The Auckland Diwali Festival
A hugely popular and important festival in Auckland (not to mention globally), Diwali is coming to Queen Street and Aotea Square on Saturday October 8 and Sunday October 9.
It marks the festival’s 21st anniversary, and it’s a welcome return after crowd restrictions put a halt to it over the last couple of years. “As we begin to return to more normal life following two years of pandemic disruption, the themes of Diwali – the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil, common to all our cultures – take on a special significance,” said Mayor Phil Goff in a statement.
Different stages will be set up to host dance, music and other entertainment all afternoon and evening. Part of Queen Street between Mayoral Drive and Wellesley Street West will be closed off for street performances and shopping stalls. There will also be vegetarian food stalls selling traditional Indian dishes such as pakora (spiced fritters) and pav bhaji (vegetable curry in a bread roll).
Catch Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum oboist and composer Russel Walder at 3.50pm on Sunday on the Queen Street stage, as part of the classical music performance section. Then, at 8.50pm on Sunday, colourful a fireworks finale from Aotea Centre’s rooftop will light up the sky.
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