American hip hop artist Pharoahe Monch (pictured) and NZ band Shapeshifter will be headlining NZ's only three-day live-in festival in 2008.

American hip hop artist Pharoahe Monch (pictured) and NZ band Shapeshifter will be headlining NZ's only three-day live-in festival in 2008. They'll be joined by renowned Swedish DJ Freddie Cruger, Germany's bossa nova styles DJ/producer duo Mo' Horizons, Birmingham reggae/dub group Overproof Sound System and London DJs Benji B and Steve Spacek.

Splore 08 will be happening from 8-10 February 2008 at Auckland's Tapapakanga Regional Park.Splore is well-known for its strong local line-up, and as well as Shapeshifter, Splore 08 will also feature dubsters Kora; Salmonella Dub's frontman Tiki; taonga puoru (traditional Maori instruments) musicians Riki Bennett and Rewi Spraggon together as Te Aratoi; classic funk and soul group Tyra and The Tornadoes; as well as dance music producer Epsilon Blue and Wellington multi-instrumentalist Module.

Splore director Amanda Wright says she is thrilled with the line-up for the 2008 event and promising that as well as fantastic music, there will also be "a stunning visual arts programme and additional content to set this festival into a league of its own".

Splore also features performance - including burlesque theatre, dance, comedy and performance art - visual arts, sculpture trails and workshops. Innovative international and local artists are encouraged to collaborate, producing memorable, unique performances and installations. "Splore is dedicated to celebrating the art and culture of our time," says Wright. "It enhances the understanding and appreciation of contemporary culture by providing artists with an inspiring environment that exposes their most creative work to a diverse and well attuned audience."

The 2008 event is the seventh Splore festival and follows the sold-out 2006 event held on the same site. Already a limited number of early bird tickets for Splore 08 have sold out and tickets are now on sale to the general public through iticket.

When: 8-10 February 2008

Where: Tapapakanga Regional Park, Auckland

Tickets: $160 + booking fee (including camping)

Bookings: iticket 0508 ITICKET. Children under 13 years are free.

5/10/07