Wanaka's TUKI festival announces lineup
Wanaka's TUKI festival announces lineup
The “newest-oldest” festival on the block, TUKI 2018, has released its lineup for the February 10 Lake Wanaka SouNZ event.
Multiple award-winning US-based band Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO) will perform alongside Aaradhna, Marlon Williams, The Phoenix Foundation, The Shamblés, Mel Parsons, Lips and Maala among others.
Having performed on such global shows as Seth Meyers, Conan O’Brien and Carson Daly, UMO, fronted by Kiwi Ruban Nielson (The Mint Chicks), will be performing to an audience of several thousand in the South Island this summer.
Also on the TUKI bill, 25-year-old Marlon
Williams originally found his calling as a child growing up
in Lyttelton. “The first three things I remember Mum
listening to were PJ Harvey, early choral music and Smokey
Robinson,” Williams says. Taking out Best Male Solo Artist
and Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2015 Vodafone New
Zealand Music Awards, and selling out shows throughout North
America, the UK and Europe, Williams has been described by
the Sunday Star Times as possessing “one of the
richest voices you’ll hear anywhere in New Zealand”.
Shapeshifter’s frontman P Digsss joins Anika Moa as
co-MC of the first TUKI festival. “This will be the
seventh Sounz event I’ve been a part of - bring it!”
says P Digsss, while Moa chimes in, “I’m gonna wear
something super-spanky that will keep the focus on
me.”
Formerly known as Rippon Festival, the event will
take place at Glendhu Bay, Lake Wanaka and features a
FunZone and award-winning local craft beers and Central
Otago wines. The word “TUKI” comes from the nearby
Matukituki Valley and means “mouthpiece” in
Maori.
Organisers of the not-for-profit event have been thrilled with the response, noting some long-time festival-goers are now parents, and are keen to introduce their offspring to the Wanaka concert that holds some of their favourite summertime memories.
The TUKI event
brings a plethora of experiences to festival-goers,
including an enchanted forest, innovative food from local
producers, and interactive installations. However, director
Lynne Christie points out top-quality music remains the key
focus.
“I’ve always loved the passion, the powerful
reactions, the diverse opinions that music inspires. People
feel incredibly connected to great music, and a killer live
experience trumps everything,” Christie says.
Tickets
are on sale from August 18th through Ticketek and www.tukifestival.nz