Its programme of 19 acts in and around Oamaru was revealed at a function at the Oamaru Opera House on Thursday night.
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said his first reaction when he saw the programme was "Wow!".
"The number of events, the quality of the acts, and the breadth of the arts on show means there truly is something for everyone."
Festival director Frances McElhinney said it was "a pleasure to present such a stunning array of events".
"It’s appropriate to kick it off with something sexy and stunning — The 7 Sopranos. They will lift the roof off the Opera House."
Another highlight she singled out was The Big Bike Film Night & Blues Bar on September 28. ‘‘We’re going to spin your wheels with this,’’ Mrs McElhinney said.
"Then a big red double-decker bus will be on the streets in the last week of the festival, which is in the school holidays. This [the Java Dance Theatre show Back of the Bus] is theatre on a bus. It has had rave reviews in Edinburgh, Adelaide, and all the festivals where it has been performed."
The Creamery, an interactive dance, theatre, and music show being held at the Loan & Merc on October 3, includes Whitestone Cheese and wine in the ticket price, and the next day a family show called Cheese, featuring squirting milk jets and yodelling goatherds, takes place at the same venue.
Behind Closed Doors on October 6 travels between three Victorian Precinct locations where New Zealand singer-songwriters will take advantage of the venues’ unique acoustics.
The finale is Art on Bikes, entailing assorted entertainments along the Weston to Friendly Bay section of the Alps 2 Ocean cycle days.
