I remember when I was first asked to officially open a World Buskers Festival when I became Mayor, I accepted with a mixture of delight and trepidation.
Trepidation because this was never an ordinary event - you never quite know what’s going to happen next when there are buskers around. I was worried that it could involve someone with a blindfold throwing knives at me as I held out a ribbon while strapped to a wobbly unicycle.
But it was not to be.
In fact I managed to find a busker joke on the internet and so I tell it every year. So even though this is new I’d like to welcome Strut & Fret to Christchurch, with the only busker gag I know.
How do you kill a busker - go for the juggler.
And this is why, Ladies & Gentlemen, I’m not in the entertainment business.
I am delighted that Strut & Fret are bringing their 20 years plus experience to breathe new life into our beloved Festival as Bread & Circus, World Buskers Festival, a festival of world-class performances in the heart of the city.
The team at Strut & Fret have promised me that Bread & Circus World Buskers Festival will integrate the old and the new, with elements that everyone knows and loves, and will bring a new range of phenomenal features to elevate the festival to a whole new level.
I’ve got my favourites and I’m pretty sure they’re coming back.
This time the Festival will run for a whole month and there will be something for everyone - popping up here, there and everywhere. Even the Spiegeltent will be back.
This evening we’re seeing the unveiling of a breath-taking programme of entertainment that combines Christchurch’s unique culture, with a programme championing local talent alongside international stars. Expect the unexpected!
And on that note, I would now like to declare our first glimpse of Bread & Circus – World Buskers Festival 2019 officially open for view. Take it away!
Trepidation because this was never an ordinary event - you never quite know what’s going to happen next when there are buskers around. I was worried that it could involve someone with a blindfold throwing knives at me as I held out a ribbon while strapped to a wobbly unicycle.
But it was not to be.
In fact I managed to find a busker joke on the internet and so I tell it every year. So even though this is new I’d like to welcome Strut & Fret to Christchurch, with the only busker gag I know.
How do you kill a busker - go for the juggler.
And this is why, Ladies & Gentlemen, I’m not in the entertainment business.
I am delighted that Strut & Fret are bringing their 20 years plus experience to breathe new life into our beloved Festival as Bread & Circus, World Buskers Festival, a festival of world-class performances in the heart of the city.
The team at Strut & Fret have promised me that Bread & Circus World Buskers Festival will integrate the old and the new, with elements that everyone knows and loves, and will bring a new range of phenomenal features to elevate the festival to a whole new level.
I’ve got my favourites and I’m pretty sure they’re coming back.
This time the Festival will run for a whole month and there will be something for everyone - popping up here, there and everywhere. Even the Spiegeltent will be back.
This evening we’re seeing the unveiling of a breath-taking programme of entertainment that combines Christchurch’s unique culture, with a programme championing local talent alongside international stars. Expect the unexpected!
And on that note, I would now like to declare our first glimpse of Bread & Circus – World Buskers Festival 2019 officially open for view. Take it away!