A landmark gathering of community theatre makers, youth ensembles, ferinary institutions, and cultural leaders from around the globe.

We welcome you to the vibrant capital of New Zealand, Wellington.

Ticketing - General Admission

Billetterie - Entrée générale

Venta de entradas - Admisión general

8-13 March 2027 - Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand

The Festival presents a curated programme of national and international performances that reflect the breadth, diversity, and cultural vitality of contemporary theatre practice. These works foreground storytelling rooted in community, identity, and place, offering audiences powerful encounters with artists who use theatre as a tool for connection, reflection, and exchange across cultures.

This Off-Festival and Tertiary programme extends the Festival beyond its central stages, activating educational institutions and alternative spaces as sites of performance, experimentation, and exchange. This strand strengthens connections with students and emerging artists, fostering dialogue between professional practice, training environments, and the next generation of theatre-makers.

Under the Open Sky is the Festival’s invitation for the people of the World to gather in the heart of Te Whanganui-a-Tara and experience the living cultures of our region. Presented free to the public each afternoon at Te Papa’s amphitheatre, these five performances celebrate the deep connections between Aotearoa, Australia, and our Pacific neighbours through song, movement, ceremony, and shared storytelling.

The Standing on the Edge practical and participatory, the Workshops programme offers artists, students, and community practitioners direct engagement with leading theatre-makers from Aotearoa and abroad. These sessions focus on skills development, creative process, and cross-cultural practice, supporting both emerging and experienced practitioners to deepen their craft and expand their perspectives.

The Leap of Faith Symposium provides a dedicated space for dialogue, reflection, and shared learning among artists, practitioners, academics, and cultural leaders. Through keynote conversations, panels, and open forums, the programme explores the role of theatre in community-building, cultural resilience, and global collaboration, creating pathways between practice, policy, and purpose.

 More details to come.....

Coming soon.....