Music, theatre and dance will take over the streets of Wanaka on Saturday (April 17) for the Festival of Colour’s (FOC) street theatre day.

The biennial festival kicked off on Monday (April 12) and runs through to Sunday (April 18), with a packed programme featuring world-class music, dance, theatre, and visual arts. On Saturday more than 10 events are free to attend (see full list of free events here).

Head along to the Lake Wānaka Centre at 9.30am or 11.30am to witness sideshow stunt specialists, circus artists and variety entertainers Rollicking Entertainment who promise a funny, exciting and terrifying event. 

There will also be viewings of ‘Te Taki o te Ua / The Sound of Rain’, a video installation weaving contemporary dance, waiata, taonga pūoro, animation, video and soundscape. PHOTO: FOC 

Or follow the ‘boy dancer meets girl skater’ story that is ‘Cross the Line’ at the Skate Park at 10am and 11am; you can also take your cellphone and go on a journey around town as part of ‘Big Data’ from 10.30am (starting point Lake Wānaka Centre).

A group of Wanaka students have been exploring climate change through the lens of a camera. Their exhibition, ‘Through the Eye of the Lens’, will provide a selection of their shots plus work from Raymond Sagapolutele and Camilla Rutherford. PHOTO: FOC

That’s just the start: organisers promise tonnes of entertainment.

On Saturday evening (as well as Friday) there will be a performance of ‘The Air Between Us’, a dance between two people in mid-air featuring critically-acclaimed choreographer Chloe Loftus and award-winning disabled artist Rodney Bell. PHOTO: FOC

“Tell your stories of lockdown to Katja at Lockdown Laundry, have a customised love letter written... leave your doubts behind with the Insecurity Guards, Upper Hutt dancers The 8th Count perform, listen to ACE Brass and boogie along with United Dance Crew,” organisers said in a statement.

This year features FOC’s biggest programme of community events since the event’s inception; pictured is Louise Potiki Bryant performing at the Festival of Colour’s opening night at the Pacific Crystal Palace. PHOTO: Britt Hawes

The Street Theatre Day is part of the Festival of Colour’s biggest programme of community events presented in the festival's history. It also includes three exhibitions at the Lake Wānaka Centre, ‘Te Taki o te Ua / The Sound of Rain’, ‘Through the Eye of the Lens’ and ‘Our Climate Future’, and a special project with acclaimed artist Michel Tuffery, ‘Windows over Wanaka’ which has transformed the shopfronts of Helwick Street.

Saturday will feature two performances by Rollicking Entertainment which are expected to be both funny and terrifying. PHOTO: FOC

See the full programme of free events for Saturday’s Street Theatre Day as well as information on the full Festival of Colour lineup here.