Exciting international line-up announced for CupaDupa - Wellington’s free street festival

Wellington streets will transform into extraordinary sights and sounds for CupaDupa, to be held on 30-31 March 2019. Organisers hope their first announcement of the festival’s high calibre international and national, music and performance artists will entice not only Wellingtonians but many from all over New Zealand to the capital for a weekend of festival frivolity.

CubaDupa has become an impressive event, founded in 2015, under the vision of Drew James, Artistic Director, the Creative Capital Arts Trust and the Wellington City Council.

The weekend will be crammed with free entertainment for the entire family with 250 performances programmed over 17 hours across seven stages. This world class entertainment schedule and summer vibes is a magnet to the capital as 100,000 people from Wellington and beyond participated in the free event during the last weekend in March.

“Wellington is unique in that no other city in New Zealand puts on a street festival event with the calibre of music and performance for free – it’s a perfect time to plan a weekend getaway to the capital” says Festival Artistic Director Drew James.

Mr James, says he draws on inspiration from street festivals and artists he sees around the world, and he is thrilled to announce some outstanding international and New Zealand highlights.

“I’m looking forward to the bringing the likes of Cha Wa to the streets of Wellington but equally our local acts are a fantastic contribution and we are thrilled to be announcing NZ's only professional inclusive dance company Touch Compass – who will be performing a stunning mesmerising duet”.

Cha Wa are a New Orleans brass band-meets-Mardi Gras' Indian outfit. They radiate the energy of the New Orleans street culture with their gumbo singing, intoxicating rhythms, and deep funk grooves.

Joining Cha Wa, from British Columbia, Canada is Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra (TMO) with more high energy ballads and brass. Multi-award winning Electric Fields from Sydney will feature the rare and beautiful voice of Zaachariaha Fielding, who often sings in his traditional languages of the Anangu (Aboriginal) people.

They will be joined by Wellington veterans Phoenix Foundation and more recent Wellington newcomers Tunes of I - who are storming the Wellington scene with their jazz trained musicians and another local band ONONO. Alien Weaponry, the teenagers from Waipu who are storming the thrash metal scene will play their only Wellington show on their upcoming New Zealand tour.

CupaDupa is fun for all ages and families and attendees can expect to be entertained with parades, street performances, opera, interactive technologies, live bands and DJ’s and the delicious Moore Wilson’s Street Food Festival. CubaDupa 2019 is also introducing a number of sustainability initiatives including reusable cups and plastic bag free shopping as they works towards becoming a zero-waste festival.

CupaDupa’s first announcement:

Cha Wa (New Orleans)

Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra (Canada)

Electric Fields (Sydney)

Hot Potato (Sydney)

Touch Compass (NZ)

Alien Weaponry
Tunes of I (Wellington)
Phoenix Foundation (Wellington)

ONONO (Wellington)

Further announcements of performance and music to come.

Key facts about CupaDupa

Free of charge all ages event.

Date: Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 March 2019

Where: Seven stages in the Cuba St precinct

Entertainment 250 performances across two days of local, national and international talent, including acts from Canada, USA and Australia.

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