REAL New Zealand Festival launched

9 September 2010

New Zealand will celebrate its role as host of one of the world's greatest sports events by staging a nationwide festival which showcases real New Zealand to the world.

The name of the festival – REAL New Zealand Festival – has been unveiled in Auckland today, at celebrations to mark ‘One Year To Go’ until the kick off of Rugby World Cup 2011. The festival will run from 9 September – 23 October, and will complement the match and team hosting schedule for Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011). But it will go well beyond the 23 centres hosting teams and games, and will include every part of the country.

The launch of the festival name coincides with the start of the second phase of ticket sales for the Tournament, with applications for individual tickets opening on 10 September. Five hundred thousand tickets were snapped up in the first phase of sales, as part of team and venue packs.

Festival Director Briony Ellis says the festival will include hundreds of events and experiences all over the country which showcase New Zealand’s arts, food and wine, heritage, culture, entertainment, industries and business, experiences and lifestyle.

“We’ve called it ‘REAL’ because real New Zealand is on show. The programme for the festival celebrates the aspects of living in New Zealand that Kiwis are most proud of – authentic experiences, and events that showcase our people, landscapes, culture and stories,” she says.

“There’ll be plenty of time between games so we want to encourage people to take the long way round from one match to the next and really see the country and meet the people.”

Briony Ellis says every region of New Zealand is committed to making the most of this opportunity to showcase the country, its people and its stories to the world.

“Rugby fans have the chance to add a rich layer to their Rugby World Cup 2011 experience, with festival events to suit every kind of visitor,” she says.

“They might be interested in wine and food or arts and culture, or they might want to experience ‘heartland’ New Zealand. Maybe they’re on a boys’ road trip or they want to be part of the action in the various Fan Zones around the country. There will be something for everyone.”

The festival is being coordinated by the Government’s New Zealand 2011 Office (NZ 2011), which is also developing REAL New Zealand Showcase – a programme to assist New Zealand businesses and industries to showcase themselves to the world during 2011.

Director of the NZ 2011 Office Leon Grice says industries from food and wine to renewable energy, film, fashion and marine manufacturing are being encouraged to show their innovation, creativity, expertise and excellence.

“As a small trading nation dependent on our ability to attract tourists, sell our goods and create partnerships, the chance for New Zealand to present our best credentials to the world is just too good to miss,” Leon Grice said.

He says a couple of good examples of industries rising to the challenge are the wine industry, which is creating special wine festivals and VIP dinners to fit in with the Tournament schedule, and the marine industry, which has moved the Auckland International Boat Show from its usual March dates into the RWC window.

“These events will enrich the experience of our visitors as part of the REAL New Zealand Festival and at the same time give us the chance to show off the things our industries and businesses do well.”

Musical treats in store for visitors during the REAL New Zealand Festival include a chance to see New Zealand’s own megastar of classical song Dame Kiri Te Kanawa in concert, as well as a selection of leading Kiwi bands.

The festival programme will be heaven for ‘foodies’. During the six-week Great West Coast Whitebait Challenge, restaurants and eateries on the South Island’s stunning West Coast will be featuring whitebait on their menus. And the world’s best oysters will be on offer at the Savour Bluff Oyster Festival where, in 2011 – for the first time ever, there'll be two Bluff Oyster ‘seasons’. Regional specialties will be served up everywhere, with more than 50 farmers’ markets around the country providing an opportunity to sample fresh, local fare, meet the locals and experience the New Zealand way of life.

Wine lovers can sample the highly distinctive, premium quality and world renowned wines from New Zealand’s best wine-growing regions. Special events are planned in Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough, Martinborough and Otago to complement the RWC 2011 match schedule.

Rugby-themed events feature large in the festival. Visitors can celebrate Nelson as the Birthplace of New Zealand Rugby in a re-enactment of the country’s first-ever Rugby game. And provincial and club rugby sits at the heart of the programme with everything from the national provincial Heartland Championship to a hāngī and club rugby derby at Tolaga Bay – the East Coast Rugby Ruckus.

For a taste of authentic Kiwi culture, visitors will be able to discover Taranaki’s proud Māori heritage at the Taranaki International Village or head to Gisborne for Te Ūnga Mai – a celebration of our Māori and European voyaging traditions and the shared history of all the cultures and peoples who have come here. And at the MAORI ART MARKet in Porirua and the Mataatua Iwi Challenge in the Bay of Plenty, they’ll meet the REAL people making New Zealand arts and culture what it is today.

And for an exciting way to get a unique experience of the Tournament before, during and after the match, RWC 2011 Fan Zones will be gathering places for fans to meet friends and celebrate in a festive atmosphere.

There are currently more than 300 events on the festival programme and it will continue to build over the next year. Visit www.realnzfestival.com to see the REAL New Zealand Festival programme and check back regularly for updates.

The REAL New Zealand brand was created in 3D by local artists and craftspeople to represent elements of the festival – Māori heritage and culture; arts, music, history and literature; industry and innovation and our sporty, rugged, outdoors lifestyle.

For more information, contact:

Briony Ellis
Festival Director, New Zealand 2011 Office
+64 4 978 7482
+64 27 4443 118

Andrea Blackshaw
Communications Manager, New Zealand 2011 Office
+64 4 978 7483
+64 21 242 6918
andrea.blackshaw@nz2011.govt.nz