Auckland Pride Festival 2015 First Programme Announcement   18 Dec 2014

Auckland Pride Festival 2015 First Programme Announcement: Bigger is Better!

Auckland Pride, New Zealand’s largest festival celebrating the colourful and diverse LGBTIQ community, returns for 2015 with its largest programme to date.

Due to an overwhelming number of registrations for 2015, Auckland Pride has extended its festival dates to an epic three weeks. From Friday 6 February – Sunday 1 March 2015, the City Of Sails will play host to an all-encompassing programme bursting with visual arts, theatre, dance, community events and of course, the best parties.

Launching the Festival in all its fabulous VIP glory is The Auckland Pride Gala held at Q Theatre on Saturday 7 February. A black tie event the Gala is a Pride tasting platter of sorts, giving audiences snippets of theatrical and musical events held within its 2015 programme. Celebrations continue on Sunday 8 February, as the community comes out into the sunlight with the incredibly popular LYC Big Gay Out held at Point Chevalier’s Coyle Park.

Auckland Pride Parade will bring everything from Zeus to Aphrodite as the God & Monster themed procession dominates Ponsonby Road on Saturday 21st February. Dancers, floats, marchers and music will wait until the sun hits the horizon before setting off in all their revelry, as the parade moves to a new (and later) start time of 7.30pm. With float registrations from Auckland and beyond already higher than this time last year, there’s no doubt 2015 is going to be the most spectacular parade yet!

The annual Bear New Zealand Week will once again, run alongside the Auckland Pride Festival from 8-15 February. A programme that includes the outrageous and unforgettable Bear Drag Race along Karangahape Road and of course perhaps the most iconic Bear event the Mr Urge New Zealand Bear 2015 pageant. For the full and furry programme of events visit bearnewzealand.co.nz.

The huge climax to finish the 2015 Festival is PROUD, the official Auckland Pride Festival closing party on Saturday 28 February. An extravaganza of international and local talent, the 2015 PROUD party will be helmed by Kiwi ex-pat Lyall Hakaraia of London’s VogueFabrics.

The Auckland Pride Festival is a spectacular three weeks for Aucklanders and the many visitors who travel to Tamaki Makaurau to come together to celebrate our diverse Rainbow Community through events, parties and exhibitions.

The Auckland Pride Festival would not happen without the support of our fabulous festival partners at Auckland Council, Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED), Ponsonby Business Association, Gay Auckland Business Association (GABA), ANZ New Zealand and the New Zealand AIDS Foundation.

SIGNATURE EVENTS

The Auckland Pride Gala: Saturday 7 February, TIME TBC
Q Theatre, Queen Street
Bookings: www.qtheatre.co.nz

LYC Big Gay Out: Sunday 8 February from midday
Coyle Park, Pt. Chevalier
FREE

Bear New Zealand Week: Sunday 8 – Sunday 15 February
Auckland-wide
Bookings: www.bearnewzealand.co.nz

Auckland Pride Parade 2014: Saturday 21 February,
NEW START TIME 7:30pm
Ponsonby Road
FREE

PROUD: Saturday 28 February
Victoria Park Market complex
Bookings: www.iticket.co.nz

SNAPSHOT OF CONFIRMED EVENTS TO DATE:
30 EXHIBITION (1 Dec –27 Feb, Nga Taonga), 'Implicated and Immune' (31 Jan –28 Feb, Michael Lett Gallery), Waitangi Day Dawn Ceremony (6 Feb, Okahu Bay),Staircase Revisited (6 Feb), Auckland Cycle Pride (8 Feb), Girl on a Corner by Victor Rodger (9 –15 Feb, Basement Theatre), Queers in Tertiary Seminar 2015 (9 Feb, AUT), All the Words of the Rainbow (9 Feb, Leys Institute), Freya Desmarais – Live Orgy (9 – 11 Feb, Basement Theatre), Big Gay Book Group (10 Feb, Shanghai Lil’s), Away From Home (17 – 21 Feb, Herald Theatre), Legacy Project: Year 2 (10 – 14 Feb, Q Loft), Mika & The Chairman – Room 1334 (12 –14 Feb, Basement Theatre),Silo Cinema (13 Feb, Silo Park), Writing Seminar (14 Feb, Leys Institute), BARE (14 – 28 Feb, Auckland Music Theatre), Review Revue (17 Feb, Auckland Library) NXT:15 Youth Leaders Conference (19 – 22 Feb), Night of the Queer Cabaret (TAPAC), ‘At Altitude’ featuring Fancy Violence & Nilbar Güres (Artspace), Fine Fatale – Freak Show (Mangere Arts Centre), with many more yet to be announced.

Auckland Pride Festival 2015 runs from Friday 6 February – Sunday 1 March 2015. For more information head to www.aucklandpridefestival.org.nz or www.facebook.com/AkldPrideFest

FULL PROGRAMME TO BE RELEASED MID JANUARY

ENDS

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