MEDIA RELEASE: Tuesday 4 April

FESTIVAL OF COLOUR OPENS IN WANAKA WITH FIRE, SONG AND POETRY

More than 850 people gathered on Lake Wanaka’s waterfront last night for bonfires, song and poetry at the opening night celebrations of the seventh Festival of Colour.

Following haka and waiata, Mt Aspiring College Year 9 student Jacob Field lit the first of the three bonfires to light up the evening.

Singing from choirs featuring in today’s performances of Sing It To My Face, poetry from Bill Manhire (Tell Me My Name) and music and song from The Song Dispensary followed.

Festival general manager Lindsey Schofield said the night was perfect for the event. “We had beautiful weather with light cloud cover and stars speckled the sky as the community came together to celebrate the festival.”

The Festival of Colour runs until Monday 10 April with theatre, dance, comedy, music, community events, a schools programme and inspiring discussion in the Aspiring Conversations sessions.

The Festival features hit international shows Every Brilliant Thing, How To Keep An Alien and New York cabaret star Lady Rizo, alongside New Zealand talent Tami Neilson, Hudson and Halls, Julia Deans and Sean James Donnelly in Sadness Songs, and the world premiere of Wanaka writer Annabel Wilson’s playNo Science to Goodbye.

For details and tickets visit www.festivalofcolour.co.nz

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