Beyond the stage: 2024 Festival impacts
The biennial Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts made its much-anticipated return to Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington in early 2024.
Over seventy events, engaging more than five hundred artists and crew, showcased acclaimed international talent, world premieres, and iconic contemporary arts experiences. For 2024, the Festival extended into autumn with Light Cycles by Moment Factory at the Wellington Botanic Garden ki Paekākā which was experienced by more than 31,000 people alone. In total, more than 68,000 tickets were issued with an overall attendance of 470,000 including to free events.
Article Magazine
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Artist Spotlight - Mā
2024 Wellington Jazz Festival Commissioned Artist MĀ (Maarire Brunning-Kouka) has just released her sophomore album Blame it on the Weather.
From her debut album Breakfast with Hades, a self-produced solo project created from her bedroom, Blame it on the Weather marks an artistic shift - a move outwards, crafting a sound shaped by community and a desire to make music that reflects the now.
We sat down and had a chat with her to discuss the magic behind the music.
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Tea with Sameena Zehra
Sameena Zehra is a comedian, storyteller, actor, writer, director and blues singer/songwriter. She has performed her solo shows all over the world, including Edinburgh Fringe, Nordic Fringes, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Brighton Fringe, Adelaide Fringe and New Zealand Fringe, where she was nominated for 'Best In Fringe' 2016, and won 'Outstanding Performer' in 2017. Before moving to New Zealand in 2019, Sameena lived and worked in the UK where she performed at the National Theatre and toured internationally with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Her new show Homicidal Pacifist - Dust Off Your Guillotines will premiere in the 2025 New Zealand International Comedy Festival 21-25 May. Sameena invited me over for a cup of tea, a chat about her work and most importantly, to meet her beautiful, friendly new cat.
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1986 - The First Festival
In 2026, we will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Festival, marking four decades of unforgettable experiences that have invigorated our city and our lives. Since 1986, the Festival has brought over 22,000 artists to the stage and has been experienced by more than 6.2 million people.
Over the next few months, we’ll be reflecting on the extraordinary moments, artists, and individuals who’ve shaped the Festival’s journey.
