Street festival lifts fun dial up a notch as CBD swelters

Australian busker Nigel Martin, one of 20 street performers. Picture / Dean Purcell

Street performers kept shoppers' minds off the heat yesterday as they strutted their stuff in the sixth annual Auckland International Buskers' Festival.

One busker who produced gales of laughter was Mr Spin - Australian performer Nigel Martin. Decked out in a red top hat, with a red suitcase full of props, Mr Spin danced, performed balancing acts, magic tricks and much, much more.

"Having a good audience really makes me happy," he said yesterday. "The more they laugh, the more it makes me feel better about my show. I love the energy."

The festival, which started yesterday and finishes on Monday, is spread around seven sites: Aotea Square, Vulcan Lane, the Atrium on Elliott, the Downtown Canape, Princes Wharf, Viaduct Harbour and O'Hagan's Irish pub in Market Square.

Crowds are being entertained by outrageous gymnasts, stuntmen, jugglers, magicians, human statues, acrobats, contortionists and comedians from around the world.

Mr Spin's girlfriend Louise Clark (Pandora Pink to her fans) has her own show today. "I know we're never going to be millionaires but we're dedicated to it," he said.

Mr Spin, who has been training as a circus performer since he was seven, has won 16 busking competitions around the world.

This year's festival has doubled in size with 20 acts compared with 10 last year.

Local acts include Motley Two, Shamus, Kid Dynamite, Sam Wills and Luke Hurley.

Seven-year-old Waveney Russ from Ponsonby could not control her laughter while watching Mr Spin.

Mother Debbie Teale said: "We just happened to come across the show. We didn't even know it was on."

She said their favourite act was when Mr Spin rode a unicycle balancing a glass of water on his head while juggling baseball bats. "We really enjoyed it. We will definitely come back. It was very clever."

Philip Crouch, from Crackerjack Promotions, expects about 65,000 people will see the festival. Shows start daily at noon, and there are additional shows tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday from 7.30pm to 11pm.