Make Labour Weekend A Quiet Riot at Nelson Arts Festival

Spring is in the air and Nelson Arts Festival is about to take over Whakatū, with Labour Weekend packed with theatre, live music, books, dance, film, art, free events and plenty of reasons to get out and make a long weekend of it.

Running from 22 October – 1 November, Aotearoa’s longest-running annual regional arts festival returns for its 32nd year, with JOY as an act of collective hope at the heart of the programme and an invitation to join its very own “quiet riot”.

“For us, a ‘quiet riot’ is about coming together and choosing joy. It might be a brilliant show, a conversation that stays with you, dancing with strangers or gathering on the beach at sunset. Labour Weekend is full of those moments, and we’d love people to come out and get amongst it,” says Artistic Director Janelle Bish.

Get an early start on the long weekend on Thursday 22 October with Auckland Theatre Company’s Tiri: Te Araroa Woman Far Walking at the Theatre Royal. The bilingual work follows 186 year old Tiri Mahana from the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to present day Aotearoa. Stay on afterwards for a special opening night kōrero with director Katie Wolfe, Witi Ihimaera Smiler and the cast.

On Friday 23 October, Witi Ihimaera Smiler joins filmmaker Hamish Bennett for The Swimmer & The Whales. At 82 and with three books out in 2026, Witi will kōrero about his new memoir Te Kaikaukau | The Swimmer, his return to the world of The Whale Rider and a remarkable life in storytelling.

Later, grab a bite from the food carts and head to Kirby Lane for Tune Up, a free evening of live music featuring rangatahi musicians. 2022 Booker Prize winner Shehan Karunatilaka joins Pukapuka Talks for Towards the Truth, delving into life, literature, fiction and power following the extraordinary success of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida.

Saturday 24 October is packed. For whānau, Levity Beet’s Bamboo Bucket Boing at Te Noninga Kumu Motueka Library turns repurposed everyday objects into inventive musical instruments for a free interactive show full of songs, sound and silliness.
Book lovers can settle in for a full day of Pukapuka Talks.

“My key message would be to take a punt on a session featuring writers you have never heard of and prepare to be delighted. It’s a chance to get insight into the minds of incredibly creative people, hear about their process and explore some of the big issues they’re grappling with in their writing,” says Pukapuka Talks curator Kerry Sunderland. 

Elizabeth Knox joins Kim Hill to discuss Night, Ma, her deeply personal memoir 12 years in the making. Charlotte Grimshaw and Josie Shapiro delve into complicated families, grief, secrets and creativity, while Kiri Allan and Charlotte Glennie share two candid stories of lives dramatically changed by accidents.

From midday, the action spills onto Upper Trafalgar Street with the free Big Spring Street Party, filling the heart of Whakatū with live music, circus, dance, roving performers, games and interactive art. Come along and soak up the creativity, energy and community spirit of one of the Festival’s biggest free gatherings.

As evening rolls around, Ā Mua brings together writer and narrator Tina Makereti, composer and conductor Riki Pirihi and Chamber Music New Zealand, weaving kupu, music and mātauranga Māori through four movements inspired by the Māori creation story.

Or warm up those vocal cords for Battle Chorus – Disco, as Jason Te Mete and Jodes Langdon turn NCMA into one big disco singalong. No singing experience required, just bring your shower voice and your best moves.

On Sunday 25 October, Pukapuka Talks continues with Tina Makereti and Joseph Trinidad exploring ancestry, whānau and the stories that shape us. Tīhema Baker and Lawrence Patchett take on fatherhood and masculinity, while Writing the Future on Climate, chaired by Kim Hill, turns its attention to how tackling climate change can improve our lives.

Film lovers can head to The Suter for Show Me Shorts, with three handpicked programmes of comedy, drama, documentary and animation from Aotearoa and around the world, including a special whānau friendly session.

There is also Commemorating Laura Solomon, a free event marking five years of the NZSA Laura Solomon Cuba Press Prize, before Writers Write: Actors Read brings short stories by Aotearoa writers Lawrence Patchett and Susanna Eliffe off the page and onto the stage.

There is no slowing down on Labour Day Monday 26 October. Ingrid Horrocks discusses All Her Lives, winner of the 2026 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, while writer Joseph Trinidad and comedian Pax Assadi find the funny side of migration, family, identity and our most cringe worthy moments.

For theatre lovers, Binge Culture’s Werewolf takes over the Theatre Royal. A lycanthropy outbreak has begun, a seven day lockdown has been declared and everyone is looking suspicious in this immersive mix of thriller, dark comedy, deception and survival.

At Tāhunanui, Emma Gilkison and Robin Robilliard share stories of Tāhunanui Beach and Mōhua Golden Bay, while Kahu Paki Paki’s Tāhae: Stolen from the Museum opens at Tāwera. A cheeky act of quiet rebellion, the free exhibition reimagines taonga tuku iho beyond museum glass through the work of Te Tauihu o Te Waka a Māui carvers, weavers and makers.

Then, as the sun goes down, head to Tāhunanui Beach for The Gathering Tide, a major free community event led by internationally acclaimed local choreographer Chloe Loftus. Join in or watch as the shoreline comes alive with movement and music, followed by a communal swim for the brave and music on the sand.

Whether you’re an arts lover, a bookworm, a music fan, looking for something to do with the whānau or simply keen to make the most of the long weekend, there is joy to be found for everyone.

See the full programme and book tickets here