Nelson Buskers Festival
Friday 28 - Monday 31 January
NEW LOCATION: All the family-friendly busking awesomeness will be contained at Founders Heritage Park this summer, with day and twilight performances.
Nelson Buskers Festival brings some of New Zealand’s best street performers to our vibrant region for four days of extraordinary shows, amazing us with acrobatics, contortion, clowning, comedy and, of course, juggling.
Day and twilight performances are free to attend, although do bring some cash to show your appreciation for the amazing skills of these talented and hard-working performers. Buskers at the Boathouse is a ticketed event, and restricted to people 18 years and over.
BUSKERS AT FOUNDERS
DAY shows Fri 28 Jan – Mon 31 Jan
11am – 2.30pm daily // Koha
Founders Heritage Park comes alive with the best New Zealand-based buskers, returning to Nelson to entertain with amazing skills. Bring the whole family and experience acrobatics, juggling, clowning, Cyr wheel and much more. Each busker performs their full act during the day programme.
Enjoy an irresistible summer-fun combination of extraordinary entertainment and refreshment options from the Heritage Park vendors (or bring a picnic).
Remember your sun hat and some cash to reward these amazing artists!
EVENING shows Sat 29 & Sun 30 Jan
6pm // Koha
Two stunning evening variety shows for the whole family, featuring highlights from the whole festival. Come and see some of New Zealand’s very best buskers perform an incredible variety show in the early evening sunshine. Unbelievable skills and great comedy to delight everyone. Bring sun hats, blankets and cushions, plus some cash for the talented performers!
BUSKERS AT THE BOATHOUSE
R18 (content can be unpredictable)
Fri 28 Jan, 8pm – 10pm // The Boathouse, 326 Wakefield Quay, Nelson
Pre-sales $30, door sales $37.50 (plus Eventfinda service fee)
When buskers go bad! The performers from Nelson Buskers Festival present and adult only cabaret show. Amazing skills, big laughs and a little bit of sauce! Come along to the Boathouse to see another side of these extraordinary performers as they present some more risqué material. Tickets on sale at eventfinda.co.nz or call 0800 289 849, from the Nelson Theatre Royal and i-SITE (additional fees may apply).
The 2022 Festival performers include:
Betty’s World- comedy (Christchurch)
Welcome to the world of Betty Spencer – Inspired by the TV Hit 'Some Mothers Do Ave Em'. Betty is fed up trying to fit into this world, so instead of struggling she’s decided to create her own world. A world where her flaws are seen as quirky, her odd style becomes a fancy costume, her strange hobbies are transformed into magical skills and all her struggles and failures are viewed as danger and comedy. Betty has packed up her life, the hammers, bicycle parts, magical props and her amazing mind reading pig, Penny. She’s off on an adventure, to create her own world of possibilities, wonder and maybe even Love. Join Betty as she reveals all her quirkiness in a hilarious show, of magic, mind reading, circus, and fearless cycling.
Vinyl Burns - comedy (Wellington)
A hit in 1972 Las Vegas, Vinyl’s show business career has since dwindled but his enthusiasm hasn’t. Vinyl has relocated his international playboy lifestyle to New Zealand so now you have the privilege of his effervescent company. Vinyl is not quite the icon he believes himself to be (but don’t let him know!), his style and grace need a bit of polishing, but his charm is still top notch. The Vinyl Burns experience features comedy, improvisation and slapstick stunts.
Zaktacular – stunts (Auckland)
Specialising in the Cyr wheel, hand-balancing and club juggling, Zaktacular is an amazing stunt show full of juggling, hoop and handstand acrobatics. Voted 2018 Peoples’ Choice Award at the Ferrara Buskers Festival (Italy) and winner of Germany’s Kultur auf der Strasse (Culture in the Street) in Neu Ulm in 2019.
Follow and like the Nelson Buskers Festival Facebook page for the latest updates on acts, venues, etc.