Music in Christchurch

The city is known for its many live acts, has a professional symphony orchestra, and is the base of professional opera company, Southern Opera. Christchurch is a home for experimental music scene of New Zealand. The town is the home to such bands as The Bats, Shocking Pinks and Bailter Space.

There are usually buskers around the town square, and Christchurch also hosts the World Buskers Festival in January each year. Singer/songwriter Hayley Westenra famously launched her very successful international career by busking in Christchurch. Soon she was signed to Universal Music Group New Zealand, then later to Decca Label Group in London, England, where she now bases her career.

Christchurch also has an active and relatively large Metal scene, with metal acts playing in various locations around the central city almost weekly.

Christchurch is considered the New Zealand home of Drum and Bass and to a lesser extent Dubstep and various other "Bass Heavy" genres.[citation needed] Some of New Zealand's top performing acts such as Shapeshifter and Tiki Taane are from Christchurch. Venues and clubs such as The Bedford, Ministry, and Double Happy and many more regularly have international and New Zealand leading acts within the Drum and Bass scene performing live in Christchurch, along with dance parties, raves and gigs all featuring NZ and local Drum and Bass DJs, with often 2 or 3 happening on a single night or weekend (e.g. 2010 when UK Dubstep DJ Doctor P with Crushington was playing at The Bedford, while simultaneously Concord Dawn featuring Trei and Bulletproof was playing at Ministry). Independent Christchurch based radio station Pulzar FM is one of the few radio stations in New Zealand that plays Drum and Bass during the day.

In recent movements, hip hop has effectively landed in Christchurch. In 2000, First Aotearoa Hip Hop Summit was held there. And in 2003, Christchurch’s own Scribe, released his debut album in New Zealand and has received five times platinum in that country, in addition to achieving two number one singles.