Get ready to be captivated by cabaret: Invercargill’s newest festival promises to see theatre, music, and creativity collide.

Upstage: Invercargill Festival of Cabaret will kick off on August 11 and will run until August 19.

The eight-day festival will blend the nostalgic with the modern, and is set to celebrate the playful and immersive: from glamorous cabaret performances, a pop-up gin workshop courtesy of award-winning Cardrona Distillery, taonga pūoro, comedy nights, cinema and more.

Invercargill City Council Venues Manager Jason Wade said the festival would offer a huge range of entertainment, with something to appeal to everyone.

It would bring a hearty dose of show-stopping, rollicking fun to the city in a bid to banish the winter blues, he said.

“We know winter can feel a bit long sometimes, and we’re hoping Upstage brightens up the city during the colder months. We’re really pleased to collaborate with other organisations and businesses across Invercargill to bring this festival to life.

“We’d love to encourage people to come out, enjoy a cosy atmosphere in some fantastic venues around the city, and get amongst a great line-up throughout the festival.”

The festival would feature performances from a mixture of established and emerging artists across a broad range of genres, he said.

“Upstage will be a really immersive experience, and the concept is something really new and unique to Invercargill. We’re really excited to announce who’s coming to town soon,” he said.

“Southlanders are fantastic at supporting events in their own backyard, as we see with some of the nationally and internationally-recognised events held in our region each year. We’re really excited to be bringing Upstage: Invercargill Festival of Cabaret to the city, and we hope our community is too.”

Further information about what will be on offer during the festival, and ticketing options, will be announced soon.