An Iliad features a solo performance by one of New Zealand's elder statesmen of acting, Michael Hurst. The show is a reimagining of Homer's masterwork, written by Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare and features a live accompaniment by Shayne P Carter (Straitjacket Fits, Dimmer).

With more than 50 performances ranging from opera to immersive theatre to K-pop and many other forms of artistic expression, those keen on expanding their cultural experiences will have plenty to choose from during the 2020 Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival.

The full line-up for the festival, which begins on February 19, was revealed at a special gathering at Turtle Lake on Wednesday night.

As well as the art and the artists, the announcement also divulged the planned expansion of the festivities to well beyond the iconic gardens themselves. The performance venues will now include the Meteor and Clarence Street theatres, Garden Place, and Victoria On The River.

SUPPLIED The multi-award winning play Wild Dogs Under My Skirt tells the stories of Pacific women, both in NZ and at "home".

There will also be a new premier venue in the intriguingly-titled Harkness Henry's Emporium of Scintillating Wonders.

Among the highlights are two of New Zealand's finest troubadours: the globe-trotting Nadia Reid, whose album Preservation was lauded as "one of the year's landmark releases" by Mojo magazine; and Delaney Davidson, who continues his tradition of collaborating with other notable musicians with a one-off performance with The Warratah's Barry Saunders, of their album Word Gets Around.

One of the biggest acts ever to be brought to the festival are the previously-announced headliners Fly My Pretties. The Wellington-based musical collective will perform both as a 15-piece on the Rhododendron Lawn and as a three-piece in the intimate environs of the Mansfield Gardens for a special VIP performance on Saturday, February 29.

Supplied The Aroha String Quartet will also perform during the arts festival.

The collective this week announced the cast that will take the stage in the gardens: Barnaby Weir, A Girl Named Mo, Anna Coddington, Bailey Wiley, LA Mitchell, Lisa Tomlins, Ria Hall, Age Pryor, Iraia Whakamoe, James Coyle, Mike Fabulous, Nigel Patterson, Jarney Murphy, Ryan Prebble and Troy Kingi.

Classical music is well represented with Hamilton composer Janet Jennings showcasing work that celebrates the Hamilton Gardens, and The Aroha Quartet performing a special programme designed for the Chinese New Year.

There will also be two notable live comebacks in the form of cult '70s funk band Collision and local legends Waikato Rocker's Reunion both staging rare live performances.

Supplied Nadia Reid will perform in the Hamilton Gardens Pavilion on February 28.

Theatre enthusiasts will be spoiled for choice. An Iliad is hailed as a a solo tour-de-force performance by one of New Zealand's elder statesmen of acting, Michael Hurst, with a live music accompaniment by Shayne P Carter (Dimmer, Straitjacket Fits).

The multi-award winning Wild Dogs Under My Skirt tells the stories of Pacific women, both in New Zealand and at "home", while Whetu Silver's Hine is described as a weaving together of sacred rites and stories, celebrating the human tendency to dance between the spiritual and the everyday.

Fans of dance can rejoice in New Zealand Dance Company performing their work This Fragile Planet on the grounds of the Rhododendron Lawn. And for something completely different, the K-pop Party will feature Rina Chae, who has danced with Beyoncé and Justin Bieber.

SUPPLIED New Zealand Dance Company will perform a work called This Fragile Planet on the grounds of the Rhododendron Lawn on Sunday, March 1.

Much of the action each evening will gravitate around a venue known as The Grassroots Hub. There, festival-goers can mingle with the artists while getting dinner from one of the Gourmet in the Gardens food trucks, refreshments from the Good George Garden Bar, and taking in the performances Stage of Enlightenment.

The main festival will be preceded on February 15 by an event that traditionally closes it: The perennially popular Sunset Symphony, which will feature a big fireworks display once darkness has fallen.

The full programme can be seen online at hgaf.co.nz and tickets will go on sale from Thursday morning through Ticketek.