change to ensure our loved ones can die with dignity.

In this special live Showy Ovaries performance, the irrepressible comedian Penny Ashton will talk to bestselling novelist Nicky Pellegrino and acclaimed health writer Niki Bezzant, who both written about menopause. No one is too young for this session; knowing what’s ahead may change how you live your life today!

Want Whakatū to have more public artwork which speaks to what matters to our rangatahi in this moment in time? We may have just the thing for you!

In partnership with Nelson College, artist Nerys Ngaruhe will work with local rangatahi to co-create a mural on Broads Field, celebrating toi Māori, street art and youth voices in our community.

What says poetry slam more than a boxing ring?

Time to take your gloves off, Whakatū, for a night of scintillating alliteration, logophile uppercuts and a rhythmic pummelling from some of Victory and beyond’s greatest voices.

After an impressive 11 year career in the Aotearoa comedy scene, Pax Assadi is launching his first nation-wide tour, hot off the heels of his critically acclaimed (very personal, very hilarious!) sitcom, Raised By Refugees.

Polish up those dancing shoes, Whakatū: Brown Sugar Factory is a funk-filled five piece live show combining disco, world music and dance influences with a house back beat.

Elizabeth Knox CNZM speaks with Catherine Chidgey about her two latest books: The Axeman’s Carnival (out in October) and her critically acclaimed 2020 novel Remote Sympathy. In both books, Chidgey chips away the façade of domesticity to expose darker places.

Grand: Becoming my mother’s daughter is an astonishing debut about mothers and daughters, drinking, birth and loss, running away and homecoming, from prize-winning writer and broadcaster Noelle McCarthy. Fellow journalist/broadcaster Wendyl Nissen, who had her own mother difficulties and challenges with alcohol, facilitates the conversation.

Whiti Hereaka and Nic Low have written two remarkable books that tell ancient Māori stories in fresh and compelling ways, with Hereaka flipping perspectives on a well-known tale, and Low using tramping and climbing adventures to bring the past to life.

A vibrant cast of Pasifika artists from Te Tauihu bring you Tupu – a fun kids show that expresses themes of identity, collaboration, kindness and resilience.

What have Michael Bennett (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue) and Christine Leunens got in common? Well, with the help of Taika Waititi, their stories have or are making their way from the page to the screen, but there’s so much more... their latest novels have also been snapped up by numerous international publishers. Doug Brooks facilitates this ‘behind the scenes’ discussion about the adaptation of Better the Blood and In Amber's Wake.

The music theatre star that is Rutene Spooner is channelling the Māori hero Māui into a modern-day icon – complete with rhinestones and glitter. Don’t miss the charmingly quick-witted songs, hilarious antics and heart-felt storytelling.

VÏKÆ is a Ukrainian born alt-pop artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau. After wowing crowds at Bay Dreams 2021, VÏKÆ brings her eclectic, freshly developed show to Whakatū for the first time.

Kim Hill invites Paul Tapsell (Te Arawa, Tainui), Mike Joy, Dave Lowe and Kera Sherwood-O’Regan (Kāi Tahu) to explain how we can respond to the climate crisis and transform our lands, waterways and communities.

In this intimate korero, Hinemoa Elder will discuss her new pukapuka, Wawata – Moon Dreaming, which explores how living in sync with the moon can help us find a growing sense of place and harmony. Kōrero facilitated by Olivia Hall.

NUKU Live is part of a creative and social impact storytelling movement that amplifies the voices of kickass Indigenous wāhine. Meet the book’s creator Qiane Matata-Sipu and three of the wāhine featured in the pukapuka: Dr Acushla Dee Sciascia, Puawai Cairns and Rachel Taulelei. 

WORD Christchurch and Pukapuka Talks presents this very special event to celebrate the life of the enigmatic and brilliant Keri Hulme (1947-2021), author of the bone people, with Patricia Grace, Whiti Hereaka, Marian Evans, Matt Salmons and Ariana Tikao, MCed by Becky Manawatu.

Does the time of day bring out different capacities of our human spirit? Tui-winning jazz bassist Umar Zakaria presents the Sun Song Suites, four concerts exploring the human construction of time through our relationship with the sun.

High above the harbour, suspended by a crane on 2.7 tonnes of ice, a figure - isolated on a melting platform - struggles for balance. As sunset approaches what will be left? We are confronted and inspired by their determination to adapt and survive. There's no time to waste.

Over eight hours in one day, Legs On The Wall brings death-defying beauty to the current climate crisis, with THAW.

Esteemed Aotearoa playwright and author Renée (Ngāti Kahungunu) wrote and published her first crime novel when she was 90. Blood Matters is the riveting sequel to the 2020 Ngaio Marsh finalist The Wild Card, and is another tale of Porohiwi, a small town that doesn't yield its secrets without a fight. Becky Manawatu (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mamoe, Waitaha) the author of bestselling novel Auē, will interview her mentor.

