Photo: Supplied
Grizzly Bear, Teeks, Nathan Haines & Jonathan Crayford, and Perfume Genius are among the line-up for 2018's New Zealand Festival.
From Star Wars to Swan Lake - the line up for next year's New Zealand Festival has been revealed. Several hundred gathered at Te Papa in Wellington to hear what festival organisers had spent two years planning, and there should be plenty to satisfy the thousands of culture vultures who will descend on the capital.
Other musical highlights include Ria Hall, who will be debuting her new album Rules Of Engagement with Mara TK and The Nudge, Arabia-Buda-Scott, Drax Project, Laughton Kora & Bailey Wiley, and Thundercat – the LA producer who's worked with the likes of Kendrick Lamar.
The festival runs from 23 February – 18 March 2018 in Wellington, with many of the musical performances taking place at the Festival Club. The Festival Club will once again be in the Pacific Crystal Palace Spiegeltent, which will be set up at Odlin's Plaza in Wellington's waterfront.
Full list of musical performances:
Grizzly Bear (US)
They've been called 'one of indie rock's sharpest bands', and praised the likes of Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood and Fleet Foxes' Robin Pecknold. They're back after a 5-year hiatus.
- Sat 4 Mar, 8pm, Opera House
- Sun 4 Mar, 8pm, Opera House
Grizzly Bear Photo: Tom Hines
Teeks: A Song for You (NZ)
An intimate showcase of the soul singer's catalogue, as well as songs that have shaped his musical palette: traditional waiata and kapa haka to Bob Marley, Elvis Presley and Sam Cooke.
- Sat 24 Feb, 6pm, Festival Club
Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Ria Hall: Rules of Engagement (NZ)
Ria Hall will perform songs from her debut album Rules of Engagement with the help of vocalist Mara TK and Wellington trio The Nudge. Hall's songs are overtly political and touch on themes of love, war, revolution and change.
- Sat 24 Feb, 8pm, Festival Club
Ria Hall Photo: Supplied.
Arabia-Buda-Scott (NZ)
Samuel Scott, Lukasz Buda (one third of The Phoenix Foundation) and James Milne (Lawrence Arabia) perform a stripped back, band-free live show of some of their faves
- Tue 27 Feb, 7pm, Festival Club
Luke Buda, Lawrence Arabia and Samuel Flynn-Scott Photo: Supplied
Pacific Party: Laughton Kora & Bailey Wiley (NZ)
The wrap party for 'A Waka Odyssey' celebrates a week of waka-inspired events with soul singer Bailey Wiley and electro funk favourite Laughton Kora.
- Wed 28 Feb, 8pm, Festival Club
Laughton Kora Photo: supplied
Nathan Haines & Jonathan Crayford: Adagio (NZ)
Jazz legends, Crayford and Haines, join forces for a collaborative re-working of the Adagio form, a slower tempo musical journey including the works of Barber, Bach, Stravinsky and others.
- Sun 25 Feb, 7pm, Festival Club
Nathan Haines & Jonathan Crayford Photo: (c) Jaimie Webster Haines
Perfume Genius (US)
Seattle-based pop star Perfume Genius and band perform songs from his latest album, No Shape, which The Guardian included in their list of 'best albums of 2017 so far'.
- Tue 13 Mar, 7pm, Festival Club
- Wed 14 Mar, 7pm, Festival Club
Photo: Courtesy Matador Records
Thundercat (US)
Thundercat is an LA singer-songwriter and bassist who's worked alongside everyone from Kendrick Lamar, experimental electronic producer Flying Lotus, soul singer Erykah Badu and veteran thrash-metallers Suicidal Tendencies.
- Thu 1 Mar, 8pm, Festival Club
- Fri 2 Mar, 8pm, Festival Club
Thundercat Photo: St Jerome's Laneway Festival
Drax Project (NZ)
They started as a music students’ busking project and will be celebrating the release of their debut album, produced by Shapeshifter's Devin Abrams. They've got a jazz-influenced live sound rooted in hip-hop and EDM.
- Sat 17 Mar, 8pm, Festival Club
- Sun 18 Mar, 7pm, Festival Club
Drax Project Photo: Russell Kleyn
The Staves (UK)
The Staves are an English folk-rock trio of sisters grew. They sing beautiful vocal harmonies and are influenced by Simon & Garfunkel; Crosby, Stills & Nash; and The Beatles.
- Sun 4 Mar, 7pm, Festival Club
- Tue 6 Mar, 7pm, Festival Club
The Staves Photo: (c) Graham Tolbert
Cécile McLorin Salvant with Aaron Diehl Trio
Cécile McLorin Salvant is a Grammy Award-winning singer and composer from Miami. She'll be channelling the greats – Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, as she performs material from her third album, Dreams and Daggers.
- Tue 13 Mar, 8pm, Michael Fowler Centre
Cecile McLorin Salvant Photo: Hector Perez
Anne Sofie von Otter with the NZSO
Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter is one of the world’s most admired and flexible voices. She'll be accompanied by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and will perform personal favourites from Schubert and more.
- Thur 15 Mar, 7.30pm, Michael Fowler Centre
Anne Sofie von Otter Photo: Mats Bäcker
Jordi Savall, Hespèrion XXI and Tembembe Ensamble Continuo
Showcasing the vibrant music of ancient Spain and Mexico, this performance will bridge the distance between old world and new, with the best early music performers in the world.
- Sat 24 Feb, 7.30pm, Michael Fowler Centre
Visit festival.co.nz to see the full programme.
