Afro-Brazilian Drumming · Live Percussion Performance

Explosive, hypnotic, and impossible to stand still to — Krakoto Kra bring the raw energy of Afro-Brazilian percussion to the heart of the festival. With deep roots in West African rhythms and vibrant Brazilian street beats, this Wellington-based drumming collective ignites dance floors with every performance.

They’ll open the festival on the Unity Stage, setting the weekend in motion with thunderous bass, infectious grooves, and a magnetic live presence that pulses through your body. Whether you're dancing at the front or swaying at the back, Krakoto Kra’s rhythm is a call to move — to feel, to release, to celebrate.

Anxiety often shows up as a whisper, a grip in the chest, a racing mind—or a mask we wear to stay safe. In this workshop, we invite you to gently peel back the layers of tension and explore the truth beneath. What is your anxiety trying to protect? What wisdom does it hold?

Through guided reflection, somatic practices, and shared tools for emotional regulation, you’ll learn to meet anxiety with curiosity rather than resistance. This is not about fixing yourself—it’s about befriending your nervous system and remembering your capacity for ease.

Come as you are. Leave with more breath, more awareness, and more compassion for your beautifully human self.

Run by Luke van Helden.

Film screening of Love. 

Film synopsis: 

Murphy is an American living in Paris who enters a highly sexually and emotionally charged relationship with Electra. Unaware of the effect it will have on their relationship, they invite their pretty neighbor into their bed.

Running time: 

2hrs 10mins

Film Screening of Eyes Wide Shut.

Film synopsis: 

After Dr. Bill Hartford's (Tom Cruise) wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), admits to having sexual fantasies about a man she met, Bill becomes obsessed with having a sexual encounter. He discovers an underground sexual group and attends one of their meetings -- and quickly discovers that he is in over his head.

Running time: 

2hrs 39mins

A dedicated daily hour to centre queer joy, connection, and expression.

Whether you're here to flirt, share stories, cuddle up, find your people, or simply exist in a space that feels like home—Queer Hour is your time. Expect gentle vibes, bold love, and a lounge full of laughter, tenderness, and unapologetic selfhood.

Day One’s Queer Hour is about gentle introductions and joyful recognition—finding your people, your pace, and your place. This will be a soft landing for bold souls.

with Monica

Shake it out | All levels welcome | Bring water + sass

Drop it low, loosen your hips, and unleash your inner sass queen in this fun, high-energy Twerkshop led by Raglan-based dancer, aerialist, and pole performer Monica.

Whether you're a total newbie or seasoned shaker, this workshop breaks down the basics of twerking and hip isolations — helping you find rhythm, confidence, and control in your lower body. Expect laughs, sweat, and moves you’ll want to whip out on the dance floor all weekend long.

No experience needed, just bring your booty and a willingness to let go.

Step into Foreplay for a flirt-forward twist on classic speed dating—where cheeky banter meets conscious connection. Whether you're seeking spark, mischief, or meaningful conversation, this is your invitation to meet other open-minded explorers in a setting designed for ease, laughter, and magnetic moments.

Expect guided prompts, respectful pace, and just enough spice to keep hearts racing. No pressure. No expectations. Just the thrill of what might unfold when curiosity meets consent.

Run by Grace Eliza, Robin Kerr, and Jaimee Beck

from AUCKLAND

Embark on a transformative sound journey where music and mindfulness merge. This immersive workshop will guide you through a multi-sensory experience using a blend of live instruments, soothing vocals, and deep resonant tones. Let the vibrations wash over you, release tension, and connect with your inner self. Whether you're seeking relaxation, introspection, or rejuvenation, this sound journey will leave you feeling grounded, open, and revitalised.

Teacher and music TBA

Join us around The Grandfather Tree in The Village, out the front of the Unity Stage. 

Looking to meet new faces, share stories, or sip tea with someone curious? You’re invited to tumble into a world of connection at The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party—a playful social gathering under the wise and whimsical limbs of the Grandfather Tree.

Bring your quirks, your questions, your fabulous festival selves. Cups of tea will appear as often as tea cups can be plucked from the tree’s magical branches—so come ready for conversation, laughter, and maybe a touch of mischief.

No agenda. No pressure. Just a little wonder, a lot of warmth, and the joy of meeting kindred spirits in the most enchanted of settings.

with Kate Marie

You’ve arrived. Your body made it. 

The adventure begins — but how do you stay open to it all? And how do you take that expansive feeling home?

Led by somatic and intimacy coach, Kate Marie (Rebel with a Pause), this trauma-informed workshop offers a grounding entry into the festival. Through breath, movement, and body-based awareness, you’ll explore what helps you stay present — from the wild moments to the quiet ones — and leave with your own ‘Aliveness Map’ to carry through the weekend and beyond.

