One of Aotearoa’s largest public sculptures, Neil Dawson’s Fanfare is a permanent landmark which can be seen standing tall over the Canterbury Plains at Chaney’s Corner.

Fanfare has progressed through an extraordinary journey over the past 10 years to find its home in Ōtautahi Christchurch, the birth city of its notable sculptor, Neil Dawson (CNZM).

This visionary six-storey-high sphere (20 metres in diameter and weighing 25 tonnes) is covered in 1.5-metre steel pinwheel fans and can be illuminated in a spectrum of colours at night.

Originally commissioned in 2004, it was suspended from the Sydney Harbour Bridge to mark the New Year in 2005, before being donated to Christchurch by the City of Sydney in 2007. Christchurch City Council, SCAPE Public Art and Neil Dawson worked together to install Fanfare at Christchurch’s northern entrance.

When it was installed in 2015 Ōtautahi Christchurch had lost many of its landmarks, Fanfare played an important role in creating a dynamic entranceway to the city, adding a vibrant new identity to the Ōtautahi Christchurch cityscape.

Visit Fanfare

A creative feat and engineering marvel, admire Fanfare for yourself in its home at Chaney’s Corner beside the Northern Motorway, just south of the Waimakariri Bridge.

Fanfare can be viewed up close via the car parks on Main North Road and the Northern Motorway off-ramp. Follow the walking path to the two lookouts, complete with legacy boards recognising those who made this magnificent installation possible.

For an extra-special experience, visit Fanfare between sunset and sunrise to view its special lighting display.