A 10-day community festival is planned for February next year to celebrate reopening the Opera House in Oamaru after its $9.7 million redevelopment.
The festival will include Waitaki community groups and national acts to show what the new Opera House is capable of.
Manager Richard McWha said the proposal for the festival had been included in the Waitaki District Council's 2008-09 draft annual plan, although it was hoped the bulk of the cost would be met by sponsorships and outside grants.
The plan, subject to approval in the final annual plan, is to run what will virtually be an arts festival from February 20 to March 1, which would involve a series of events, still being planned, to use the redeveloped Opera House "in every way possible''.
They would range from free to black tie events. Community groups throughout the district would be involved in the festival, along with outside performances.
"It will not just be performances - for the whole 10 days Oamaru will come alive with events,'' he said.
Completion of the construction phase of the major redevelopment of the 100-year-old Opera House was scheduled for October. Once the building was handed back to the council by contractors, de Geest Construction, it would be fitted out.
Some events involving community groups would be held before the festival to test the new facilities, in a "shake down'' to ensure everything was working safely and efficiently by Feb-ruary, Mr McWha said.