Join us to celebrate the launch of Robbie Burton’s new memoir, Bushline, a deeply personal memoir in which he pays homage to a life shaped by the power of the landscape of Aotearoa. Hosted by Annette Lees.

A brand-new show from acclaimed physical comedy performer Thom Monckton (The Pianist), The King of Taking boasts circus, mime and a whole lot of velvet.

Join acclaimed Whakatū Nelson-based food writer Nicola Galloway at the Food Factory demo kitchen to celebrate the publication of her new pukapuka, The Homemade Table. Nicola will reveal how focusing on the seasons has revolutionised her approach to growing, harvesting, storing, and preparing food.

Bestselling author and Instagram success story Rebekah Ballagh will share with fellow authors/creatives the story of how she built her audience on social media and how doing so not only helped her promote her books but influenced their creation in the first place.

Over one night Agnes takes us on a journey through the streets of her city and the sinews and synapses of her internal world. Through joyfully and honestly exploring themes of diaspora, surfing displacement and tectonic grief, and celebrating the profound connection between the human body and te whenua ūkaipō (homeland), Ana Chaya Scotney (Tūhoe) exemplifies a masterclass in solo performance.

Come partake in the ultimate commitment to yourself.

This interactive ‘wedding’ ritual invites you to take a vow to deeply commit and honour YOURSELF. An antidote to society’s pressure to 'put a ring on it', this rollicking slice of homemade evangelism is led by performance artist Bek Coogan, aka Oona Verse.

Hot off the back of a nationwide tour celebrating Wiri Donna’s debut EP release Being Alone, Wiri Donna is heading back south this spring for Nelson Arts Festival.

Selina Tusitala Marsh visits schools to talk about her two inspirational graphic novels for young readers, Mophead (winner of the 2020 Margaret Mahy Award) and Mophead Tu (a finalist for the 2021 award). In the telling of these heartfelt and often hilarious tales, Selina encourages tamariki to embrace their differences.

(Re)Discover the Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū: this playful site-specific dance/theatre work by Arts Laureate Ross McCormack invites you into rabbit holes of possibility. Follow the performers, gallery hosts and art experts on a never-before tour of the gallery spaces.

The cabaret show that was on everyone’s hips, lips and fingertips in 2021 returns. Fever: Return of the Ula features the savage stomps and luscious sways of critically acclaimed Fine Fatale. Hosted by the soulful singing trills of the goddess trio The Taka Tu Wops, with a live band.

One of the best joke-writers in Aotearoa made headlines this year as part of the first-ever same-sex couple on Dancing With The Stars, leading in week one before a shock elimination in week two. Whaaaat?! Now Eli Matthewson is back behind the wheel, sharing those huge life revelations that take place in the crappiest of cars.

Wallace’s music has been described as a vibrant mosaic of soul, hip-hop and pop, her trademark jazz-influenced vocals and magnetic presence make for a uniquely recognisable sound, captivating audiences around the globe - and now: right here in Whakatū!

The international event Slow Art Day was created to encourage us all to look at art for a little longer, in the hope that we not only see more, but also get to know the works in greater detail. At the same time, slowing down, and being present, is one of those things that are somehow so hard to do in our busy lives, and yet, so important for our wellbeing.

Hear about what shaped Rita Angus' unique vision in an illustrated talk and then follow this with a tour of the exhibition.

HALFQUEEN's sets are just as unapologetic and empowered as her presence in every space. Specializing in the genre-bending sounds of club music, she is driven to connect via ass shaking. And with BBYFACEKILLA, prepare to lose your mind to a DJ that collapses the multiplicity of contemporary club music into a set that is unique, disruptive, and brimming with ecstasy.

Someone once said if the music scene in Aotearoa was a house, then Don McGlashan would be a load-bearing beam. From Blam Blam Blam, The Front Lawn, through to The Mutton Birds and his four acclaimed solo albums, that beam remains as strong as ever. McGlashan’s most recent solo album, Bright November Morning, went straight to No.1 and marks a new stage in Don’s generous and humane songbook.

As part of our ongoing commitment to artists living in our region, in 2022 we are proud to gift the Suter Theatre to an artist for a two-week paid residency to progress a new piece, deep dive on a particular aspect of their mahi, or just trial a whole lot of new ideas.

From operas to traditional songs, baroque to contemporary, jazz and everything in between - celebrate the romance and passion of Italian music throughout the generations.

In 1968, legendary Aotearoa-born composer and deep listener Annea Lockwood set fire to an irreparable upright piano on the banks of the River Thames in London.