Live music, fireworks and kites to see out Christchurch’s summer

As thousands of Cantabrians return home from their Christmas holidays, Christchurch City Council still has plenty of events to keep the whole family entertained throughout the rest of the break.

Multiple activities are lined up for the next month – including live music, fireworks, a mass kite day and even a play.

The Summer Sundays concert series

Christchurch City Council has confirmed every Sunday afternoon from January 28 until February 18, there will be live music at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens.

The council’s manager of events and arts, Lucy Blackmore said: “Each week features a different theme or music genre, and we like to switch them up every year, besides jazz, which has become a popular staple.”

This year will feature, ‘Around the World, ‘Got the Blues’, ‘Emerging Indie’ and ‘Jazz on the Lawn’.

The concerts run from 2pm to 4pm and are free to attend at the Archery Lawn, in the city’s botanical gardens.

Mitre10 Sparks

New Zealand pop singer Annie Crummer will join the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the 41st year of one of the city’s most beloved events.

The outdoor concert at North Hagley Park on Saturday, February 3 will also feature local Ōtautahi singers – Roslen Ulaula and Harry Burt.

“Mitre10 Sparks is a wonderful, feel-good event for our city, where we can get together with friends and whānau and enjoy some top-shelf, homegrown talent,” Blackmore said.

The event runs from 6.30pm until 9.30pm and closes with a spectacular fireworks display.

Council has confirmed a range of food vendors will be available on-site, and attendees can bring a picnic, along with picnic blankets and chairs.

New Brighton Kite Day

The popular family day out returns to New Brighton Beach on Saturday, January 13, promising to brighten the skies of the seaside suburb.

The free event will run from 11am to 3pm, with activities, competitions and live music hosted by radio station The Hits.

“There will be a sandcastle-building station and a beach dig competition, with fun prizes to be won,”

“People can bring a picnic to enjoy or take a stroll through New Brighton’s township and choose from the many eateries,” Blackmore said.

Anthony Harper Summer Theatre

The all-new comedy, The Odyssey, set in ancient Greece, is making its Christchurch debut.

An adaption of Homer’s epic poem “Odyssey”, the play follows the mythological Greek hero, Odysseus, who masterminded the infamous Trojan Horse trick at the siege on Troy.

“The open-air production is the perfect setting for a picnic with friends and whānau this summer,” Blackmore said.

Shows will run at 6.30pm from Thursday, January 11 to Sunday, January 28, at the Botanic Gardens’ Weather Station Lawn.

“It’s free entry, but koha donations will be gratefully accepted by Noosed Octopus,” Blackmore said.