Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

GRRRL Fest: Female-led multimedia festival celebrating debut

Waikato Herald
7 May, 2021 05:03 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Vanessa La Roux (left) and Banana Jolie are bringing their renowned performances to Hamilton next Friday. Photo / Supplied

Vanessa La Roux (left) and Banana Jolie are bringing their renowned performances to Hamilton next Friday. Photo / Supplied

GRRRL FEST (GF) Kirikiriroa is ramping up for its debut weekend-long event to celebrate local creative and diverse talent.

Originally planned for March to lead up to International Women's Day, the multimedia festival had to be postponed due to Covid-19 alert levels. Now GRRRL Fest is set to be held in a "mini version" from Friday, May 14 to 16.

The female and gender-non-binary focused arts festival evolves around four creative cornerstones: visual art, music, performing art and makers market. It will kick off with a Cabaret Variety Show at Biddy's Back Bar and dinner at Craft Bar.

GF communications manager Kat Waswo says the organisers are "extremely blessed" to have such an amazing array of talent booked for the show.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Getting onto festivals and big-billed shows is so hard when you're 'gender diverse'. Musicians are still competing in a patriarchy-controlled industry, so we wanted to ensure that most of our artist lineup is made of newcomers and underground artists."

A quirky type of entertainment gaining global popularity and a nation-wide reach, curator Lauren Mann (Patty Smack) has managed to secure a phenomenal lineup for the show, including Auckland drag queen legend Vanessa La Roux and Whanganui's transtasman acclaimed comedy-cabaret act Banana Jolie.

Nothing But Hole is a new addition to the GF2021 line up. Photo / Chris Morgan photography
Nothing But Hole is a new addition to the GF2021 line up. Photo / Chris Morgan photography

Lauren says: "Colour me lucky and stoked to have so many incredible performers on board. We've got the lot: drag queens, pole artists, burlesque performances, singers and entertainers - I don't want to give too much away - but it's gonna be epic!"

Lauren herself is a local hat within the art of dance, working in the entertainment industry as a professional dancer over the past decade in New Zealand, across the seas on international cruise ships and within various locations in Europe, Australia and the Americas.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"After a few years hibernation from the burlesque scene, I'm extremely proud to have a founding role in this festival, which will help to foster pride for our local creative communities and celebrate our female powerhouses," she says.

On Saturday May 15, inspired by the "Riot Grrrl" feminist movement from the early 90s punk-rock scene in the US, the Basement Show at Nivara Lounge will showcase the musical aspect of the festival's core ethos.

Headliner post-punk duo TOOMS are accompanied by Hole tribute band Nothing But Hole and up-and-coming artists Cootie Cuties, Scarlett Lashes, Vikae and Team Squad. The show will also be featuring Iris G who was a stand-out participant of RNZ Music's recently released programme The Collective.

The organisers are also keeping ticket prices accessible and including at least one free event. On Sunday May 16, GF is hosting a Sunday Session at Brewaucracy Brewery and Taproom - which is free or koha entry - and includes six hours of music from seven talented artists.

Discover more

Three-day women-led multimedia festival in Hamilton

15 Feb 08:20 PM

Alert level changes postpone and cancel events

02 Mar 01:35 AM

Te Kuiti dancer super excited to perform in Kirikriroa

06 May 07:10 PM

Albert Street makes it a double in high school band competition

04 Jun 07:05 PM

GRRRL Fest will also be displaying "a bunch of riot-grrrl-style zines" and hand-made accessories at the Hamilton Zinefest tomorrow at The Meteor.

Although the GRRRL Fest weekend hasn't even begun yet, festival director Gwyn Barrie says they are already planning the next events.

"We are aiming to keep a continuous base of events and are organising an all-ages music show in spring."

For more information visit GF website or facebook page

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

Man hides out in bush for 5 months after slicing victim with machete over $20

Waikato Herald

'Everyone could have died': Drink-driving mum who left 6yo critical in crash avoids prison

Waikato Herald

'It's on in the Tron': Robertson looking forward to final test


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Man hides out in bush for 5 months after slicing victim with machete over $20
Waikato Herald

Man hides out in bush for 5 months after slicing victim with machete over $20

Christopher Millen went bush, stealing a rifle, tools and a sheep from a nearby house.

17 Jul 08:00 AM
'Everyone could have died': Drink-driving mum who left 6yo critical in crash avoids prison
Waikato Herald

'Everyone could have died': Drink-driving mum who left 6yo critical in crash avoids prison

17 Jul 07:00 AM
'It's on in the Tron': Robertson looking forward to final test
Waikato Herald

'It's on in the Tron': Robertson looking forward to final test

17 Jul 05:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP