Vast Dance Festival is a one-day event filled with workshops and performances to showcase dance across Te Tauihu, with a focus on bringing secondary dance students together.
The evening show is a reflection of dance happening across High Schools in Nelson/Tasman and showcases the high calibre of students that participate in these dance programs.
An Interactive Stage Show
Murder Mystery ‘Gatsby’ is the world’s first ever fully interactive theatre show, where every guest in the theatre gets to become a detective for the evening and try to solve the mystery of who killed the infamous stage director Larry Lugosi.
Set to a Gatsby theme, all guests are encouraged to come dressed in the glam of the 1920’s. Dress up is not compulsory but it does add to the immersive experience. No acting is required as the cast members of the show are the suspects, and guests get multiple opportunities throughout the evening to interact with the suspects to work out which one of them is the Murderer.
Get ready to laugh in the face of Murder, as this show is a side-splitting comedy with some guests even complaining that their “face hurt from laughing so much”. Others have said… “Haven’t laughed that much in ages, thanks guys and girls” and “Thanks team for such a great night!! We came last night and that’s the best fun I have ever had”.
Get a group of friends together, grab your costumes and book now for the latest sensation in live entertainment. But beware! There are many distractions along the way to keep you from solving this dastardly deed!
Inspired by and featuring the music of ELVIS PRESLEY.
1955. Into a square little American town rides a handsome, guitar playin’, motorcycle ridin’ young man who changes everything and everyone in this hip-swivelling musical comedy.
All Shook Up will have you toe tapping your blue suede shoes with a script that’s packed to the seams with comic one liners and classic Elvis Rock ‘n’ Roll hits, like Jailhouse Rock, Teddy Bear, Hound Dog, Heartbreak Hotel, It’s Now or Never, One Night With You and All Shook Up.
Everyone's favourite ogre is back in an hilarious tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey, alongside a wise-cracking donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy and a fire breathing dragon and you've got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero.
Luckily there's one on hand and his name is Shrek!
Nayland College’s diverse Performing Arts programme brings Dance, Drama and Music to the Theatre Royal stage in the annual showcase of exceptional performance talent. The school takes part in several annual activities including Smokefree Rockquest, The NZCF Big Sing Choral competition, the MEFA Band and Orchestra Festival (Wellington), the Vast Dance Festival and numerous other Arts activities.
This evening gives the Nayland and Nelson Communities the opportunity to support youth performance and have an enjoyable night out at this celebration of creativity, talent and hard work!
India’s skies once teemed with vultures. Now they’ve vanished - and Kutisar needs one to guide him to paradise.
Award-winning Jacob Rajan delivers a dazzling performance, complete with puppetry, a dash of Bollywood disco and serious laughter.
This true-life mystery will blow your mind and melt your heart faster than an ice-cream in the Bombay sun.
“Sheer theatrical joy” - Australian Stage
Get Ready to Be Amazed and Laugh: Hilarious Comedy Hypnosis Show in Nelson!
Looking for a night full of laughter, jaw-dropping moments, and a touch of eerie fun? Don’t miss Haiming Jiang’s Comedy Hypnosis Show in Nelson! As seen on TV1’s Seven Sharp and viral on TikTok, Haiming delivers a high-energy, one-of-a-kind show that blends comedy, hypnosis, and just the right amount of creepy excitement.
Get ready for endless laughs, surprises, and a little chill as Haiming combines traditional Chinese Qigong with hypnosis to create truly wild moments. Volunteers will take the stage for unforgettable and hilarious challenges that will leave you amazed! As a life coach, Haiming also shares powerful insights to help shift your mindset, making this show not only fun but also life-changing!
This family-friendly show is fun for all ages! Kids will love the silly, slightly creepy moments, and adults will be captivated by the hypnotic feats and wild comedy. Whether you're new to hypnosis or a seasoned fan, Haiming’s show will keep you laughing and amazed!
RQP presents Showquest - a night to celebrate creative rangatahi.
Showquest is a nationwide performing arts programme and a platform for youth voices to be heard. Be amazed by original stage performances combining Art, Music, Dance, Drama, Culture and Technology. Students design, produce and perform their stories in a powerful night of celebration with the community.
Young designers will follow the performances with the TOI wearable art showcase - prepare to be WOWed! Watch friendly inter-school rivalries heat up as ākonga explore the issues that are important to them. Join friends and whānau in supporting local emerging talent on the big stage!
Showquest and TOI are proudly presented by RQP, champions for young creators and producers of Smokefreerockquest, Smokefree Tangata Beats, Rockshop Bandquest, OnScreen and Stills.
The Glow Show is an extraordinary experience that educates as it entertains, delivering an utterly original event for the whole family.
The magical Matariki Glow Show will tour New Zealand from May 2025, through the school terms and holidays! The Glow Show is an extraordinary experience that educates as it entertains, delivering an utterly original event for all the family.
This year, the Glow Show tells the story of te kāhui whetū o Matariki (the star cluster/whānau of Matariki) as they gather to light up the skies for te tau hou Māori (Māori New Year). But where is the smallest star, Waipuna-a-rangi? Could the little one be lost in the moana?
The Glow Show brings the beautiful Matariki myths to life with its unique puppets, intriguing tamariki wherever it goes.
Delightfully told in te reo Māori and English, the Matariki Glow Show shares themes of whakawhanaungatanga, friendship and togetherness. It offers a truly memorable experience with positive and uplifting messages for tamariki.
Toitū Te Tiriti. From 10 to 19 November 2024, thousands of New Zealanders walked together from Te Heringa Wairua Cape Reinga to parliament.
Hikoi Āwhiowhio is an anthology of stories told by those from Te Tauihu who joined the Hikoi in 2024 to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand. These stories are woven together with poetry by Donna McLeod.
The journey starts at Kaiteretere beach with karakia acknowledging the Nelson Tenths and unresolved grief, following the ferry trip and plane flights across Te Moana o raukawa - Cook Strait, followed by marching and to standing before the Beehive.
These are the voices of pēpē, tamariki, rangitahi, pakeke, kaumatua, and whānau. Through waiata, haka, karakia, whiti and kōrero in Te Reo Māori, English and other languages, and taonga pūoro, their stories are told.
This is intergenerational, this is bicultural, this is multicultural, this is Aotearoa.
Presented in partnership with Nelson Festivals Trust.
