Due to demand we have created a new Festival Pass category for concert lovers who wish to attend all the concerts in the festival in Premium seats. The Concert Lovers' Pass gives a $100 discount of the full price of Premium seating and includes access to complimentary events such as Meet the Artist sessions, Masterclasses and Festival conversations.
It does not include the Gala Dinner or the Up Close events
Tickets to the Gala Dinner are available now. Festival Lovers' Pass sales close on 30th September.
The Theatre Royal and festival staff will be in touch regarding seating allocation for reserved seated events.
Adam Chamber Music Festival's Gala dinner gives you a gourmet meal, fine wines, a surprise selection from the festival programme, a chance to catch up with old friends - what better way to start your Festival immersion!
New Zealand String Quartet, Goldner Quartet, James Campbell (clarinet), Matthew Barley (cello)
A surprise selection from the Festival programme.
For the most dedicated chamber music enthusiast we're again offering a Festival Pass which will give premium seat entry to all festival events (except the Gala Dinner. Tickets to the Gala Dinner are now also on sale). In addition to enjoying the best seats in the house, Festival Pass holders will enjoy two very special complimentary and exclusive events.
The first is a excursion up country to the beautiful Nelson Lakes National Park to hear English cellist Matthew Barley perform to the backdrop of mountains and lake in the Chapel by the Lake at St Arnaud. This will be followed by a sumptuous lunch at the Alpine Lodge.
The second will be a trip to the Moutere plains to hear the Goldner Quartet from Australia perform with Canadian clarinetist James Campbell in the delightful Waimea West church. This will be followed by a picnic lunch at the beautiful Neudorf Winery.
These two events are exclusive to our Festival Pass holders and Impresario Donors. As well as enjoying all the concerts and masterclasses, festival pass holders will be invited to any meet the artist social events and will be welcomed very much as part of our festival family. Festival passes can be booked online here. Festival Pass sales close on 30th September.
The Theatre Royal and festival staff will be in touch regarding seating allocation for reserved seated events.
Vast Dance Festival celebrates the combined talents of high school students in the "Top of the South" region.
The annual performance showcases students from Waimea College, Nayland College, Garin College, Motueka High School, Marlborough College for Girls, Marlborough College for Boys, Nelson College and Nelson College for Girls.
The objectives of Vast Dance Festival are to:
- Provide opportunities for high school students to perform in a professional environment
- Celebrate the wide range of styles taught in our region
- Provide a platform for student choreographers to share their work
- Give students practical experience with lighting, front of house, design and stage management responsibilities
Nelson is poised to host the first ever New Zealand Cider festival at Founders Heritage Park. The festival will be a celebration of the diversity of Cider, including both traditional and new world varieties from around the country.
Festival goers will have the opportunity to sample a range of products from our Cider makers in a relaxed and friendly festival environment which will include great entertainment headlined by internationally acclaimed singer songwriter Greg Johnson and celebrity speaker from Dish Magazine, Yvonne Lorkin.
Nelson has a creative and relaxed feel in the heart of New Zealand within easy reach of all main centres. With sweeping sandy beaches, stunning vistas of the Southern Alps and plentiful sunshine hours, the festival will make the most of its local environment. The event will feature Regional cuisine from local artisan producers, a great kids activity area where kids can press their own apple juice as well as an array of the finest ciders New Zealand has to offer, making this a fantastic family friendly fun day out.
Cider is at the heart of the Nelson region, produced in the nation's apple growing capital; with over 30% of the industry's Ciders being produced by Nelson Cider makers. What better place to host the first ever New Zealand Cider Festival! Proudly sponsored by the Nelson City Council
Join us for the R18 adult cabaret show at The Boathouse.
Sit at the front if you dare - we take no responsibility for what might happen to you!
The Nelson Buskers Festival brings world-class street performers to the heart of our beautiful little city for four days of action-packed shows. Incredible performers from as far afield as Japan and Canada will be performing mind-blowing stunts: ninja juggling, acrobatics, unicycles...... you will be entertained with stunning and extraordinary skills.
What would happen if the laws of gravity were to suddenly change? Jaws will drop as LEO takes 'off the wall' to a whole new level.
LEO is a mind-bending, funny, surreal and surprisingly touching work that challenges the senses and tests perceptions of reality.
Through a clever interplay of live performance and video projection, this playful, intriguing and moving journey of a seemingly ordinary man has touched audiences and critics from New York to Berlin, Hong Kong, Montréal, Moscow, Shanghai, London and beyond. After two weeks of packed-out shows at the Sydney Opera House last year, the LEO team is very excited to be coming to Nelson for the Nelson Arts Festival.
LEO leaves audience members wondering which way is up and which way is down.
Produced by Y2D Productions (Montréal) in association with Chamäleon Productions (Berlin)
"Eye-teasing & grin-inducing" TIME OUT NEW YORK, USA
"It's unusual to hear so many child-like gasps of sheer delighted astonishment in a theater." THE VILLAGE VOICE, USA
"LEO is a brilliant one-man show, clever, playful and extremely funny" BERLINER MORGENPOST, GERMANY
Awards
Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award
Three Weeks Editors Award - Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Scotsman Fringe First Award - Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Adelaide Critics Circle Award - Adelaide Fringe Festival
Adelaide Fringe Award - Adelaide Fringe Festival
John Chataway Award for Innovation - Adelaide Fringe Festival
This is going to be an event you will not want to miss. We are very excited to have Jackie Thomas and Tom Batchelor from X-Factor New Zealand headlining this awesome Youth Event at Morrison Square.
There will be a Fashion Show and we have decided to reinvent Project Funway with a Cultural Theme. Coinciding with this will be the Youth Fest Market Zone where retailers and young entrepreneurs will be able to sell creations, clothes, food and drinks to the audience.
The Youth Fest 'Music Zone' will feature a mixture of performances from musicians, local youth DJ's and the night will wrap up with a main stage act.
Local cultural groups will perform throughout the event, including Nelson Youth Theatre performing some scenes from their upcoming musical Hairspray.
Thank You to our funders, Nelson City Council, Ministry of Youth Development and The YMCA.
The Buskers are going bad, oh so bad. Come and join the buskers for this no holds barred adults only side splitting cabaret. Remember what they say - 'Content may offend', if you're lucky.
Introducing:
Becky Hoops - (Becky Priebe)
Pancho Libre - (Francisco Sandoval)
Vinyl Burns - (Kim Potter)
Eddy Eighty - (Gonzalo Fernandez)
The Bendy Em Show - (Bendy Em)
This year we celebrate our 20th year and to help mark this very special milestone we have prepared a spectacular programme for you to enjoy. With over 150 artists and guests from around New Zealand and across the globe, we are delighted to share this carefully selected line up with you all.
It is an enormous privilege to present these performances to Nelson. We hope that you are touched in some way, your heart warmed, your spirits lifted and your soul moved by what you experience during the festival. Whatever it is you choose to engage with, we are reminded of the value the arts bring to us as a community - they connect us with each other and help shape our social and creative identity as a region.
The Nelson Arts Festival continues to grow from strength to strength each year. Its success is thanks to the Nelson City Council′s commitment and ongoing support and that of the many funding partners and sponsors who continue to support us each year.
My heartfelt thanks to the all the artists, supporters and you, our audience, for coming together and participating – whether this is your 20th festival or your first. This is your festival, enjoy!
Sophie Kelly Festival Director
