The 2026 Auckland International Buskers Festival is set to bring a world class line-up of talented street performers to Tāmaki Makaurau’s waterfront from 23 – 26 January, for the 26th annual festival. With everything from juggling, death-defying acrobatics, fire, world champion jump roping, diabolo, and hand-crafted marionettes, there’s guaranteed to be plenty of laughter, spectacle and surprises.
Offering up the perfect free family summer outing, the festival takes place across four days from 12PM daily during Auckland Anniversary Weekend. The city’s streets will transform into a stage, with lively performances which will wow audiences.
The legendary Night Show will be back at a new location in Ponsonby, an epic evening of energy, laughter, and surprises as our amazing performers each take the stage to showcase the best of their acts — all for free!
Packed with jaw-dropping talent from across the globe, the full line up of acts are:
- Chien Hung Kuo (Taiwan) – Inspired by Zen aesthetics, Chien Hung Kuo offers up a visually compelling act blending circus cube manipulation, contact juggling, fire acts, and crystal ball techniques.
- El Kote (Chile) – A one-man circus packed with acrobatics, juggling, improv and laugh-out-loud moments. Blending big skills with playful surprises, El Kote takes the audience on a wild ride into his world of humour, heart and high-flying fun.
- Fraser Hooper (New Zealand/UK) – Award winning funnyman Fraser Hooper has been delighting people for 35 years in over 40 countries. Specialising in non-verbal comedy with heaps of audience participation he delivers knockout shows.
- Haribow (Japan) – 2025 World Jump Rope Champions and finalists on Britain’s Got Talent in 2024, this Japanese double dutch team blends jump rope, dance and acrobatics for a truly electrifying performance.
- Stefan Florescu (Romania) – With more than 17 years performing around the world, from small village squares to stadiums packed with tens of thousands of people, Stefan brings a high-energy mix of freestyle football, diabolo, and trick-shots.
- Marble (Japan) – Dynamic and gravity defying acrobatics meets ninja agility and sharp comedy. This Japanese duo is fast, funny, and full of flips making for the ultimate street spectacle.
- The Gipsy Marionettist (Italy) – Inspired by his Roma background, The Gipsy Marionettist uses intricate, hand carved marionette puppets including a fiery skeleton, a ravenous tiger, and a mysterious belly dancer for a spellbinding show of artistry and imagination.
The full festival schedule of performance times and maps will be available online in early January at www.aucklandbuskersfestival.co.nz
AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL BUSKERS FESTIVAL 2026
Dates: Fri 23 – Mon 26 January 2026
Shows running: 12PM – 7PM daily (Friday 12pm – 3pm)
Location: Auckland Waterfront Harbour and CBD
Auckland International Buskers Night Show in Ponsonby
Date: Friday 23rd January 2026
Time: 6pm – 830pm
Location: Te Rimutahi, 254 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby