With the New Year comes another outing for the SCIRT World Buskers Festival, which is back for its 22nd year.
Between 14th and 24th of January, Christchurch will be hosting 65 world class local and international acts for our enjoyment. This year’s selection of acts include street performers, comedians, fringe artists, musicians and visual artists.
Once again, Hagley Park will act as the epicentre, with family friendly shows beginning daily from 11am at the SCIRT Stage, L&P Stage and Buskers Kids Pitch, to name a few, as well as super-highbrow-civilized entertainment for us grown ups in the evening. There’ll also be select shows in the Arts Centre, Christchurch Art Gallery, Mashina Lounge and in New Brighton.
The Festival is a good option for a day out with your kids or night out with friends (or even a date *wink*), conveniently timed in the middle of “I’m bored” season. From experience, SCIRT Busker Comedy Club beats sitting in front of the TV watching dire summertime substitute shows, plus it’s only a gold coin donation admission and you can bring your dinner! Containing “Adult Themes” this one of those grown-up shows I just love, so leave your kids at home.
This year I’m particularly excited about Rose Matafeo, who will be performing in this year’s line-up of Nothing but Stand Up, alongside Ben Hurley, Lloyd Langford and Christchurch born (holla) Eli Matthewson, who has worked with Matafeo on TV-shows such as U-Live and Funny Girls.
Buskers Burlesque is also something you have to experience at least once, with this year being the USA Invasion edition. I think this goes without saying, but go with someone you’re comfortable with seeing that kind of show with.
Other acts I’m also excited to see include Puppet Fiction (“the ultimate Tarantino homage, this is Pulp Fiction with strings attached”), and Jon Bennett’s Pretending Things Are a Cock.
If nothing I’ve mentioned remotely interests you, you can head to the World Buskers Festival website where you can see the full selection of shows and performers along with a timetable.
And if I’ve been unhelpful, but you’ve managed to read this to the end, I promise my final tip will be worth it. Beat the Queue tickets are now available, so buy them to shows that do interest you! When they sell out, a selection of tickets for the shows will be available on the day of the show to purchase in Hagley Park, so don’t panic, but, like, who wants to wait in a queue? Don’t say I didn’t give you anything.
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