2017 Stage Challenge® and J Rock™ - Celebrating 25 Years! 

Stage Challenge - New Zealand's largest and longest running youth performing arts event is returning to New Zealand's premier venues this May, June and July!

2017 is set to be another stellar Stage Challenge year, as the nation's favourite dance, drama and performing arts spectacular celebrate its 25th year of creativity and expression.

Stage Challenge will take its enthralling nationwide tour throughout the country, kicking off celebrations in Dunedin and continuing on as far north as Whangarei.

Stage Challenge is a student-led production that aims to motivate and inspire students to lead positive pro-active lives, by giving them a 'natural high'. These students are involved in every aspect of the performance, from set construction and choreography to hair, make-up and costume design.

Kiwi youth are the driving force behind the performance, as this is their show and their time to shine. The students are the stars!

Thirteen venues, 200 schools, 16,000 participants and an audience of 25,000 people. Stage Challenge is a dance, drama and design spectacular where the students are the stars. 

It is part of a global event reflecting the personalities, concerns, hopes, dreams and interests of students. 

Each performance runs for between five and eight minutes and is set to a medley of published and recorded music tracks. 

Each team may have up to 140 students from a school or community group working together with parents, teachers and their local community to create their performance. 

Hours of rehearsals and hard work result in a performance to thousands of audience members across New Zealand. 

A school’s entry into Stage Challenge is about experiencing the natural high of being part of a team in a 100 per cent tobacco, drug and alcohol-free