CubaDupa Has Announced the First 2024 Lineup for New Zealand's Biggest Street Festival

Aotearoa's biggest and most inclusive street festival CubaDupa has revealed its first lineup of acts for its eclectic 2024 weekend, with talented performers from France, Korea, Australia and New Zealand featuring on the jam-packed bill. CubaDupa takes place on Wellington's Cuba Street, growing bigger and better each year, with this year's iteration set to be no exception. The bright and busy street festival will be held over one weekend, from Saturday, March 23–Sunday, March 24, and is expected to bring in a crowd of more than 100,000 fun-loving people to the city centre.

There's a reason why CubaDupa is known for being New Zealand's most diverse festival, thanks to both the talents and what they'll be performing. In 2024, punters can expect to be dazzled by live painting on an enormous scale, afro-groove and a parade of ukuleles.

Music fans will be spoilt for choice by the artists that have been revealed so far, including afro-funk ensemble Ozi Ozaa, as led by Yaw Asumadu. This 11-person ensemble draws on the sounds of Asumadu's childhood in Ghana to create African music with hints of jazz and hip hop beats.

Visiting the festival from Auckland are Foley and MELODOWNZ. Foley is an intriguing pop duo producing bold, hardy beats that you can also dance to, while MELODOWNZ excels in rap and has taken his hip hop performances across the world.

Other acts you'll find at CubaDupa includes Other Futures Big Band, a group that certainly lives up to the 'big' description, with 20 people — and  dancers — performing soul and hip hop tunes. WHO SHOT SCOTT has had the honour of opening for artists like Snoop Dogg and Yung Gravy, while R&B artist Jordyn with a Why's stories of growing up in New Zealand and Samoa will echo through her music.

While you're wandering through Cuba Street, you might just spot one of the many street performers showing off their unique skills. But there's one thing in particular you will not want to miss: CubaDupa's first iteration of Uke-a-Dupa, a parade of ukuleles. Musicians of all ages and experience will join together to serenade the CubaDupa crowd, weaving throughout the festival until they end up at Wellington Airport, where they will deliver a ukulele performance en masse.

The theme for CubaDupa 2024 is 'finding your wild', with attendees encouraged to embrace the idea wholeheartedly by dressing up, dancing like no one is watching and exploring the creative concepts they may have never experienced before.

CubaDupa's Director Drew James said this kind of lineup could "only happen in the world of CubaDupa".

"This year we challenge audiences to 'find their wild' and become part of the CubaDupa-landia experience," James continued.

CubaDupa 2024 Lineup:

Amba Holly
Birdlife Productions
Foley
Hearth
Iskra
Jordyn with a Why
Lost Tribe Aotearoa
MELODOWNZ
MOHI
PollyHill x Samara Alofa
Revulva
Shepherds Reign
Soft Bait
Tom Knowles with Friends
WHO SHOT SCOTT
Yaw Asumadu
Ozi Ozaa

CubaDupa will be held on Cuba Street, Wellington from Saturday March 23–Sunday March 24, 2024. For more information, head to the festival's website.