The theme this year is based around anniversaries connected with the foundation of the city of Ōtautahi-Christchurch and the Waitaha-Canterbury region, the physical construction of the city and anniversaries relating to how our communities have changed and developed over time.
The place we live in continues to change, and through sharing our stories, we better understand our environment, the landscape, the people and the place.
There are local and national anniversaries occurring this year – for the purposes of developing a theme, we have worked with 25-year increments from 50 years ago: 1975, 1950, 1925, etc.
Find some of the anniversaries in the Christchurch Chronology(external link) and the Ministry of Culture and Heritage(external link).
Please note that while festival events may draw on anniversaries or the theme, this is optional.