At the World's Edge Festival

At the World's Edge Festival Chamber Music Festival in the heart of the Southern Alps

At the World's Edge Festival 2025
Queenstown Lakes | 4 - 17 October

At the World’s Edge is a chamber music festival inspired by its roots in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. With nature the muse and mountains our stage, this year weaves music and nature across seven programmes throughout Queenstown, Wānaka, Bannockburn and Cromwell, with free community events and experiences throughout. With s

pectacular sounds against majestic scapes, experience the power of chamber music in New Zealand alongside internationally renowned musicians, lifelong enthusiasts, and curious adventurers alike. More than a series of live music events, we are a platform for the arts in our region and a spark for creativity to come.

01/06/2026

At the World's Edge returns this October, inviting you on a musical journey through the landscapes of Queenstown, Wānaka, Cromwell and Bannockburn.

This year's theme, 'Bounds and Bridges: Beyond the Lines', explores pathways, boundaries and connection through performances by acclaimed national and international artists.

With seven programmes, inspiring speakers, free workshops and community events, there is so much to discover At the World’s Edge.

🎟️ Tickets on sale now. Head to the link in our bio to get yours.

Will you be joining us At the World’s Edge this October? Our masterfully curated programme is live and tickets go on sal...
27/05/2026

Will you be joining us At the World’s Edge this October? Our masterfully curated programme is live and tickets go on sale next week 🎟️

This globally-renowned chamber music festival is set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Central Lakes scapes, with performances taking you on a journey from Wānaka, Cromwell and Bannockburn, to Queenstown.

We are once again thrilled to be hosted by some of our most stunning locations, including and .

Head to our link below to explore the programme and start planning your adventure.
https://www.worldsedgefestival.com/

An intimate journey of chamber music, AWE is set against the breathtaking landscapes of Southern Lakes, Aotearoa. Here, ...
15/05/2026

An intimate journey of chamber music, AWE is set against the breathtaking landscapes of Southern Lakes, Aotearoa. Here, internationally renowned artists meet Aotearoa’s finest in this carefully curated programme.

This year’s opening weekend begins at in Wānaka, where 'Crossed' explores shifting moral, political and spiritual boundaries. 'Between' delves into music’s hidden structures and shared emotional undercurrents.

At Queenstown’s , 'Strung' introduces piano, its resonances deepening the journey inward. 'Woven', set at Cromwell’s , traces musical lines across day to evening, paired with wine.

Back in Queenstown, 'Radiance' moves between memory and distance, while 'Unbroken' at reflects on identity and endurance. The festival concludes with 'The Line', where music unfolds through connection, time and encounter.

Explore the 2026 programme in more depth via the link in bio.
Tickets go live Sunday 1 June.

Introducing the theme of this year's AWE Festival 🎵 Bounds and Bridges: Beyond the lines At the World’s Edge.Lines are n...
06/05/2026

Introducing the theme of this year's AWE Festival 🎵
Bounds and Bridges: Beyond the lines At the World’s Edge.

Lines are not only separations - they are connections. They can divide and unite, pull apart and bring together, crossing boundaries, metaphors, and lived experience. We find them in poetry, in music, and in nature.

This chamber festival embraces the idea of lines by pushing musical thresholds: blurring, dissolving, and entwining them through masterfully crafted programmes, internationally acclaimed artists, and awe-inspiring landscapes.

Join us in the Southern Lakes of Aotearoa New Zealand this October, and experience Bounds and Bridges At the World’s Edge 2026.
https://www.worldsedgefestival.com/

The full programme for Aotearoa’s 2026 AWE Festival is officially live 🎻Across seven curated programmes, this year’s the...
01/05/2026

The full programme for Aotearoa’s 2026 AWE Festival is officially live 🎻

Across seven curated programmes, this year’s theme ‘Bounds and Bridges’ unfolds through sound and place, woven across four stunning Southern Lakes locations - Queenstown, Wānaka, Cromwell, and Bannockburn.

Beyond the stage, a rich offering of free workshops, events, and performances invites the wider community to connect, explore, and be immersed.

