Things to do in Auckland this weekend: Art Fair, Anzac and Michelin-star dining

Arthur Miller’s A View From The Bridge. Photo / Greta van der Star

This weekend and into the following week, it’s clear that all over Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, art is in the air. From an immersive experience that challenges expectations of voice, vision and home to a sprawling exhibition exploring nature and the return of the mighty Aotearoa Art Fair, the streets will be a feast for the eyes. And of course we will be taking time to honour our servicemen and servicewomen, past and present today, with a raft of Anzac Day parades and memorials rolling out the length of the motu.

1) Into the blue

The Blue Dome in Artspace Aotearoa. Photo / Selina Ershadi

On now at Artspace Aotearoa is The Blue Dome, the first institutional solo presentation by Iranian-born, Tāmaki Makaurau-based artist and film-maker Selina Ershadi. Featuring two newly commissioned films in an immersive environment, the works draw on material developed during recent trips to Tehran and in and around Tāmaki Makaurau, exploring the politics of recording personal stories. Adding yet another emotional layer, they were made in collaboration with women in the artist’s family, challenging standard expectations of voice, vision, and home. By working with details often overlooked in official historical narratives, Ershadi questions whose stories are seen, remembered, and most importantly, valued.

2) An unmissable view

It’s the second last weekend to catch Silo Theatre’s production of Arthur Miller’s A View From The Bridge at Q Theatre, Rangatira, an all-local version of the searing modern tragedy that has been called the greatest play of the 20th century. Directed by Arts Foundation award-winner Anapela Polata’ivao (ONZM), this production is performed in the round, closing the distance between audience and action. It’s the playwright at his purest - stripped back, muscular, and devastating – and a brilliant study of toxic masculinity and moral panic that reads like headlines often glimpsed today, no less than 71 years after its premiere.

3) Exploring thoughts on nature

Melanie Field's exhibition titled Natural Phenomena. Photo / Natalie Koren

Natural Phenomena is made up of no less than 30 abstract oil paintings. Photo / