Latest news with #culturalevent
CTV News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
A preview of Halifax Greek Fest
Atlantic Watch The organizers of the 38th annual Halifax Greek Fest give a preview of all the delicious food, music and dance at this year's event.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
This year's Te Matatini biggest yet
Photo: Te Matatini Enterprises A new impact evaluation report on this year's Te Matatini shows that the 2025 festival was the biggest to date. The report showed that Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga held in February in Ngāmotu New Plymouth, brought just under $24 million into Taranaki - $3 million less than forecasted but still the highest contribution from a festival to date. Tane Morgan is a director of New Plymouth based Proof & Stock Coffee which had a stall at Te Matatini. Over the festivals five days they sold 100kgs worth of coffee, he said. At WOMAD - the only festival in the region of a comparable size - Proof & Stock might go through 35kgs over three days, he said. Morgan said unlike WOMAD or a concert Te Matatini had a "peaceful flow about it". "The fact that no one was drinking and it had like this unique flow about it, everybody was taking their time there was a lot of courtesy... you could just feel it." Morgan said the festival certainly had an impact of the local economy in Taranaki - especially for hotels and camp grounds - but the impact was relative to what you were selling. Cafe's and restaurants in the city center might not have seen the same return on their investment, he said. "I don't think that the cafe's really benefited from it, but if you were at Te Matatini and you were a vendor or stall holder you would have seen good margins, that's the consensus that the town was kind of saying. "A lot of the businesses here were ready for the influx but they didn't quite see a return on their investment in terms of people out wining and dining." As well as their stall at Te Matatini Proof & Stock also has a coffee shop in New Plymouth, which Morgan said was quieter than during the festival. But Morgan said his team had an amazing time at the festival. His staff included included some local students learning on the job. "They walked out with a pocket full of cash and all this confidence they can use into the future," he said. Kiri Erb said this catering gig is the biggest undertaking of her career. Photo: RNZ / Emma Andrews Hāwera-based Kiri Erb owns and operates Tika Cafe and Catering and worked providing kai for the festival and for the competitors who were based out of Hāwera. She told RNZ being awarded a kai stall was both a privilege and a challenge. The scale of the event meant she had to boost the her staffing numbers from 32 to 50 so the business could accommodate the masses at the Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth and the restaurant in Hāwera. Erb said it was an experience her and the team will never forget. "This is an experience that will live in memory banks forever. We've taken videos of us working during that week, we had rōpu that would come in and they would perform for us... and we'd go back an look at those. Our hearts still really sing." "We all just feel incredibly lucky." Erb said. Te Matatini chief executive Carl Ross said the iwi of Taranaki had done a fantastic job catering for a growing festival. "The Matatini brand internationally has just got so big now, [its] becoming an economic powerhouse for our country, how do we actually utilise what we have now to be able to provide the Matatini festival in the best condition that we can do." There has also been an increased interest in kapa haka among non-Māori, 44 percent of attendees in 2025 were Pākehā up from an average of 27 percent over the last decade of festivals. Ross said over the years he has noticed more and more people from diverse communities wanting to share the Matatini experience. Of the $24m brought into the region more than $2m came from teams traveling to Taranaki to compete and another $17.4m was spent by their supporters. It's getting more and more expensive to send a team to Te Matatini and some regions don't have that kind of money to spend, Ross said. "We could have up to $160,000 to move a single team into a rohe and that's with just three supporters per kaihaka (performer)." Te Matatini now is looking to the future and ensure the festival can be enjoyed by everybody, he said. "Te Matatini and our Board are still in discussion's on how we can also ensure that we can meet the needs of our smaller rohe, because that's a question that was burning straight after the festival. Did we have our infrastructure in place to be able to try and do this in the next two years?" Te Matatini announced in May that the next festival in 2027 would not be hosted in Te Tauihu o te Waka-a-Māui/Nelson as had been expected and that they were looking for expressions of interest to host. Ross was hopeful that there will be an update on where Te Matatini goes next by the end of June. "[Te Matatini] supports the economy, the local economy and that's what is really cool about being able to travel to different rohe, being able to do that it's getting harder at the moment for sponsorships, we only got half the sponsorship that we usually get and it goes to show the economic environment [we're] currently working in, so I know it's hard out there and it's hard for our people."
CBC
23-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Regalia-making class at Odawa Friendship Centre aims to connect people with their culture
The class was run ahead of this weekend's 50th anniversary powwow, taking place in the field behind the centre.
