Aspiring Conversations is back, and asking the big questions again. Returning in 2026 after its celebrated comeback in 2024, the festival runs from 27 – 29 March at Lake Wānaka Centre, creating a space for reflection, debate and live exchange. Bringing together writers, journalists, theatre directors, artists, economists and activists, the weekend unfolds with ideas, debate and performance that explore what’s shaping Aotearoa, and what’s coming next.
Check out the full Aspiring Conversations programme at www.aspiringconversations.co.nz
Guided by the theme He wā whakaaro , a time for thinking, the programme invites audiences to slow the pace, sit with complexity and engage deeply with a wide range of stories and perspectives, with broadcaster Kathryn Ryan returning to chair several sessions across the weekend.
“Aspiring Conversations is about making time to listen and reflect. It brings people together to engage with ideas that are often rushed or polarised, and to hear directly from those shaping the conversations of our time,” says Artistic Director, Sophie Kelly.
The festival opens on Friday 27 March with a theatrical play reading from award-winning theatre company Nightsong, of their new work-in-development THE BURNING HOUSE,set at a writers festival. Opening night continues with TRUE STORIES TOLD LIVE: LOST AND FOUND, where five storytellers share personal stories shaped by loss and discovery. The session features writer Jillian Sullivan, LGBTQIA+ activist Shaneel Lal, Wānaka local Paul Tamati (Te Arawa), filmmaker Peta Carey and theatre director Ben Crowder.
Saturday 28 March begins early with BREAKFAST WITH PAPERS: ELECTION YEAR, as top journalists Toby Manhire, Miriama Kamo (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga)and Guyon Espiner pause with the day’s headlines to examine how political stories are framed and circulated in the lead up to New Zealand’s general election. TRICKLE DOWN ECONOMICS: GIVE US A BREAK brings economist Shamubeel Eaqub and Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick together to examine how Aotearoa’s economic settings are shaped, what we expect our economy to deliver, and how government spending priorities could be rethought.
The thinking deepens with BUILDING ON THE TREATY, bringing together Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Justin Tipa (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mamoe) and Judge Carrie Wainwright, chaired by Annis Somerville (Kāi Tahu), to focus on how Te Tiriti o Waitangi operates in practice and the positive outcomes that come from honouring the agreement. TAKING ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE keeps the conversation moving forward, with Jessica Palairet, Jonathan Boston and Kay Harrison examining what real action looks like in practice, from law and policy to adaptation and the cost of delay.
Saturday concludes with SELENE, a new theatre experience featuring a cinematic score by Wright and Grainger, creators of sell out hit HELIOS. Reworking an ancient Greek myth through a contemporary lens, the piece is powerful storytelling that reflects on growing up, being shaped by our bodies, and the wild forces within us.
The final day of the festival keeps the ideas flowing, opening on Sunday 29 March withHEALTHCARE IN CRISIS. Rob Campbell, Lucy O’Hagan and Boyd Swinburn examine the pressures facing our health system, from workforce burnout to access and equity. FEEL THE FEAR follows, with Kiwi rally driver Emma Gilmour, former Newshub Europe correspondent Lisette Reymer and iconic Split Enz bassist Mike Chunn sharing personal reflections on how fear has shaped their lives and careers. In PEOPLE HAVE THE POWER, Gen Z activists Shaneel Lal, India Logan-Riley (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Ngāti Hawea, Rongomaiwahine and Rangitāne ki Wairarapa)and Lola Fisher consider youth led movements, civic engagement and the role of digital platforms in organising social, environmental and political change, chaired by Rohan O’Neill-Stevens (Ngāti Apakura).
The festival draws to a close with TAKING OFF – A CELEBRATION OF BRIAN TURNER, honouring the late poet and environmentalist with Turner’s partner, also an accomplished writer, Jillian Sullivan, composer Janet Jennings and performers Robert Tucker and David Kelly. Finishing on a high is the already announced KIWI COUNTRY, as Te Radarand Ruth Spencer bring rural New Zealand’s hidden histories to life through objects, stories and audience participation.
Alongside the programme, audiences are invited to gather at the Festival Café and Bookshop, open throughout the weekend, offering food, conversation and book signings with selected speakers.
Aspiring Conversations is presented by the Southern Lakes Arts Festival Trust and proudly supported by Milford Asset Management. The festival is supported through grants from Creative New Zealand, Central Lakes Trust, Otago Community Trust and Queenstown Lakes District Council, alongside local business sponsors, benefactors and patrons.
The festival is delighted to again offer the Aspiring Pass, priced at $270 plus booking fee, which provides access to a reserved seat for all events excluding SELENE.
To book and explore the full programme visit www.aspiringconversations.co.nz with general ticket sales starting at 9am on Monday 26 January.
Event: Aspiring Conversations – Mar 2026
