From The Worm to Working Class Man: What’s on this weekend before school starts again

Darklight: The Hidden World at Aotea Centre. Photo / Snapper Online

The April school holidays are almost over, with parents and caregivers holding their collective breath for Monday morning – and tamariki quite possibly secretly doing the same. There are two whole days to fill though, so read on for some fun events happening this weekend in Tāmaki Makaurau for the little ones and not-so-little, from interactive art installations to a trip down memory lane for music fans and a milestone concert from one of Australia’s most loved rockers.

1) Light in the darkness

It’s the final day to catch Darklight: The Hidden World at Aotea Centre’s Hunua Rooms, a luminous journey designed to spark curiosity, wonder and discovery that has been a hit with visitors over the holidays. Created for families and design enthusiasts alike, it invites you into a living, vibrant environment where art, technology and imagination converge in glorious fashion. By day, the space radiates with colour, movement and interactive installations for explorers of all ages, then as night falls, the atmosphere transforms, light deepens, soundscapes emerge and the experience becomes an immersive after-dark world of reflection and sensory wonder. Just magical.

2) The Worm turns (and returns)

The Worm at North Shore’s Pumphouse Theatre. Photo / Andi Crown Photography

It’s the final weekend to see the very fun, occasionally bonkers play The Worm at North Shore’s Pumphouse Theatre before it travels to Māngere Arts Centre for another short season from April 22-25. Written by Carl and Peter Bland, it’s the story of a determined little worm who sets off on a heroic adventure to save his mum after a giant bird swoops away with her into the unknown. The work of acclaimed company Nightsong, audiences agree the play makes for a fun and delightfully offbeat outing, and it also features live music by Carnivorous Plant Society’s Finn Scholes.

3) Still a Working Class Man

Catch Jimmy Barnes at his Working Class Man 40th Anniversary Tour. Photo / Jesse Lizotte

Jimmy Barnes is hitting the stage at Spark Arena this Sunday as part of his Working Class Man 40th Anniversary Tour and promises a rocking nostalgia trip like no other. Celebrating his landmark album For The Working Class Man turning 40, Barnesy will be playing the iconic album from start to finish, taking the crowd from I’d Die To Be With You Tonight to Paradise, plus other anthems from his chart-topping catalogue. Released in December 1985, For The Working Class Man went straight to No 1 and helped define Barnes’ successful solo career, and the fact that he’s still got it is reason alone for fans to head to the show and spend the night indulging in what will undoubtedly be one big, fist-pumping singalong.

4) Everybody loves an encore

Explore vintage photographs, such as this shot of Hector Epae of the Quin Tikis from 1961, sound recordings and more at Encore! Photo / Rykenberg Photography

Free for anyone planning a visit to Auckland’s Central City Library and promising a blast from the past, new exhibition Encore! is on now and here to delight music fans with a melodic trip down memory lane. In situ for the next six months, the exhibition by Auckland Council Libraries pays homage to Auckland’s most epic live music moments and venues, and spans the scale of events from a sold-out Western Springs to Summer Series concerts in Albert Park and the intimacy of a dancehall gig at Galatos. Aucklanders are invited to relive their wildest concert memories as they explore vintage photographs, sound recordings, magazines, rare ticket stubs and more, and a wider programme of events includes live concerts for the duration of the six-month run.

5) Yes, Prime Minister

Helen Clark in Six Outfits at the ASB Waterfront Theatre. Photo / Andi Crown Photography

On until April 26 at ASB Waterfront Theatre, Helen Clark in Six Outfits is a sartorial homage to one of our most celebrated – and recognisable – prime ministers. Played in her later years by Jennifer Ward-Lealand and in her formative years by Lauren Gibson, Clark’s younger and older versions of herself unpack 50 years of personal and political battles, while wearing six defining outfits that trace her rise to power. The sharp, satirical and laugh-out-loud new play charts Clark’s journey from Waikato farm girl to political icon. And as the final outfit is revealed, one question lingers: if Helen smashed the ceiling, what’s stopping the rest of us?

6) We will remember them

Art of Remembrance returns on the eve of Anzac Day. Photo / Jessica Chloe Photography

Art of Remembrance 2026 – We Will Remember Them, returns to Grafton’s Kāhui St David’s on the eve of Anzac Day, Friday, April 24, bringing together veterans, whānau and the wider community for a night of music and shared remembrance. Held within one of Auckland’s most significant living memorial spaces, the annual event features a powerful programme including live musical performances, storytelling drawn from wartime letters, ceremonial elements such as the Last Post and minute of silence, and the relighting of the Lamp of Remembrance. This year’s commemoration places a special focus on the Royal New Zealand Engineers, recognising their longstanding connection to St David’s and contribution to service. Tickets are pay-what-you-can and available now from Humantix.

7) Farmhands wanted!

MOTAT’s LIVE Day: Farming is on this Sunday. Photo / Connor Crawford

Grab your gumboots and your Swanndri because MOTAT’s LIVE Day: Farming is on this Sunday. Step back in time and watch a live horseshoe making demonstration by the museum’s in-house blacksmith, and tractors and steam rollers from yesteryear will be on display along with a hay baling how-to. You can also visit the village green for gardening tips and a seedball making workshop, and with live entertainment, food and beverages, plus endless activities, there really is something for every farmhand in the crew.

8) Celebrating Hamilton Gardens

Since its official opening ceremony on July 24, 1960, Hamilton Gardens has been a favourite spot to soak in the wonder of its 18 “concept” gardens that attract more than a million visitors every year. Despite that, it’s never really been celebrated in art form, as many much-loved gardens around the globe often are. That is about to change with the opening of an exhibition titled Art of Hamilton Gardens, which is on now at Welcome Swallow Gallery in Hamilton East. On until June 5, there will be a plethora of works on display inspired by the gardens, as well as the chance to purchase a special jigsaw puzzle created using the work of one of the exhibiting artists, Hong Cumming. An easy trip from Tāmaki Makaurau now we have the Waikato Expressway, why not hit the road early and make a day of it?

Coming up

• Voices From Gallipoli until April 21, Q Theatre Loft, Auckland
• The Graduate Choir NZ Recital for Pope Francis April 21, St Michael’s Catholic Church, Remuera
• The 2026 NZ International Comedy Festival, May 1-24, nationwide
• The KidsCan GlowRun, May 2, Eden Park, Auckland.
• Forever Tomorrow: China Art Now, May 2-August 23, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
• Split Enz, Forever Enz Tour: May 6, Wellington and May 9, Auckland
• Auckland Travel Show, May 9-10, New Zealand International Convention Centre, Auckland
• Stephen K Amos - Now We’re Talking, May 9-10, Q Theatre, Auckland
• FIVE, May 25, Trusts Arena, Auckland
• Lōemis Festival, June 9-21, across Wellington
• The Veils Fragile World Tour, June 25- July 11, nationwide
• Englebert Humperdinck: The Celebration Tour, June 28, Christchurch Town Hall
• Matariki: Waiata Anthems in Concert, July 9, Auckland Town Hall
• Postmodern Jukebox, July 11, Wellington Opera House
• Dog Man: The Musical, July 14-18, Bruce Mason Theatre, Auckland
• The Harlem Globetrotters 100 Year Tour, July 14-19, nationwide
• Jason Derulo Last Dance World Tour, September 27, Spark Arena, Auckland

Email canvasplanner@nzherald.co.nz with brief details of your upcoming event, including dates/times, location and website.