Demand high as World Buskers Festival returns to Ōtautahi

Workers in the Christchurch CBD will be dodging jugglers, acrobats, and flying trapeze artists for the next 10 days, as the annual Bread and Circus World Buskers Festival returns to town.

A highly anticipated event on Ōtautahi's summer calendar, performers from around the globe are once again converging on the city's streets, for the festival's 31st year.

Festival director Scott Maidment said the colourful and chaotic programme always brought in crowds.

"People who came as kids are now bringing their kids to the festival," he said.

"We know that a lot of the ticketed shows are already sold out, and we're adding new shows to try and keep up with demand."

Maidment said people could look forward to a range of new acts as well as old favourites- such as The Circus Firemen.

Brothers Angus and Matilda's burning passion for performing had brought them back to the festival for the fifth time.

"We're going to climb ladders and juggle fire at the top- whilst dressed as fire-fighters, we're not real fire-fighters," Angus said.

The brothers are two of over 100 performers that will be showing off their talents between January 19 and 28.

Maidment said one of the most highly anticipated new events was the Arborialis Luminarium - a 1000m2 inflatable maze set up in Cathedral Square.

He said it had been shown only twice before in the world.

"It started in Spain, and then it had been stopped in the west coast of Australia and now will be set up in Christchurch," he said.

"You can walk through it, it's very very colourful and amazing to see and be a part of."

Leah Orleans' Tiny Girl Big Show is another new act in the festival - that has come all the way from America.

She does a one-woman comedy acrobatic performance, and said interacting with the audience was her favourite part.

"There's definitely parts of my show that are scripted and written, but being able to play within those lines and go off the tracks and see what happens is one of my favourite parts," she said.

Orleans said there was a need for live entertainment now more than ever, following on from the years of Covid-19 lockdowns.

"People really started to understand what it feels like not to have that. So, being away from it and then being able to come back to it is so huge. I think there's a bigger appreciation for entertainment that's not on a screen now."

ChristchurchNZ destination and attraction general manager Loren Aberhart said the Bread & Circus festival usually brought in about $500,000 in visitor spending.

Aberhart said it was a pinnacle event on the calendar for the city, and continued to grow in attendance.

"We anticipate around 200,000 attendees this year, we had about 180,000 last year, but it also just continues to grow in the international acts we're able to attract. We've got performers from all around the world this year, and that's amazing."

The full timetable of events can be found on the festival's website.