Art deco festival returns to Napier

Ahuriri - After two years of covid-related chaos casting a long shadow over events and festivals across New Zealand, Hawke’s Bay’s world-renowned art deco festival will return to Napier next February.

Napier’s art deco trust has released a programme for the country’s most stylish, sophisticated and immersive celebration of art deco, reigniting Napier as the art deco capital of New Zealand.

Jeremy Smith, general manager of the art deco trust says the event will bring the streets alive with entertainment and be the very best celebration of art deco glitz and glamour ever.

From February 16, the festival will feature a packed four-day programme. The festivities will kick off with a Charleston challenge in Hasting’s central mall, in a world record breaking attempt to get over 2000 people dancing the Charleston.

All the flagship events will be back, including the roaring 1920s party, Gatsby picnic, the deco decadence grand ball, the vintage car parade, and the soap box derby. Evening concerts at Napier’s soundshell feature the Royal New Zealand navy band and the Hawke’s Bay jazz club big band.

The 2023 programme is poised to bring a dynamic and vibrant festival feel to the city of Napier and the region, celebrating the resilience that emerged out of the devastation of the 1931 earthquakes, which set in motion the rebuild of the city of Napier and surrounds in the modern, chic, and elegant art deco style.

The programme will be available from today, with tickets on sale to art deco trust members before the public release on November 7.

Napier’s heritage is passionately protected under the careful governance of the art deco trust which drives Napier’s art deco preservation movement.

The trust is responsible for Napier’s iconic summer and winter art deco festivals attracting thousands of visitors to the city each year. It operates guided walking tours of Napier’s art deco CBD, vintage car tours and an art deco retail shop.