SKYCITY Sets the Night Ablaze with a Breathtaking Fireworks Display and For the First Time Ever - An Orange Coloured Tower!

SKYCITY, the Principal Sponsor of Auckland Festival, AK07, is celebrating it's association with the Festival and gearing up for the Festival's grand opening by launching a spectacular fireworks display off the Sky Tower on Thursday 8 March. The show will start at 8.30pm and will be followed by lighting the Sky Tower orange.

Fireworks will be launched from a blacked out Sky Tower, providing a stark contrast to the orange coloured fireworks above. Immediately after the display ends the Tower will glow bright orange - the official Auckland Festival, AK07 colour. The colour will remain orange for the festival's duration, until Sunday 25 March. This will be the first time in the 10-year history of SKYCITY that the Tower has glowed orange.

"SKYCITY is proud to support the Auckland Festival, AK07 which provides such artistic scope on both a local and international level," says SKYCITY Auckland General Manager David Christian.

"SKYCITY has supported hundreds of arts and creative organisations during the last decade. We are delighted to be part of Auckland Festival, AK07 because it is such a wonderful celebration of art and culture in the heart of Auckland City. The fireworks from the Sky Tower are just the beginning of a wonderful 18 days of exciting events taking place throughout our city."

Auckland Festival, AK07 Director David Malacari says the fireworks are the perfect way to warm the city up for what is going to be a fantastic two and a half weeks of festive fun.

"We're delighted SKYCITY is kick starting the festive fever with such a bang. It's a great way to welcome to Auckland the world's most acclaimed pyrotechnics, Groupe F, who will seriously blow your socks off on Saturday 10 March, and it's a thrill to have Auckland's most iconic building lit in the Festival's firey colours," said Malacari.

Fire and light are also the theme of the spectacular free Groupe F event taking place on Saturday 10 March in Auckland Domain. Presented by SKYCITY, acclaimed French pyrotechnicians, Groupe F, will provide a night of fiery brilliance with their show 'A Little More Light'. Groupe F use an automatic flame generator system to produce a mind-blowing show of fire and light timed to music. A Little More Light is a family event unlike anything ever seen before in New Zealand, and will take place against the beauty and panorama of Auckland Museum.

Groupe F are well known throughout the world and have lit up the Eiffel Tower, the Stade de France for the football World Cup, the Olympic Games in Athens and the 2004 and 2005 New Years Eve celebrations in London. People are encouraged to be there early for The Mamuku Project's eclectic fusion of jazz and Pacific dub, followed by award-winning songwriter Don McGlashan and his band to warm up the crowd. When night falls Groupe F will turn up the heat.

Other SKYCITY events include a live painting demonstration from American urban street artist, Eric Orr. Eric will be using the base of the Sky Tower as his canvas for his unique designs from Saturday 10 to Monday 12 March.

Penumbra, taking place on Friday 9 (preview), Saturday 10 and Tuesday 13 to Saturday 17 March at 7pm, and Sunday 11 March at 5pm, is one the most ambitious theatrical undertakings ever made in New Zealand and debuts professionally for the first time at SKYCITY Theatre as part of Auckland Festival, AK07. Penumbra will take audiences on a journey though the interconnecting lives of over forty characters spanning three generations.

Black Grace founder and choreographer Neil Ieremia presents Amata, an evocative new dance work for 12 women that will push the limits of physicality, passion and grace. Amata by Black Grace takes place at SKYCITY Theatre on Wednesday 21 to Saturday 24 March at 7.30pm, and Sunday 25 March at 6pm.

ENDS

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