Festival Programme

We can gladly claim that CubaDupa 2018 was a mad success.

Thanks to all of you that came along to celebrate of our wonderful Cuba Quarter. The united sense of community created an extraordinary atmosphere that we can all be proud of – well done Wellington.

To all of our artists and involved establishments, thanks for your insane effort and dedication to your work and to CubaDupa 2018, we loved having you involved and we hope you had fun! Keep your eyes peeled for our next call of interest for 2019.

Here is a video from one of our official videographers, Sam Pietras of CreateNow, that sums up the weekend perfectly.

p.s. If you would like to give some feedback and help guide us towards CubaDupa 2019 – fill in this form.

Our friends at ZOOMY have the answer!

As you may know, the roads are closed in the Cuba Quarter from 1am Sat 24th to 3am Monday the 26th, pedestrianising the streets of CubaDupa for all to enjoy.

Public transport along the perimeter of the CubaDupa zone is running as normal – check our map for taxi stands, bus stops and our special ZOOMY pick-up and drop-off zones, marked with the ZOOMY logo.

• Download the ZOOMY app
• Enter this code: CUBADUPA25
• Receive 25% off all ZOOMY rides for the first month

Zoomy is locally owned, have lower rates and offer a better service than competitors – We are proud to have ZOOMY helping to keep you moving during CubaDupa weekend.

With one week to go, it’s time to start thinking about your weekend at CubaDupa.

The last addition to our website is now live and ready for you to build your own CubaDupa itinerary. We have around 17 hours of programmed entertainment with over 200 attractions across two days, so to get a head start and help you navigate your way through the crowds we have created a way to ensure you get to where you want to be at CubaDupa 2018.

CubaDupa pamphlets will be available from the festival, including the full schedule and map – but lets do some good for this world. Save a tree, build your own and save it to your device.

Create your own personalised CubaDupa experience

1. Browse the festival programme online
2. Simply click the ‘+Add’ button next to any listing in on our Programme page and from the Moore Wilson’s Street Food Festival
3. View your personalised itinerary by clicking the ‘Itinerary’ button at the top right of our website
4. Download, email or share your final itinerary on social media
5. Refer to you personal itinerary over the festival weekend to make sure you don’t miss a thing

Note: Some artists have multiple shows or are participants in a parade, so you will be notified of all shows available for each act as well as location.

New Zealand’s largest immersive outdoor arts festival, CubaDupa, returns in 2018 with more international performances than ever before along with our stunning local line-up, for its two-day extravaganza of music, dance, theatre and visual arts.

Wellington’s iconic Cuba Quarter will come to life on March 24 and 25, 2018 when lines become blurred between audience and performer during the free street festival that will fill the capital with a vibrant atmosphere and display of human creativity.
Artistic Director, Drew James, says CubaDupa is uniquely Wellington and fast-becoming one of the most extraordinary events in New Zealand.

“The CubaDupa experience invades your senses: sight and sound, aroma and taste. You become immersed in a journey through Cuba Street, side-streets, back alleyways, and courtyards, where you will discover everything from opera to parades, music and visual installations.”

New Orleans’ legends Free Agents Brass Band are among the highlights for the 2018 programme bringing with them their surprising mix of traditional New Orleans jazz alongside old school R&B, hip hop, gospel, reggae and afro beat. Coming all the way from Toronto is Lemon Bucket Orkestra, a Canadian band of mismatched guerrilla-folk party-punks. Representing the UK is energetic folk duo Old Time Rags who promise loud horns, kazoos, banjos and even a broom dance.

“The blurring of the line between audience, performer, stage and street, is even more evident for 2018, with a call-out for everyone to dress in extravagant costume, and dance with some of the world’s greatest street bands.”

Spanish masters of costume, Les Tambours de Feu (Drums of Fire) will be putting on a spectacular show with drums, pyrotechnics and special effects. Melbourne performers Born in a Taxi will get the audience to partake in their street theatre performance, Curious Game, while New Zealand Opera will fill the Cuba Quarter with a street opera performance of The Eagle Has Landed. New Zealand’s very own Tape Art pioneers will be creating live street art and other Kiwi performers include the jazz afro-beats of Khufus Ethiopiques and hip hop big band RAW Collective.

Children will be encouraged to be free and express themselves at the family entertainment zone, Urban Garden. Create carnival costumes and junk instruments before joining the DIY street parade. At night the garden blooms will be lit up and video mapped for special evening soirees for all ages.

“It has become a celebration of the street, reaching out to artists from Wellington, around New Zealand and internationally that contribute to the two-day explosion of creative spirit.”

Attendees can take a world food tour without leaving the Cuba Quarter as they sample street eats from the myriad of multicultural eateries along Cuba Street, as part of the Moore Wilson’s Street Food Festival.
“Logan Brown is set to once again team up with the Cuba Street Fruit Mart, dishing out their famous paua fritters, while the team at El Matador will be serving their mouth watering assador spit-roasted lamb in true Argentinean style,” James says.

Craft beer and cocktails will be on hand as Laundry, Southern Cross Carnival Bar, Fidel’s, Rogue & Vagabond and other well-known watering holes spill out onto the streets into outdoor licensed areas.

The festival is run by a small dedicated team at the Creative Capital Arts Trust, supported by WREDA, Wellington Regional Amenities Fund, Wellington Community Trust and a number of other local sponsors including The Wellington Company, Te Auaha, Wellington International Airport, Mediaworks and Cato Brand Partners.

For more information, contact:

Clare Cummings, clare@sputnik.co.nz, 04 801 9484