Auckland's vibrant Diwali Festival is returning to Aotea Square and Queen Street on 11 and 12 October, with organisers expecting more than 65,000 attendees.
For the first time, the festival includes ticketed events, extending its footprint across the city centre.
Since its inception in 2002, the Auckland Diwali Festival has been a lively celebration of Indian culture, featuring music, cultural performances, food and crafts.
This year's programme includes performances across three stages, along with theatre, art installations, light projections, yoga sessions and Bollywood films.
The almost two-month-long Indian festive season in New Zealand started at the end of September with celebrations surrounding the nine days of Navratri, a Hindu festival celebrating the mother goddess Durga.
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, organiser of the festival, has introduced ticketed events for the first time at the Auckland Town Hall, Aotea Centre and Q Theatre from 5 October.
"This is the first time we've extended our footprint for the Diwali Festival by supporting ticketed events, allowing us to offer more experiences for our whānau to come together and celebrate," said Jep Savali, group manager for major events at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited.
The first of these events, Kundalini - The Awakening, an Odissi dance production by Sam Goraya, Samir Panigrahi and Santosh Ram, opened on 5 October.
Pianist Ben Fernandez performs with the Auckland Jazz Orchestra in Auckland on Tuesday. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
Other highlights include Bollywood Meets Jazz, a musical collaboration between pianist Ben Fernandez and the Auckland Jazz Orchestra.
"It's a collaboration that I worked on for about three years," said pianist and composer Ben Fernandez.
"Some of the members of the Auckland Jazz Orchestra had never played Bollywood music before, so it was a great experience to curate and perform with one of the best jazz ensembles in the country," he said.
Fernandez said his long-term goal was to introduce Bollywood music into schools and colleges as part of music education.
The ticketed line-up also includes Ram Leela: A Timeless Tale of Valour and Devotion of Lord Rama, a dance performance directed and choreographed by Anuradha Ramkumar and featuring more than 120 artists on 11 October at Auckland Town Hall.
Indian singer-songwriter Lucky Ali will perform at Aotea Centre on 12 October, while the Miss India NZ pageant returns as a ticketed event on 10 October at Auckland Town Hall.
"The pageant has been running since 2002, and we're only two years away from its 25-year journey," said Dharmesh Parikh, event producer at Rhythm House.
"With Miss India NZ, I'm trying to bring two sides of the world - India and New Zealand - together on stage," Parikh said.
Rhythm House is also behind Ram Leela: A Timeless Tale of Valour and Devotion of Lord Rama.
"The narration of this dance drama is in English, and the costumes and choreography are inspired by Bharatanatyam," Parikh said.
"I'm sure everyone watching will be blown away."
Auckland's annual Diwali Festival is returning to Aotea Square and Queen Street on 11 and 12 October, with organisers expecting more than 65,000 attendees. Photo: Auckland Unlimited / Overflo
Festival attractions also include Rangoli light projections on the exterior of Auckland Town Hall, illuminated art installations at Freyberg Place and Khartoum Place, and dance performances by the Tamil New Zealand School of Dance at Ellen Melville Centre.
"We've really amplified the 3D projection mapping onto the town hall," Savali said. "It's very Diwali-specific, so you'll see Rangoli there - it's exciting."
He said last year's festival drew around 65,000 people and said the team hoped to attract even more this year.
"We have a dedicated team that works hard to identify and manage potential risks," Savali said.
Asked about the possibility of protests, he said the team had incorporated that into their planning, designating an area for people to express their freedom of speech and emphasising that public safety remained a top priority.
Giapo co-owner Annarosa Petrucci (left) stands alongside chef and store manager Amritpal Kaur. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
A taste of Diwali
Auckland's Giapo ice cream shop has created a special flavour for the festival - Rabri Malai and Nuts - that has been inspired by a traditional Indian dessert.
"The flavour is based on a recipe from our chef Amritpal Kaur's grandmother," co-owner Annarosa Petrucci said.
"Rabri is a dessert made from thickened, sweetened milk with layers of cream, and we've turned that into ice cream," Petrucci said.
Kaur, who has worked with Giapo for a decade, was proud of the recipe.
"It's got a strong flavour of saffron and cardamom with rabri inside and malai ice cream," Kaur said.
Auckland's Giapo ice cream shop has created a special flavour for the festival - Rabri Malai and Nuts - that is inspired by a traditional Indian dessert. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
Giapo has previously made ice cream inspired by a variety of Indian food, including pani puri, roti and samosa.
"I've never been to India but there is a big food culture in India that we'd like to embrace," Petrucci said.
The flavour is available only during the festival.
Auckland Transport has also rolled out a Diwali-themed bus, trackable via the AT Mobile app, while Auckland Zoo is hosting a Diwali High Tea.
"It [the bus] is pretty spectacular," Savali said. "You cannot miss it."
Auckland Transport has decorated a bus in festive colours ahead of Diwali celebrations in the CBD on 11-12 October. Photo: RNZ / Elliott Samuels
Diwali celebrations have already begun across the country.
The Indian community in Flat Bush marked Diwali at Barry Curtis Park on 4 October, while Manukau, Botany and Northcote hosted their own events the following day.
Additional festivals have been planned in Wellington at TSB Arena and Shed 6 on 23 October, in Hamilton at Innes Common on 18 October and in Christchurch at Queen Elizabeth II Park on 25 October.
Auckland's Diwali Festival runs from midday to 9pm on 11 and 12 October at Aotea Square and along Queen Street.
