
The Wānaka Festival of Colour, presented by Milford Asset Management, is back with its exciting 2025 programme, transforming the Upper Clutha into a lively hub of the arts.
From March 29 to April 6, the nine-day festival will feature over 60 events spanning theatre, cabaret, music, comedy, dance, kōrero, visual arts, and community experiences.
The full programme is available now at festivalofcolour.co.nz, with tickets on sale from 8am Friday, January 31, 2025. Artistic Director Sophie Kelly invites audiences on a journey exploring themes of identity, belonging, and self-expression.
“This year’s line-up celebrates cultural diversity and Wānaka’s unique heritage. It’s an opportunity to connect with open hearts and minds and experience the transformative power of the arts,” says Kelly.
The festival opens with the free Community Whānau Day, featuring an early morning lake plunge and a full day of entertainment at Wānaka’s Dinosaur Park and lakefront.

Highlights include interactive installations, workshops, cultural food stalls, live performances, roaming characters, aerial acts, and an open mic night at the Crystal Palace with Creative Juices.
Joining the earlier released performances, award-winning Canadian circus Cirque Alphonse with their latest show Animal, the sensational cabaret An Evening Without Kate Bush, and Chamber Music New Zealand’s Reimagining Mozart, is a full programme promising to engage and enthral.
Highlights include Subtle Dances, a spellbinding fusion of contemporary dance and live music by BalletCollective Aotearoa featuring choreography by Loughlan Prior, Sarah Knox, and Cameron McMillan, accompanied by NZTrio He Taonga Wairere.
Upu, curated by award-winning poet Grace Iwashita-Taylor, celebrates Māori and Pasifika literature with electrifying theatricality.

Other highlights include Be Like Billy?, a cabaret tribute by Rutene Spooner to his childhood hero and the greatest Māori showman, and In Other Words, starring Jennifer Ward-Lealand and Michael Hurst in a poignant exploration of Alzheimer’s and the connection between love and music.
Nathan Joe’s Dirty Passports also returns, boldly spotlighting Aotearoa’s finest BIPOC storytellers.
Suitcase Show by Trick of the Light Theatre offers a whimsical journey through shadow play and storytelling.
Comedy shines with Te Radar’s Cookbookery, an amusing dive into quirky Kiwi cookbooks, and Wilson Dixon’s hilarious show Love Don’t Live Here Anymore, You Do.
Music highlights include indie icons The Veils, crowd favourites The Eastern blending gospel and punk, and Delaney Davidson’s signature country noir.
Emerging genres like Kāi Tahu witch-hop and participatory events like Battle Chorus, a group sing-off led by Jason Te Mete and Rutene Spooner.

The Aspiring Conversations series will again deliver thought-provoking discussions with notable guests, including author Ruth Shaw with her new book, anthropologist Anne Salmond, journalist Mike McRoberts, former squash champion Susan Devoy, and the legendary Topp Twins.
Venues across Wānaka and beyond will come alive, with the Pacific Crystal Palace serving as the festival hub.
Additional locations include the Hāwea Community Centre, Hāwea Flat Hall, Bannockburn Hall, The Rippon Hall, MAC Box Theatre, and Te Atamira in Queenstown.
The festival also brings its programme to local schools, inspiring young audiences with workshops and performances.

“This year’s theme of embracing the extraordinary aligns with the Kāi Tahu gifted name Te Kaupeka Rau, meaning seasonal change and turning over a new leaf,” says Executive Director Ruth Heath.
“We invite everyone to celebrate the arts, connect with whānau and friends, and discover something new.”
For tickets, programme details, and a handy flipbook, visit festivalofcolour.co.nz