Christchurch Pride is set to kick off this June with the recent renewal of the orange status giving a green light to the postponed festival.
Rescheduled from March the event is planned to coincide with World Pride & the
celebration of Stonewall. The festival runs from 17 to 28 June. The 2022 programme is
bigger than ever.
“Instead of cancelling, we decided that we would just postpone to June. This has been a
great decision. We have gone through a lot, and it will be fantastic to celebrate something
again,” says Christchurch PRIDE chair Jill Stevens.
“The response that we have had from our rainbow whanau has been amazing and everyone
is really looking forward to showing how PROUD we are of greater Christchurch. There are a wide variety of events from the LGBTQIA+ community, and all of those are helping make our place a more diverse and inclusive.”
Christchurch Mayor Hon. Lianne Dalziel says “greater Ōtautahi Christchurch is a place that
celebrates and embraces our diversity, and we are excited that PRIDE is the first festival
back in our calendar. We are also inviting members of the rainbow community from around
the country to come and join in the celebrations.”
Civic buildings will be lit with rainbows, rainbow flags will fly throughout the CBD, and
#colourfulcashel, an interactive art installation, will once again be in City/ Cashel Mall.
Businesses are encouraged to decorate their office/shop/restaurant or bar as a sign of
support,
For the first time, a “black tie” dinner has been added to the programme, Kahukura. Run by
The Christchurch Foundation, the event is the first of its kind in New Zealand with guests
dressing in rainbow colours. Eli Matthewson and Elektra Shock are two big names announced as entertainment packed into the event on the 18th of June.
Click HERE To get your tickets to Kahukura – A charity ball like no other!
The dinner tickets include a gift to the PRIDE Endowment Fund which has been launched to
provide profile and support to greater Christchurch’s rainbow community. The fund and
event are being run by The Christchurch Foundation with Christchurch PRIDE providing
expert advice.
The full Christchurch PRIDE programme can be downloaded from the Christchurch PRIDE
website or events can be found on their Facebook page. Tickets to Kahukura can be bought
of The Christchurch Foundation’s website.
Some of the highlights include:
• Queens Telling Stories at Turanga. Our 2 favourite Christchurch drag queens read
some fabulous stories to kids.
• Qtopia Pride Ball at the Christchurch Art Gallery. An all-ages & all-inclusive ball where
we get to celebrate together.
• Christchurch Pride Bingo. Fabulous drag queens dropping their balls in front of a
room full of people at the Cashmere Club.
• Joke & Soak at He Puna Taimoana. A comedy night while soaking in the hot pools –
what more could you want!
The annual festival is run by the local PRIDE committee, with support from Qtopia, Moana
Va, the Christchurch Foundation, ChristchurchNZ, the Christchurch City Council, express magazine and numerous partners and sponsors.
