Get your diaries out as we look ahead to some sumptuous shows set to light up the city’s stages in 2020.

Whether you’re after a laugh, thrilling theatre to the fringe and back or a musical spectacular, Christchurch is a hotspot for culture vultures. There’s nearly always something worth checking out somewhere on the city’s cultural scene. Comedy, dance, theatre, musical performances from pop to classical, and film from local and international artists are all well represented throughout the year.

Among the highlights to come are a Showbiz Christchurch production of My Fair Lady that places Eliza the flower seller firmly in the #MeToo moment; and the songs and style of Tina Turner come to life on the Isaac Theatre Royal stage with TINA: Simply the Best.

Add to that the magic of NZ Opera and the Royal New Zealand Ballet and there’s still plenty to keep our cultural hearts beating strong. So mark your calendars and be ready to make your bookings when tickets go on sale – there’s no show without an audience!

Tucked in Addington, you’ll find the South Island’s largest theatre company, where a magical world of happiness, laughter, drama and intrigue awaits you. A Christchurch institution for almost 50 years, The Court Theatre offers entertainment for everyone with a range of shows to suit all tastes, whether you’re a comedy lover, drama fiend or musical fanatic.
Presenting world-class entertainment, The Court puts on around 20 productions each year, ranging from intimate solo performances through to blockbuster musicals. Beyond its performance offerings, the theatre is also known for its education programme as well as its corporate entertainment options provided by comedy troupe The Court Jesters.
At Showbiz Christchurch, the 2020 Saunders & Co. programme of My Fair Lady, Chess in Concert and Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story has been postponed. New dates have yet to be announced so keep an eye on their website. Read our Q&A with My Fair Lady's lead Kira Josephson.

The heat will hit the stage at the Isaac Theatre Royal when Caroline Borole steps into the stilettos of Tina Turner for an evening of gloss, glam and lots of booty shaking for TINA: Simply the Best. This highly anticipated show has been postponed to November 3. We asked Caroline about becoming Tina.

NZ Opera’s 2020 season is the first programmed by general director Thomas de Mallet Burgess, who joined the company in mid-2018. His ground-breaking production of Eight Songs for a Mad King, by Peter Maxwell Davies, takes over central-city library Tūranga in November and December. In October/November, NZ Opera will present Poulenc and Cocteau’s opera The Human Voice in hotel rooms around the country, including The George in Christchurch. Then in spring 2021, the company will bring a new production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro to Christchurch. We spend five minutes with Thomas de Mallet Burgess and spill the operatic beans on NZ Opera's season.

The Royal New Zealand Ballet ushers in a new era for 2020, with its whole season choreographed by women. The showcase for this is Venus Rising (Isaac Theatre Royal, June 12/13), headlined by contemporary dance legend Twyla Tharp. Read more about RNZB's 2020 season here.

See here for an up-to-date list of event updates, cancellations and postponements.