Festival helps link us to wider world
Yesterday kicked off three weeks of New Zealand Festival frenzy – hundreds of performances by artists from around the world and New Zealand in Wellington City.
Opening weekend is always an exhilarating moment but this year it’s especially so for the festival team, artists and contractors.
The unexpected visit of Cyclone Gita reminded us that nature gives the greatest performances of all. But in her wake, we’ve had to deal with artists sleeping in airports, delayed waka sailings and construction schedule setbacks. A huge thank you to all the people and businesses who have helped get us to this point.
We now have artists from the United States, Britain, Africa, Spain, Mexico, Samoa, the Cook Islands and Czech Republic – not forgetting all around New Zealand – converging on our capital.
Alongside them, we have mobilised hundreds of people across our community to stage one of the most memorable welcomes to our city. It’s a moment when I will be incredibly proud of how Wellington embraces its visitors as I see those guests fall in love with this place and its people.
Over the next week, you can see award-winning, international theatre productions The Select and The Barbershop Chronicles, hear music ranging from baroque to pop, as well as enjoy some comedy or the world premiere of Hone Kouka’s play Bless the Child before exploring the fascinating world of Pacific voyaging through A Waka Odyssey.
And if you want to hear all the behind-thescenes stories, come down to the Festival Club on the waterfront, where we all gather at the end of the night.
In so many ways, the festival connects us to the world – a joyous way of bringing people together to share stories and enjoy this fleeting time together. Make sure you don’t miss it.