Upsurge Bay of Island Arts Festival

The much-loved Upsurge Bay of Island Festival is back, bringing a stellar line-up of performances by many talented artists from the Bay of Islands and around Aotearoa.

Twenty-two performances will be held in specially selected venues around the Bay of Islands – from the beautiful St John the Baptist church in Waimate North, over to the iconic Duke of Marlborough Hotel in Russell and in the streets of Kerikeri and Kaikohe. With theatre, dance, music, and writer’s events, Upsurge promises to offer something for everyone.

The diverse line-up of acts includes the Royal NZ Ballet who present The Autumn Ball, followed by a special collaboration with tamariki from local schools; work by playwright Bruce Mason featuring actor Stephen Lovatt; comedian Sarah Harpur; the heartwarming story A Traveller’s Guide to Turkish Dogs; guitarist Paul Ubana Jones; internationally acclaimed New Zealand violinist Amalia Hall;
leading contemporary novelist Dame Fiona Kidman; and poet Glenn Colquhoun.