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Eurovision explained as the extravagant pop contest reaches its grand final
There has already been triumph and tears, singing onstage and in the streets, and a touch of political division, as the 69th Eurovision Song Contest approaches its grand final in the Swiss city of Basel. Musical acts from 26 countries will take the stage at the St. Jakobshalle arena on Saturday in a spectacular, sequin-drenched competition that has been uniting and dividing Europeans since 1956. Here's everything to know: What is Eurovision? Eurovision is competition in which performers from countries across Europe, and a few beyond it, compete under their national flags with the aim of being crowned continental champion. Think of it as the Olympics of pop music or the World Cup with singing instead of soccer. It's a celebration of silly fun and music's unifying power, but also a place where politics and regional rivalries play out. 'It's Europe's biggest cultural event,' said Dean Vuletic, an expert on the history of Eurovision. 'It has been going on for almost 70 years and people love to watch it, not only for the show, for the glitter, the stage effects, the crazy costumes, but also because they like to see it as a reflection of the zeitgeist in Europe.' Who is in the Eurovision 2025 final? Of 37 countries that sent performers to Eurovision, 11 were knocked out by public voting in semifinals on Tuesday and Thursday. Another six automatically qualified for the final: the host, Switzerland, and the 'Big Five' that pay the most to the contest — France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K. The 26 countries competing Saturday, in order of performance, are: Norway, Luxembourg, Estonia, Israel, Lithuania, Spain, Ukraine, the U.K, Austria, Iceland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Finland, Italy, Poland, Germany, Greece, Armenia, Switzerland, Malta, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, France, San Marino and Albania. Favorites, according to oddsmakers, are KAJ, representing Sweden with 'Bara Bada Bastu,' a jaunty serenade to the sauna. Dutch singer Claude is also highly rated with soulful ballad 'C'est La Vie.' Other favorites include classically trained Austrian countertenor JJ with his pop-opera song 'Wasted Love,' and Israel's Yuval Raphael, with her anthemic 'New Day Will Rise.' What is Eurovision music like? Eurovision has a reputation for campy europop with nonsense lyrics — past winners include 'La, La, La' and 'Boom Bang-a-Bang.' But It has also produced some enduring pop classics. And it helped make stars of performers including ABBA — winners in 1974 with 'Waterloo' — Celine Dion, Austrian drag performer Conchita Wurst and Italian rock band Måneskin. This year's finalists range from Lithuanian emo rockers Katarsis to a power ballad Spanish diva Melody and Ukrainian prog rockers Ziferblat. Campiness, humor and double entendres abound. 'Espresso Macchiato' is a comic ode to Italian stereotypes performed by Estonia's Tommy Cash. Miriana Conte sings for Malta with the double entendre-filled 'Serving' -- performed on a set including a glitter ball and giant lips, it is classic Eurovision. It was once widely accepted that the most successful Eurovision songs were in English, but that is changing. This year's contest features songs in a record 20 languages, including Ukrainian, Icelandic, Latvian, Maltese and Armenian. Vuletic said viewers these days want 'more authenticity in Eurovision entries. 'They don't just want a standard pop song sung in English,' he said. 'They want to also see something about the culture of the country that the song represents.' How is the winner chosen? Once all the acts have performed in the final, the winner is chosen by a famously complex mix of phone and online voters from around the world and rankings by music-industry juries in each of the Eurovision countries. As the results are announced, countries slide up and down the rankings and tensions build. Ending up with 'nul points,' or zero, is considered a national humiliation. Sounds fun. How can I watch and vote? The final starts Saturday at 1900 GMT (3 p.m. EDT) and will be aired by national broadcasters in participating nations, on streaming service Peacock in the United States and in many countries on the Eurovision YouTube channel. During and immediately after the final, viewers in participating countries can vote by phone, text message or the Eurovision app — but not for their own country. Viewers in the U.S. and other nonparticipating countries can vote all day Saturday, online at or with the app. The combined 'rest of the world' vote is given the weight of one individual country. Is Eurovision a politics-free zone? The contest's motto is 'united by music,' but the world's divisions inevitably intrude. Russia was banned from Eurovision after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and since then Ukrainian musicians — including 2022 winner Kalush Orchestra — have competed under the shadow of war in the home country. This year's contest has been roiled for a second year by disputes over Israel's participation. Dozens of former participants, including Nemo, have called for Israel to be excluded over its conduct in the war against Hamas in Gaza. Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protests have both taken place in Basel, though on a much smaller scale than at last year's event in Sweden. A handful of protesters attempted to disrupt a rehearsal by Israeli singer Raphael on Thursday with oversized flags and whistles and were escorted from the arena. Organizers say they have tightened security ahead of the final.
