Lōemis Festival 2024 in Wellington

Don’t let the chill get you down this winter. Lōemis 2024 will give you plenty of reasons to get out and about and celebrate both winter solstice and Matariki.

For the ninth instalment, festival organisers have curated 14 events across 14 days. It begins with a Gothic Feast at Zealandia, with local chefs Max Gordy and Shepherd Elliott. The fortnight ends with an eight-hour meditative Sleep Concert. This epic concert, at Massey’s Great Hall, includes musicians Riki Gooch, David Long, Erika Grant, and Chris O’Connor.

The two weeks between includes a smorgasbord of events. See Tiny Ruins in a rare solo concert or a mass waterfront procession. There’s a silent horror movie with live music and a hybrid art-music-food market.

Festival director Andrew Laking said the event aims to “explore the unfamiliar and embrace the darkness as we lead into the winter solstice.” He goes on to say that it’s the perfect time to come together and enjoy shows, markets, installations, and harvest foods.

Photo credit: Tom Noble

A tūī stands on a tree branch, surrounded by green leaves.

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