Be a part of our stage show and parade with a Batucada flag
Ever since the first CubaDupa back in 2015, we’ve thought about how great it would be to fill the streets of central Wellington with flags and bunting during the festival. Looking up to see colourful fabric flying in the breeze, silhouetted against the blue sky, can give your spirits such a lift – and you see flags and bunting all over the place at CubaDupa these days.
We want to add to the fun, with our own Wellington Batucada flags, carried (and enthusiastically waved) by our audience at our Sunday afternoon Swan Stage show, and the street parade afterwards.
Our dancers and drummers fill the stage with colour and sound, and we think there’s a wonderful space above the heads of our audience that we can fill with flags. A bit like Glastonbury, but on a much smaller scale 🙂
We also think you’ll look amazing following behind our street parade, dancing with us and waving your flags high in the air.
Collect your flag from Thistle Hall (cnr of Cuba & Arthur St) on Sunday 23rd March at 1.30pm
You can then either accompany the band on our back-streets meander down to Ngā Taniwha Swan Stage, ready for our stage show at 2.30pm, or you can race ahead of us with your flag in hand, to get a good spot to watch the show. Enthusiastic flag-waving is strongly encouraged at all times.
After the stage show we’ll be parading from Swan Lane around the block and up to Carnival Central – the Southern Cross on Abel Smith Street.
Wellington Batucada drummers and dancers parade at CubaDupa 2021. Photo by Paul Taylor.
Following along behind the dancers and drummers – and part of the spectacle – is all of you with your flags, creating a “fan-tail” as we make our way through the streets of central Wellington. More enthusiastic flag waving, and plenty of on-the-move dancing is again strongly encouraged.
We’re so excited to be able to involve you in our show in this way, and for you to add to the colour and spectacle of a Wellington Batucada performance. We look forward to meeting you when you come to pick up your flags. See you then!
PS we’d love to get the flags back from you after the parade, so that we can re-use them again sometime. Thank you!