Head to Smash Palace for the Countdown to Midnight on New Year’s Eve with live music from Manfibian. Show starts at 10pm. Entry $10 at the door.
Rhythm and Vines
A music and camping festival, featuring Dizzee Rascal, Sir Dave Dobbyn, Ladyhawke and many more. Waiohika Estate Vineyard, December 29 to January 1. Tickets from $140+bf from rhythmandvines.co.nz
The Search for Te Ika-a-Maui
A musical journey through the North Island, with Australia’s psych-pop and garage rockers Sunfruits and The Oogars, touring New Zealand for the first time alongside Auckland’s psych-surf groover Joe Ghatt and Wellington’s charming indie rocker Michael Llewellyn. Smash Palace, Wednesday, January 4, 8pm. Tickets from undertheradar.co.nz
Summer Frequencies Festival
A relaxed and upbeat musical vibe to be perfomed by some of the biggest names in Kiwi and international music including Savage, Scribe, Adeaze, DJ Noiz, Jaro Local, Tomorrow People, Ardijah, Herbs, Che Fu and Three Houses Down to name a few. Gisborne Soundshell, 87 Centennial Marine Dr, Friday & Saturday, midday January 13 to 10pm January 14. Tickets from $49 single-day, $75-$165 two-day from tinyurl.com/39by59hd or ticketspace.co.nz
Jesus Christ Superstar
Centre Stage presents the iconic rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. Onstage April 27 to May 6. Tickets from ticketek.co.nz or Gisborne i-SITE.
Blueback
Australian drama film directed by Robert Connolly, from a screenplay written by Connolly and Tim Winton, based on Winton’s 1997 novel of the same name. The film centres on a young girl who befriends a wild blue groper while diving, and becomes an activist for protecting the ecosystem of Australia’s coral reefs from destruction. It stars Mia Wasikowska, Radha Mitchell, Ilsa Fogg, Liz Alexander, Ariel Donoghue, Clarence Ryan, Pedrea Jackson, Erik Thomson, Eddie Baroo and Eric Bana.
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody
New Zealander Anthony McCarten wrote this biopic of singer Whitney Houston. Naomi Ackie plays Houston, Ashton Sanders plays Houston’s husband, Bobby Brown, and Stanley Tucci plays record producer Clive Davis.
Cirkus
Rohit Shetty directs this Hindi-language comedy adaptation of Angoor, based on Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors. Ranveer Singh stars in dual roles.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Daring outlaw Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for peril and disregard for safety have taken their toll. Puss has burned through eight of his nine lives, though he lost count along the way. Antonio Banderas returns as the voice of Puss in Boots as he embarks on an epic journey into the Black Forest to find the mythical Wishing Star and restore his lost lives. But with only one life left, Puss has to seek help from his former partner and nemesis, Kitty Soft Paws (voiced by Salma Hayek). The voices of Olivia Colman and Ray Winstone also feature.
The Lost King
An amateur historian tracks down the remains of King Richard III to a carpark in Leicester. Stars Sally Hawkins, Harry Lloyd, Steve Coogan, James Fleet, Phoebe Pryce, Lee Ingleby and Mark Addy.
Avatar: The Way of Water (2D, 3D)
Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and Kate Winslet star in James Cameron’s sequel to the first Avatar film. Jake Sully lives with his newfound family formed on the extrasolar moon Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na’vi race to protect their home.
Strange World
Computer-animated Disney science-fiction adventure film that chronicles the exploits of the Clades, mainly Searcher Clade, who has always been a farmer and has never had the bravery of his family of explorers. Features the voice talents of Jaboukie Young-White, Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Lucy Liu and Alan Tudyk.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
The leaders of Wakanda fight to protect their nation in the wake of their king’s death.
