A magnificent Spiegeltent has been at the heart of the Harcourts Hawke’s Bay Arts Festival for the past two years. A Spiegeltent, or ‘tent of mirrors’ is a unique travelling venue built of wood and canvas, and intricately decorated with leadlight windows, velvet and brocade.

In 2015, the festival was graced by ‘The Magnificent Spiegeltent’. Built in 1920, this grande dame is the most beautiful of the few remaining Belgian Spiegeltents and has spent her lifetime at festivals and fairgrounds throughout Europe and beyond. For 2016, the festival was based in a New Zealand built Spiegeltent known as ‘The Pacific Crystal Palace.’ Built in 2001, and owned by a consortium of New Zealand arts festivals, the tent featured special New Zealand touches such as corrugated panelling and nikau palm and basket weave decorations.