Wellington Turns Up the Heat this Winter

Winter might be well upon us, but Wellington is just beginning to turn up the heat with its inspired line up of arts, cultural and sporting events.

"Wellington is the place to visit this winter. Its events calendar is unbeatable - sport, art exhibitions, drama, theatre on ice, opera, and an amazing film festival," says Positively Wellington Tourism General Manager Marketing Chris Lamers.

City Gallery Wellington has more in store for art lovers with its Winter Season of Wellington Art, which showcases three exciting and distinctly different exhibitions. Down the road at the Westpac St James Theatre, internationally-renowned Imperial Ice Stars are wowing crowds with Swan Lake on Ice, which combines the brilliance of ice-skating with the intimacy of theatre.

Late July sees a flurry of activity in the capital. The Telecom Wellington Film Festival revs into action, placing home-grown talent on screen alongside top international film releases.  The Royal New Zealand Ballet loosens its corsets with its refreshingly modern triple bill Trinity, Donny Osmond will play to a packed Events Centre, and the All Blacks take on the Springboks at the Westpac Stadium in the second game of the Philips Tri-Nations competition.

The action continues throughout winter's final month. In August, Gilbert and Sullivan's much-celebrated The Mikado plays at The Opera House, followed by the NBR New Zealand Opera's blast of warmth and wit, Don Pasquale. And opera fans are in for a treat with a rare opportunity to see the Gershwin classic Porgy and Bess, performed by an all-American cast at the Westpac St James Theatre.

"Wellington is widely regarded as New Zealand's leading events and arts capital. This winter calendar confirms that it more than lives up to its reputation," says Chris Lamers.