Festival Opening

Tuahiwi Kapa Haka Group outside Christchurch Cathedral

One of the major sponsors of this year’s Christchurch Arts Festival Winter Garden 2009, is Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu and last night I went along to see the Te Ngai Tuahuriri kapa haka group perform at the opening in Cathedral Square. Thankfully the rain held off and a crowd of several thousand people came along to see a series of mixed performers kick of a terrific calendar of events that runs through until August 9th. There are several Ngai Tahu-initiated shows during the festival and I’ll bring you more about those in the coming days. In the meantime, here are a few moody shots from a night filled with lights and laughter. www.artsfestiavl.co.nz www.ngaitahu.iwi.nz
Waiting between performances while opening speeches are made
The men perform a rousing haka

A visual compilation from the night