World Buskers Festival
The World Buskers Festival is a 10-day international festival of street performers that has been held annually in Christchurch , New Zealand , at the end of January since 1993 .
festival
Busker is originally the English term for street musicians , but in connection with the festival includes all areas of street art and street theater, such as juggling , acrobatics , clowning , magic or stand-up comedy .
During the festival, hundreds of free events by street artists from around the world will be held on various stages and squares around the city. Performances take place throughout the city center, especially in Cathedral Square , Victoria Square, the Arts Center and the City Mall. All artists are paid exclusively from voluntary donations from their audience following the respective performance. In some clubs and in the Arts Center, events take place in the evening, to which a mandatory donation is desired as entry. Also, due to the often lewd nature of the comedy and shows presented, these events are only open to adults of age.
At the Buskers Festival 2009, 47 artists from eight nations officially gave over 400 performances, but every year numerous small artists appear at the same time who are not part of the official festival program. Five of the New Zealand entrants were nominated for the New Zealand Comedy Guild Awards .
Visitors
Since the festival takes place without admission in the entire city center, the exact number of visitors is difficult to determine. According to a study by the Christchurch City Council, the festival drew around 33,000 visitors in 2007, of whom 26,100 were mainly in Christchurch for the festival. Over 250,000 people saw the performances as part of daily Christchurch life. 11.6% of all foreign guests in the city cited the WBF as the main reason for their stay. In 2011, the city assumed approximately NZ $ 3 million in revenue from the festival. No data was collected for 2012 as the festival was not held in the city center after the Canterbury earthquake .
According to the Lonely Planet travel guide, the WBF is one of the four most prominent festivals in New Zealand.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Busker festival brings mirth, money . Stuff, January 17, 2013
- ^ New Zealand Herald , August 18, 2008