A chamber festival pushing the thresholds of music, where lines blur, dissolve, and entwine into something new.

Explore the 2026 programme via this link: https://www.worldsedgefestival.com/
Tickets go live Sunday 1 June.

AWE London 2026 draws to a close.Over these past days, we have traced a journey towards ANZAC Day through music and shar...
24/04/2026

AWE London 2026 draws to a close.

Over these past days, we have traced a journey towards ANZAC Day through music and shared experience, reflecting on values of remembrance, service, endurance and connection.

Two contrasting performances shaped that journey: from the street level energy of Fidelio, with the city moving around us, to the stillness and perspective of St Pancras Clocktower, overlooking central London from above.

Through both programmes, music became a way of holding these ideas in a human space. Works by New Zealand composers Ross Harris and Salina Fisher sat alongside the world premiere of Sebastian Black’s Aitken’s Violin, bringing the story of Alexander Aitken into the present through sound.

Alongside the performances, it was a privilege to partner with to share a taste of AWE London with students across two South London schools. These moments of connection, curiosity and openness sit at the heart of what we do.

Thank you to our festival artists, partners and audiences for shaping this first London chapter with us.

24/04/2026

Music has a profound way of bridging time, distance, and memory.

We are incredibly honoured to share this beautiful segment capturing our At the World’s Edge musicians, currently bringing the sounds and spirit of Aotearoa to London.

As we stand on the eve of ANZAC Day, the resonance of this festival takes on an even deeper meaning. Performing here in the UK, we are privileged to explore our shared history and honour ANZAC values through the powerful and reflective lens of chamber music.

A heartfelt thank you to for this thoughtful coverage, capturing the essence of our journey and sharing it with our whānau back home.

Lest we forget.

A story carried through music, and the piece at the heart of Memories in Sound.⁠⁠Premiering at .londonon on 21 April, is...
17/04/2026

A story carried through music, and the piece at the heart of Memories in Sound.⁠
⁠
Premiering at .londonon on 21 April, is a new commission by composer Sebastian Black, inspired by the extraordinary story of New Zealand soldier, mathematician, poet and musician Alexander Aitken.⁠
⁠
Conceived as a 21st century reimagining of an Edwardian hymn tune, the work draws on a familiar melody, transforming it across the piece.⁠
⁠
Gifted a violin on his journey to war, Aitken carried it with him through Gallipoli to the Western Front, playing for his fellow soldiers in moments of stillness and uncertainty. Following injury and medical evacuation, he believed the instrument has been lost at the Somme. ⁠
⁠
However, years later, it was returned to him by his company who had kept it safe – quiet and powerful symbol of endurance, memory, and connection.⁠
⁠
This new work reflects the essence of Memories in Sound — what music can offer us in the most fragile of human moments.⁠
⁠
📅 Tuesday 21 April⁠
📍 St Pancras Clocktower⁠
🎟️ Tickets available via the link in bio

As part of Memories in Sound, cellist Jack Moyer returns to AWE this April, performing in the .london concert on 21 Apri...
14/04/2026

As part of Memories in Sound, cellist Jack Moyer returns to AWE this April, performing in the .london concert on 21 April.

Jack was one of AWE’s first Emerging Artists in 2021, returning again in 2022 before being awarded the AWE Pettman Scholarship for Young New Zealand Musicians in 2023, one of the country’s most significant professional development opportunities for young artists.

Now based in London and studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Louise Hopkins, his journey reflects the long-term vision of AWE’s Emerging Artist Mentoring Pathway, supporting musicians across multiple stages of their development.

His performance of Vaughan Williams’ 'Six Studies in English Folk Song' sits within a programme exploring service, remembrance, and endurance, values carried forward by a new generation.

📅 Tuesday 21 April
📍 St Pancras Clocktower
🎟️ Tickets available via the link: https://www.aweukmusicfoundation.org/2026

Address

Queenstown Lakes
Queenstown
9300

Telephone

+6421330057

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when At the World's Edge Festival posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to At the World's Edge Festival:

Shortcuts

Share

Category