THE long and rich traditions of Maori culture are brought to the city and will be used to welcome the start of the 2016 Ageas Salisbury International Arts Festival.

A specially commissioned opening ceremony, Whakatuwhera, in Cathedral Close draws on the Maori welcome powhiri and the arts of kapa haka.

In the evening shadow of the Cathedral’s West Lawn, within a ring of fire the 2016 festival gets under way.

Under festival chorus director Howard Moody, hundreds of singers will welcome Ngati Ranana, the UK’s foremost Maori arts club, as it joins forces with the chorus in a newly commissioned ‘waiata’ or song to launch the festival.

The Ngati Ranana will be representing the New Zealand artists during the opening ceremony and will showcase Maori song, chant and dance in traditional costume.

This follows on from the success of the Market Songs performance at last year’s festival opening ceremony, pictured, when scores of singers filled the corners of the city — taking over the market place and the surrounding streets.

They performed a collection of market songs, rounds, choruses and cries, which brought together seven centuries of history to life and traced the development of Salisbury as a market town.

The Whakatuwhera opening ceremony is this evening and starts at 8pm. The opening event is sponsored by Stanhope.

It is free to attend and suitable for all ages.