Buskers from across New Zealand and around the world are being invited to bring their talents to Ōtautahi Christchurch when the World Buskers Festival returns next summer.

The festival will transform the city into a giant open-air stage from January 21 to 31, 2027, with street theatre, circus, comedy, cabaret, music and family entertainment.

Applications remain open to emerging and established artists across all performance styles, including Māori and Pasifika arts, contemporary performance and acts designed to stop passers-by in their tracks.

For more than three decades, the World Buskers Festival has brought performers and audiences together on Christchurch’s streets, combining internationally acclaimed artists with daring acrobats, outrageous comedians, quirky characters and creative mischief-makers.

The 2027 event will feature free and hat-based outdoor performances, pay-what-you-can entertainment and ticketed headline shows, offering options for different ages and budgets.

Festival organisers have promised a programme filled with gravity-defying stunts, interactive entertainment, laughter, silliness and unexpected moments around the city.

The full World Buskers Festival programme will be announced in mid-November.