Auckland Arts Festival bringing Aroha to the Shore with world-class New Zealand shows

The Auckland Arts Festival/Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki (AAF) will be presented for the 13th time in March, including shows at the Bruce Mason Centre.
The 2021 Festival programme has been designed to unify, uplift and inspire through world-class events and performances that celebrate the timely theme of Aroha. The 2021 theme weaves us together as a community, celebrating a shared love of aroha ki te taiao – our love and care for our natural environment – air, land and water; aroha ki te tangata – kindness, compassion and goodwill toward people; and aroha ki ngā kōrero – the respect we hold for our stories.
Something extra special about this year’s Festival programme is that it features an entirely local line-up. As Auckland Arts Festival Artistic Director Shona McCullagh (MNZM) shares, “We have proudly commissioned world premieres of several new works, resuscitated some that had to be cancelled in 2020, and are providing work for more than 1000 artists through the 72 events that form our 100% Aotearoa festival.”
AAF 2021 runs from 4-21 March across venues in Auckland. This includes a range of shows playing at the Bruce Mason Centre in Takapuna, including:
The madcap family show JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, like you’ve never seen it before! Featuring no ordinary Jack and no ordinary beanstalk - the show also brings a giant ant, a crazy chase, the Sky Tower, an alien invasion and a lovesick villain into the fairytale fold for an outlandish and joyous theatrical trip. Jack and the Beanstalk is a laugh out loud show recommended for all ages, featuring Grand Poobah Thespian Michael Hurst as Jack’s mum, and hailed by the entire parliament as a literary masterpiece. A fantastic family event, hosted March 12 -14, that will see a love of theatre sprout in your kids overnight!
Auckland Arts Festival presents a world premiere in the launch of BalletCollective Aotearoa and its stimulating inaugural programme of proudly homegrown dance, music and design in SUBTLE DANCES on March 5 & 6.
Also, for one electric night only on March 19, K-pop will take over the Bruce Mason Centre.  K-POP PARTY is curated by international dancer, choreographer and star of TV’s K-pop Academy Rina Chae - who's worked with Beyoncé and Justin Bieber and choreographed for AOA, Cosmic Girls, SF9 and Monsta X. This all-ages party will feature performances, prizes for the best outfits, photobooths and a dance cover competition.
The opportunity to attend these events is, in a Covid-affected 2021, a special privilege. As McCullagh reflects, “We are so blessed in New Zealand to be able to come together and experience the excitement of live events – one of the few countries in the world to be able to do so. Feast on this opportunity, leap off the couch and treasure the irreplaceable essence of live performance – one that can never be replicated.”

For more information on these and other Auckland Arts Festival events, visit www.aaf.co.nz