Family Day Whānau Whānui

In a nutshell:
Circus clowns / Massive art boards / K-Pop dancers

Family Day is always a special occasion as The New Zealand Herald Festival Garden in Aotea Square transforms into a creative playground for kids, teens and adults alike. Music, dance, circus and art abound on this fun day out for the family in the centre of Auckland. Get creative with artists or just chill out and be entertained by a mosaic of entertainers. Rain or shine we have you covered!

We start our day with the champion schools kapahaka group Ngā Puna o Waiōrea / Western Springs College who will fill the garden with the beauty of their song and the power of their energy!

APO REMIX
11am - 12pm Spiegeltent
Come start your day with a groove and hear what lights the fire of young Aucklanders at this inspirational collaboration of young song stylers, well known urban musicians and live orchestral players from the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.

NOREUM MACHI
11.00am & 1.15pm
New Wave Korean music group, Noreum Machi bring their colourful and exciting blend of spectacular percussion, dialogues, shamanic chants, and acrobatic dances to the Family Day stage for all to enjoy.

CIRCUS RONALDO
11:30 am & 1pm
International guests David and Danny Ronaldo are 6th generation circus and theatre masters of old commedia traditions. Today they are going entertain us with a 15 minute excerpt from their street performance Lazzi.

ACE CREW Dance Corporation
Performances at 11.45am & 1.55pm
Workshop 12.45 - 1.30pm
K-pop is a unique and distinctive style of Korean pop music, characterised by synced dance moves and slick performance. It has exploded in popularity throughout Asia and now the rest of the world is starting to catch on. Be part of the buzz at ACE Crew’s performances and dance workshop.

Mr Roberelli
12.15 - 1pm
This award-winning collective prides itself on making music that all the family will truly love with highly original turns of phrase, memorable melodies that make you want to sing along, and a huge range of musical styles and song themes. Their live shows include games, competitions, challenges and lots of moving and shaking - come and join the mosh pit!

INK SPOT
All day
Work alongside fabric artist Katie Smith of Smitten Design to design and print your own Festival bag or fabric using wood blocks carved with motifs drawn from the mosaic of Auckland's cultures by students of Howick College.

CIRCUS CENTRAL
Hone those you-know-you-want-to–do-it circus skills with Circability Community Circus. They’ll keep you busy juggling, hula hooping, tightrope walking and more!

MAGICAL MASQUERADE
Our favourite Festival face painters are back again to re create their magic and set the scene for the day in the garden.

CUBE-ITI
11am - 2pm
Street artist Janine Williams will paint with you to turn this little cube into a small version of the amazing street art of Aotea Squared in the Garden.

TIOKA TOI - Dreaming of Turkey.
Illustrator Pinar Ekinci will take you into her magical world full of dreamlike, fantasy, and whimsical creatures. Come and join her at our garden art board.

CAMEO APPEARANCE
All day 
A unique experience where your photo becomes a little silhouette – a moment in time. Get creative and let your shadow speak at this pocket printer interactive event.

RAVISHING RANGOLI
All day 
Immerse yourself in colour with Te Uru Gallery Educator Iona Matheson and Festival artist Bepen Bhana who will introduce you to the concept of Rangoli – beautiful, impermanent traditional designs from India.
Image from Bepen's exhibition Frankie Goes to Bollywood (Te Uru gallery)

Chill N Play
A chill out zone between activities where you can play with giant games or relax with a good book from Auckland Library’s BOOK BIKE. If you like what you read then you can also take it home!

And last but not least - to take us out on Family Day

SUPER HERO SECONDLINE
2.30 - 3.30 pm 
What do SuperHeroes do once they get to old and unfit to carry on saving the world? Learn instruments and start a second line band with the perfect set of instruments to play some tradition New Orleans style second line tunes.

Also on Family Day for families:

Duck, Death and the Tulip: Q Loft, 1pm
Waves: Q Loft, 4 pm