FIFA Fan Festival™ Programme Announced

The FIFA Fan Festival™ is coming to Ōtepoti Dunedin.

The FIFA Fan Festival™ is a key part of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™, offering fans the chance to see away matches live on the big screen while soaking up the community atmosphere. There will also be live music from some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s favourite musicians, and a range of activities and cultural performances for all ages to enjoy.

The festival is free to attend and will be held at the Dunedin Town Hall and Glenroy Auditorium on six selected days from Thursday 20 July to Sunday 30 July.

Dunedin City Council Team Leader - Events Dan Hendra says this is the biggest undertaking the city has ever carried out for an event.

“We host amazing events down here, such as the Midwinter Carnival, the New Zealand International Science Festival and Mana Moana to name just a few. This is a whole new level. This is the largest women’s tournament in history, and significant upgrades have already been completed across a number of sports grounds in preparation for the tournament. The FIFA Fan Festival™ will be the soul of the tournament and we are lucky to be able to host such an incredible and entirely free programme for everyone.”

The FIFA Fan Festival™ opens on 20 July, screening the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ opening ceremony and first match, New Zealand v Norway, live. Six other away matches will screen throughout the festival to complement the six matches being played here in Dunedin.

FIFA Fan Festival Coordinator Eleanor Riley has created a programme of entertaining and engaging activities designed for the whole family to enjoy. There will be arts, crafts, sporting activities, photo exhibitions and a music line-up showcasing some of Aotearoa’s top female performers.

“We’re thrilled to finally announce the stellar line-up of musical acts who’ll be performing at the FIFA Fan Festival™ this month,” Ms Riley says. “Headlining the festival are Aotearoa superstars Bic Runga, Ladi6, Ladyhawke and the Topp Twins. We'll also be treated to performances by the very talented Foley, Georgia Lines, Paige and Riiki Reid as well as the very awesome Emily Alice, Mads Harrop, Melissa Patridge, the Mitchell Twins and Tina Turntables.”

Highlights from the FIFA Fan Festival™ schedule

(The full schedule is available at https://www.dunedinnz.com/fan-festival)

Thursday 20 July 
From 4:30pm till after the last match ends 
Screening: NZ v Norway at 7pm 
Highlights: Performances by Bic Runga and DJ Tina Turntables (From 4.30pm to 6pm). 
Screening of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ opening ceremony. 

Saturday 22 July 
From 12pm till after the last match ends 
Screening: USA v Vietnam at 1pm and Zambia v Japan at 7pm 
Highlights: Performances by Foley, Riiki Reid and DJ Tina Turntables (From 3:20pm to 5.45pm). 
Performances by O-Taiko Drummers. Poi workshops with Georgia Latu of Pōtiki Poi and African drumming with Kadodo Drum n Dance.

Sunday 23 July 
From 12pm till after the last match ends 
Screening: Sweden v South Africa at 5pm 
Highlights: The Equalize discussion series from NZ Story. Special screening of FIFA+ documentaries. Last Mile Walk from the Octagon to the Dunedin Stadium to catch Netherlands v Portugal. Music from DJ Tina Turntables (3:30-4:30pm).

Friday 28 July 
From 2pm till after the last match ends 
Screening: England v Denmark at 8.30pm 
Highlights: Performances by Ladyhawke & Mads Harrop (From 6pm to 8.10pm). A poi workshop with Georgia Latu of Pōtiki Poi.

Saturday 29 July 
From 12pm till after the last match ends 
Screening: Sweden v Italy at 7.30pm 
Highlights: Performances by Ladi6, Georgia Lines, Paige, and Emily Alice (From 3:30pm to 7pm). A Cook Island hula dance performance and workshop, and a Kiribati Community performance.

Sunday 30 July 
From 12pm till after the last match ends 
Screening: Korea v Morocco at 4.30pm 
Highlights: Performances by The Topp Twins, The Mitchell Twins, and Melissa Partridge (From 2pm to 4pm). 
A Kiwi tribute to Swiss yodelling and a special yoga class for athletes and sports people. Last Mile Walk from the Octagon to the Dunedin Stadium featuring special entertainment, including fire performers, drummers and the creation of a mural by national artist Mr G. 

*Ōtepoti Dunedin will host six matches during the FIFA Women’s World Cup™. To find out more, visit https://www.dunedinnz.com/visit/dunedin-events/fifawwc2023

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