Longest Running Annual Arts Festival In Aotearoa Turns Thirty

This spring the Nelson Arts Festival celebrates 30 years of incredible artists, conversations and festivities in Whakatū Nelson. To get the party started, the festival announces five acts ahead of the programme launch on Friday 30 August. The festival will offer more than 56 must-see arts experiences over 11 awe-inspiring days, from 24 October – 3 November.

Over the past three decades, the festival has developed a reputation for being audacious, awe-inspiring, and increasingly accessible, delivering big, bold, and beautiful events. The Nelson Arts Festival is recognised as the first and oldest annual, regional, multi-arts festival in Aotearoa.

Kicking off the birthday celebrations is the sensational first five acts. Award-winning Tami Neilson will take over Neudorf Vineyards, delivering powerful renditions of Willie Nelson's classics. Musicians Ariana Tikao and Bob Bickerton will merge Māori and Celtic traditions, while young talents Yeyeong Jenny Jin and Jeonghwan Kim deliver an evening of mesmerizing sonatas. The acclaimed Prima Facie, which was highly successful on the West End and Broadway, will bring a gripping performance to the festival. 2022 Festival favourite, Rutene Spooner, returns with a new comedy cabaret show exploring his connection with childhood hero Billy T James.

The Nelson Arts Festival, as it is known today, began in 1995, originally envisioned to complement the World of WearableArt (WOW) and extend visitors' stays in the region. Legendary arts champion Annabel Norman, appointed by Nelson City Council in 1994, spearheaded the festival's development. A trial event called Off the Wall featured cabaret, talks, lectures, and art tours. Safe to say - it went off! Annabel became the festival's inaugural director in 1995, serving for 16 years and continues to this day as a volunteer, even after retiring.

When WOW moved to Te-Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington in 2005, the Nelson Arts Festival shifted to late October, allowing it to grow independently. Post-Covid disruptions in 2020 and 2021, the festival returned stronger than ever in 2022, with the beloved Mask Carnivale reappearing in 2023, solidifying the festival’s status as a premiere arts event.

“Now in our 30th year of delivering epic annual festivals – all wrapped up in the warm embrace of manaakitanga that defines and holds us as people of Aotearoa and the Pacific – the Nelson Arts Festival continues as a bright beacon for the arts and a strong pou for the creative community in Whakatū Nelson, the broader Te Tauihu region, and beyond,” says Artistic Director, Lydia Zanetti.

Full Programme and all tickets on sale Friday 30 August. www.nelsonartsfestival.nz

The first five acts announced are:

BE LIKE BILLY?
Theatre Royal, 24 – 25 October 
After wowing us in Thoroughly Modern Māui, award-winning Rutene Spooner returns to celebrate showband legacy, idolise the greatest Māori showman and tussle with the future of Māori in entertainment. Featuring the flashest southern showband – The Tekīra Mutton Birds, Be Like Billy? is everything but an impersonation show. Can you be like Billy without being the butt of the joke?

MURIWAI
Nelson Centre of Musical Arts, 29 October
Award-winning musicians and collaborators Ariana Tikao and Bob Bickerton have joined forces to create Muriwai. A confluence of two rivers, their music merges Māori and Celtic musical traditions through Celtic harp, vocals, and taonga puoro.

THE YOUNG VIRTUOSI
Nelson Centre of Musical Arts, 1 November
South Korean-born Yeyeong Jenny Jin has won many awards, including the 2023 Michael Hill International Violin Competition. 2023 Sydney International Piano Competition winner, Jeonghwan Kim joins Jenny as part of a 10-centre tour for an evening of mesmerising sonata.
Presented in association with the Michael Hill International Violin Competition.

PRIMA FACIE
Theatre Royal, 31 October – 1 November
Tessa is a criminal defence lawyer at the top of her game: defending, cross-examining, playing to win. But when the tables turn, she finds herself at the mercy of this system. After West End and Broadway seasons, don’t miss this exceptional Aotearoa production during its national tour.

NEILSON SINGS NELSON
Neudorf Vineyards, 3 November
The incredible, award-winning Tami Neilson performs a collection of her favourites from Willie Nelson’s Songbook, while sharing stories of working with the man himself. “Neilson sings the hell out of Nelson. Tami’s the real deal and does my songs a great honour.” - Willie Nelson

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