Chamber music festival in the Southern Alps
QUEENSTOWN LAKES
3–16 OCTOBER 2026
AWE 2026 Festival Artist Performance Dates
Sat 3 Oct, Rippon, Wānaka
Sun 4 Oct, Rippon, Wānaka
Mon 5 Oct, Te Atamira, Queenstown
Thur 8 Oct, Cloudy Bay Shed, Cromwll
Fri 9 Oct, Te Atamira, Queenstown
Sat 10 Oct, Coronation Hall, Bannockburn
Sun 11 Oct, Te Atamira, Queenstown
AWE+ in Schools
12-16 Oct, Central Otago and Queenstown lakes
Full Programme and Festival Artists to be announced 1 May 2026
A new space for chamber music in the Southern Alps
It moves, stirs and intertwines to form an intimate bond between performer and listener. The room is steeped in a sound that is difficult to describe. Chamber music is a transformative experience and a powerful platform.
From engaging our curious adventurers who are yet to experience classical music, to fostering young talent throughout Wānaka, Cromwell, Queenstown and beyond, AWE aims to create a space held captive by classical music where unique moments unfold, connections are forged, and anything is possible.
AWE+ IN THE COMMUNITY
Our community threads into the very fabric of the AWE Festival. We believe everyone should have the chance to experience classical music in New Zealand, to be woven into the adventure and to experience the most intimate moments of music for themselves.
Through AWE+, a range of free curated performances and events are open to the public, showcasing local and international talent so that one and all can experience a part of the AWE Chamber Music Festival in New Zealand.
WHAT IS CHAMBER MUSIC?
Offering a new level of intimacy to live performance, chamber music is an interaction between individual voices. Written specifically for small groups of musicians, chamber music is designed to be performed, heard, and experienced in a close-knit, intimate setting, with the audience just as much a shared and active part of the experience as the musicians themselves.