Designed for connection and integration, this session is a powerful way to start the festival with intention — and keep that feeling of aliveness long after you leave.

🎁 Includes a free online integration circle post-festival.

with Katie & Ricardo

Lean into this session on connection through breath, movement, and trust. Led by Katie and her partner Ricardo, this stretching workshop is designed to awaken the body and open the heart.

Come with a partner or pair up on the day—this is a welcoming space for all bodies and all levels of experience.

With a strong focus on consent and clear communication, you’ll explore simple yet powerful stretches that support relaxation, mobility, and deeper physical awareness. 

Expect gentle guidance, mutual respect, and moments of laughter as you learn to support and be supported.

In this workshop, we explore the empowering belief that pleasure is your birthright—something inherently yours, not something to earn or prove.

Participants will be guided to reconnect with their bodies, deepen their relationship to pleasure both in and beyond the bedroom, and gently dissolve barriers to joy and fulfilment.

Through practical tools and embodied techniques, you'll begin—or continue—your journey toward sexual wellbeing with curiosity, self-compassion, and renewed confidence.

Run by Grace Eliza.

Hailing from Nelson, New Zealand, 26-year-old singer-songwriter Joe Cole channels his roots in acoustic folk, rock, and blues into a growing body of original music. He penned his first song at 15 and has since crafted lyrics with poetic intent — always aiming to strike a chord of raw emotion and nostalgia, delivered with his signature rustic flair.

Now based in Hawke’s Bay, Joe lives and breathes music — writing and recording during the week, and travelling across the country to perform on the weekends.

Following the early success of tracks like Tranquility, This Town, and Waving in the Open, Joe is preparing to release his next project, The Hillside — a five-song EP set to drop later this year, designed to draw listeners in close and stir the soul.

Settle in for a screening of Y tu mamá también. The audio will be in Spanish with English subtitles. 

Film synopsis: 

Two friends, Tenoch and Julio, boast about an imaginary road-trip to Luisa, a beautiful older woman. When Luisa agrees to be a part of the trip, the boys are forced to make impromptu preparations.

Running time: 

1hr 46mins

All genders welcome. This workshop can be carried out as a single or in a couple. 

More details TBA.

Sensual, cheeky, and full of confidence — lap dancing is an art form that celebrates the body in motion and the power of playful connection.

In this workshop, you’ll learn the foundations of lap dancing with guided movement, simple tricks, and confidence-building techniques that anyone can master. Whether you’re dancing for a partner, a stranger, or just for yourself, this is a space to embrace your inner tease, connect with your body, and have a whole lot of fun doing it.

No experience necessary — just bring an open mind, a curious heart, and clothes you can move in (or take off).

Hosted by Kirsty Mullahy.

Day Two, and we’re turning it up. Today is about celebrating queer desire, creative expression, and unapologetic selfhood. Come adorned, come curious, come alive. With sensory games, body-positive energy, and playful provocations—it’s your hour to flirt, frolic, and fully take up space.

This is a dedicated daily hour to centre queer joy, connection, and expression.

Hosted by Luke van Helden.

Step into the Foreplay for a flirt-forward twist on classic speed dating—where cheeky banter meets conscious connection. Whether you're seeking spark, mischief, or meaningful conversation, this is your invitation to meet other open-minded explorers in a setting designed for ease, laughter, and magnetic moments.

Expect guided prompts, respectful pace, and just enough spice to keep hearts racing. No pressure. No expectations. Just the thrill of what might unfold when curiosity meets consent.

Hosted by Grace Eliza, Robin Kerr, and Jaimee Beck.

The final night is calling—and Queer Hour is your chance to turn up the volume on connection. Whether you’re locking eyes with someone new or circling back to that cutie you’ve been clocking all weekend, this hour is made for electric encounters and deeper moments.

Swap stories, share a flirt, or simply bask in the radiant beauty of queer community in full bloom. Come with curiosity.

Ecstatic Dance is a freeform movement journey where rhythm becomes language and your body leads the way. There are no steps to follow, no performances to give—just an open space to release, recharge, and reconnect through dance.

Set to a soul-stirring soundscape that rises and falls like a tide, this session invites you to move through whatever needs expression—joy, grief, wildness, stillness. You may sweat. You may cry. You may smile so wide it hurts.

This is a substance-free, shoe-free, judgment-free zone. All bodies, all expressions, all levels welcome. Come as you are. Dance it all out.

Hosted by Kirsty Mullahy, Hen Kalish, and Charles Blank