The Wānaka Festival of Colour has unveiled its 11th festival programme and invited locals to immerse themselves in the arts this coming autumn.

The 2025 festival will run for nine days from March 29 – April 6, and feature over 60 events, including theatre, cabaret, music, comedy, dance, kōrero, visuals arts, community events and more.

“We’re thrilled to be presenting a fabulous lineup of incredible performances and events for the whole community to enjoy,” Wānaka Festival of Colour artistic director Sophie Kelly said.

“This year's programme delves into themes of identity, belonging and self-expression, inviting our audiences to explore diverse perspectives and personal narratives.”

The programme, which was revealed at a launch in the Lake Wānaka Centre last night, includes Subtle Dances (a fusion of contemporary dance and live music bringing together some of New Zealand’s finest dancers from BalletCollective Aotearoa); Upu (a theatrical celebration of Māori and Pasifika literature curated by award-winning poet Grace Iwashita-Taylor); and Be Like Billy, which celebrates the show-band legacy through theatre and cabaret.

Other highlights are Jennifer Ward-Lealand and Michael Hurst in their sell-out play In Other Words, a love story exploring Alzheimer’s and the power of music. Aspiring Conversations 2024’s hit Dirty Passports, curated by Nathan Joe, will also return.

Festival organisers had already announced Canadian circus Cirque Alfonse’s latest work ANIMAL, the cabaret show An Evening Without Kate Bush, and Chamber Music New Zealand’s Reimagining Mozart.

The programme also features a diverse music lineup, featuring The Veils with tracks from their new album Asphodels, Delaney Davidson with his enigmatic country noir, and The Eastern.

There’s also a free Community Whānau Day which will kick off the festival (on Saturday March 29) with an early bird lake plunge followed by a day of entertainment at the Dinosaur Park and lakefront. 

Aspiring Conversations will also return, offering up discussions from a range of identities, including writers, musicians, professors, and journalists.

“This year’s theme of embracing the extraordinary and trying something new ties perfectly with our gifted name from Kāi Tahu, Te Kaupeka Rau, which reflects seasonal changes and the idea of turning over a new leaf,” Wānaka Festival of Colour executive director Ruth Heath said. 

“Once again, we have something for everyone to connect and engage with—an opportunity to find joy and surprise in discovering something new alongside friends and whānau.”

The Pacific Crystal Palace will take centre stage as the festival’s hub but there will be performances at a mix of venues across the region.

The full programme is available now and tickets will go on sale from Friday (January 31) at 8am.

See Festival of Colour in your Wānaka App.

IMAGE: Supplied