Associated Press
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Eurovision explained as the extravagant pop contest reaches its grand final
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — There has already been triumph and tears, singing onstage and in the streets, and a touch of political division, as the 69th Eurovision Song Contest approaches its grand final in the Swiss city of Basel. Musical acts from 26 countries will take the stage at the St. Jakobshalle arena on Saturday in a spectacular, sequin-drenched competition that has been uniting and dividing Europeans since 1956. Here's everything to know: What is Eurovision? Eurovision is competition in which performers from countries across Europe, and a few beyond it, compete under their national flags with the aim of being crowned continental champion. Think of it as the Olympics of pop music or the World Cup with singing instead of soccer. It's a celebration of silly fun and music's unifying power, but also a place where politics and regional rivalries play out. 'It's Europe's biggest cultural event,' said Dean Vuletic, an expert on the history of Eurovision. 'It has been going on for almost 70 years and people love to watch it, not only for the show, for the glitter, the stage effects, the crazy costumes, but also because they like to see it as a reflection of the zeitgeist in Europe.' Who is in the Eurovision 2025 final? Of 37 countries that sent performers to Eurovision, 11 were knocked out by public voting in semifinals on Tuesday and Thursday. Another six automatically qualified for the final: the host, Switzerland, and the 'Big Five' that pay the most to the contest — France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K. The 26 countries competing Saturday, in order of performance, are: Norway, Luxembourg, Estonia, Israel, Lithuania, Spain, Ukraine, the U.K, Austria, Iceland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Finland, Italy, Poland, Germany, Greece, Armenia, Switzerland, Malta, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, France, San Marino and Albania. Favorites, according to oddsmakers, are KAJ, representing Sweden with 'Bara Bada Bastu,' a jaunty serenade to the sauna. Dutch singer Claude is also highly rated with soulful ballad 'C'est La Vie.' Other favorites include classically trained Austrian countertenor JJ with his pop-opera song 'Wasted Love,' and Israel's Yuval Raphael, with her anthemic 'New Day Will Rise.' What is Eurovision music like? Eurovision has a reputation for campy europop with nonsense lyrics — past winners include 'La, La, La' and 'Boom Bang-a-Bang.' But It has also produced some enduring pop classics. And it helped make stars of performers including ABBA — winners in 1974 with 'Waterloo' — Celine Dion, Austrian drag performer Conchita Wurst and Italian rock band Måneskin. This year's finalists range from Lithuanian emo rockers Katarsis to a power ballad Spanish diva Melody and Ukrainian prog rockers Ziferblat. Campiness, humor and double entendres abound. 'Espresso Macchiato' is a comic ode to Italian stereotypes performed by Estonia's Tommy Cash. Miriana Conte sings for Malta with the double entendre-filled 'Serving' -- performed on a set including a glitter ball and giant lips, it is classic Eurovision. It was once widely accepted that the most successful Eurovision songs were in English, but that is changing. This year's contest features songs in a record 20 languages, including Ukrainian, Icelandic, Latvian, Maltese and Armenian. Vuletic said viewers these days want 'more authenticity in Eurovision entries. 'They don't just want a standard pop song sung in English,' he said. 'They want to also see something about the culture of the country that the song represents.' How is the winner chosen? Once all the acts have performed in the final, the winner is chosen by a famously complex mix of phone and online voters from around the world and rankings by music-industry juries in each of the Eurovision countries. As the results are announced, countries slide up and down the rankings and tensions build. Ending up with 'nul points,' or zero, is considered a national humiliation. Sounds fun. How can I watch and vote? The final starts Saturday at 1900 GMT (3 p.m. EDT) and will be aired by national broadcasters in participating nations, on streaming service Peacock in the United States and in many countries on the Eurovision YouTube channel. During and immediately after the final, viewers in participating countries can vote by phone, text message or the Eurovision app — but not for their own country. Viewers in the U.S. and other nonparticipating countries can vote all day Saturday, online at or with the app. The combined 'rest of the world' vote is given the weight of one individual country. Is Eurovision a politics-free zone? The contest's motto is 'united by music,' but the world's divisions inevitably intrude. Russia was banned from Eurovision after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and since then Ukrainian musicians — including 2022 winner Kalush Orchestra — have competed under the shadow of war in the home country. This year's contest has been roiled for a second year by disputes over Israel's participation. Dozens of former participants, including Nemo, have called for Israel to be excluded over its conduct in the war against Hamas in Gaza. Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protests have both taken place in Basel, though on a much smaller scale than at last year's event in Sweden. A handful of protesters attempted to disrupt a rehearsal by Israeli singer Raphael on Thursday with oversized flags and whistles and were escorted from the arena. Organizers say they have tightened security ahead of the final.
