REAL New Zealand Festival – Our People

Experience the diversity of the people of New Zealand and the richness of heritage in the Land of the Long White Cloud.

New Zealanders come from a broad range of cultural backgrounds.

The Maori proudly trace their whakapapa (genealogy) back through the generations to when their waka (canoes) arrived. The REAL New Zealand Festival features events throughout the country celebrating Maori culture and providing visitors with the opportunity to taste traditional food, discover beautiful arts and crafts, experience the thrilling haka and learn more about the Maori people.

Other cultures who have made New Zealand their home are also celebrated in REAL New Zealand Festival events including Scottish Week in Roxburgh, the Dunedin Celtic Festival, Style Pasifika and Pacific events in Auckland.

Immerse yourself in authentic Kiwi culture as you tour from top to bottom of the country during the REAL New Zealand Festival.

REAL New Zealand Festival Events

Northland

• Te Tai Tokerau Maori Art Exhibition (9 Sep – 11 Oct) Old Library Arts Centre, Whangarei. Free. An indigenous art exhibition featuring the work of top Tai Tokerau (Northland) visual artists in the Whangarei region.

Auckland

• ATC: The End of the Golden Weather (1 – 24 Sep) Maidment Theatre. Tickets: www.atc.co.nz An ensemble version of Bruce Mason’s famous solo work, The End of the Golden Weather, perhaps New Zealand’s greatest rite-of-passage story.
• Dame Kiri Te Kanawa: A Gala Evening (22 Oct) Vector Arena. Tickets: www.ticketmaster.co.nz The legendary Dame Kiri Te Kanawa returns to New Zealand with a concert that captures in a single night all the magic of her stellar career.

Auckland & Wellington

• Black Grace presents Verse 2 (12 & 13 Sep) Wellington Opera House, Wellington (5 – 11 Oct) Maidment Theatre, Auckland. Black Grace, one of New Zealand’s leading contemporary dance companies, presents a collection of short works.