The diversity of New Zealand in 2019 is a major theme in the Tauranga Arts Festival programme, launched last night at Baycourt. Running from October 24 to November 3, the festival includes major home-grown talent, as well as performers from the United States, Germany, Scotland, Canada and Australia. Tauranga’s Arts Festival features including international circus-cabaret LIMBO (Fri 25 October and Saturday 26 October, 2pm/8pm), Kiwi drama-comedy Cellfish (Monday 28 Oct/Tuesday 29 Oct), John Wright and The Sou’Westers (Wednesday 30 Oct), acclaimed singer-songwriters Nadia Reid (Thursday 31 Oct) and Milly Tabak (Friday 1 Nov) and Pasifika-Kiwi play Wild Dogs Under my Skirt (Friday 1 Nov/Saturday 2 Nov), soon to transfer to New York. For families there’s Splash Test Dummies (Friday 25 October), Fringe Village and free central city exhibitions, as well as ‘A Call to Dance’ at Tauranga Art Gallery (free, but bookings essential). And don’t miss the exciting Speaker programme over the weekend of 2/3 November – Marilyn Waring, Richard O’Brien, Mary Holm, Emily Writes and Professor James Renwick.

Tauranga Arts Festival ends Sunday, November 3. Programme and tickets at taurangafestival.co.nz Student prices to many shows.

Head to https://www.taurangafestival.co.nz/ for tickets and more information.