Asian Events Trust and Te Papa present world premiere of HORSES for 2026 Lunar New Year Festival
A major new dance work will open the 2026 Wellington Lunar New Year Festival, as Asian Events Trust and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa present the world premiere of HORSES by Daniel Belton and Good Company Arts.
Premiering as an exclusive, invite-only screening at Te Papa on Lunar New Year’s Day, 17 February 2026, HORSES kicks off the 2026 Wellington Lunar New Year festival programme marking the arrival of the Year of the Fire Horse.
Inspired by the Chinese Zodiac sign for 2026, HORSES draws on the symbolism, power and dynamism of the fire horse, championing physical prowess, momentum and grace through movement and music. The work completes a trilogy of films that began with Tiger (Silver Lotus) and Dragon, both of which featured in previous Wellington Lunar New Year Festivals.
HORSES brings together an exceptional ensemble of artists. The film features Aotearoa dancers Joshua Faleatua and Tyler Carney-Faleatua, alongside Tokyo-based dance artists Ririka Takizawa, Karim Araoka and Nao Kamei.
Sound plays a central role in the work, with an original score by internationally acclaimed New Zealand–Japanese musician Mark de Clive-Lowe, continuing his collaboration with GCA across the trilogy. The sonic landscape is further enriched by taonga pūoro musicians Mahina Kingi-Kaui and Ariana Tikao, deepening the work’s spiritual and cultural resonance.
The combination of Asian and Pacific artistic voices creates a distinctive and layered experience for audiences, weaving together hip hop, contemporary dance, Tsukushi-Mai dance, taonga pūoro and cinematic storytelling. Through this fusion of traditional and contemporary performing arts, HORSES evokes the strength, beauty and majesty of the horse, while reflecting the cultural hybridity of Aotearoa and the wider Asia-Pacific region.
Te Papa Tumu Whakarae | Chief Executive Courtney Johnston says, “We’re so excited to host the world premiere of HORSES and launch the Lunar New Year Festival at Te Papa. From screenings, fine dining and fireworks, it’s a magical lineup!”
Asian Events Trust | Chair Linda Lim says: “the collaboration is another step in the festival’s growth and evolution over 20 plus years.
“The Wellington Lunar New Year Festival has grown in scale, success and reputation through collaborations grounded in trust and shared values.
“Collaborations like this with Te Papa, and our long-standing creative relationship with Good Company Arts, are essential to shaping a festival of national significance — and to realising our aspiration for it to be New Zealand’s leading celebration of Lunar New Year,” adds Lim.
Good Company Arts | Artistic Director Daniel Belton says: ”the Lunar New Year Festival has been integral to the life of the trilogy.
“This festival has been an important home for Tiger and Dragon, so it feels especially meaningful to complete the trilogy here with HORSES.
“Working again with Mark de Clive-Lowe’s score, taonga pūoro artists, and an extraordinary group of dancers from Aotearoa and Tokyo has allowed the work to speak across cultures, traditions and contemporary forms,” says Belton.
The Te Papa collaboration will extend beyond the premiere screening with a public artist talk with Belton providing deeper insight into the trilogy, creative process and cross-cultural collaboration as well as a special ticketed dinner at Rongomaraeroa offering premium viewing of the Festival Fireworks on Saturday 21 February. This is part of the Te Papa Late Night programme, when the museum will remain open until 9pm, giving Wellingtonians extra time to explore, celebrate, and immerse themselves in the festivities.
These events all form part of the broader Wellington Lunar New Year Festival programme culminating on Sunday 22 February with Festival Day on the waterfront—an inclusive, vibrant celebration reflecting Wellington’s cultural diversity.
Contact for media inquiries or interviews – Linda Lim, 027 4324269 or email linda@asianeventstrust.co.nz
For full programme details, go to https://lunarnewyearfestival.co.nz/all-festival-events, or follow @lnywellington for updates.
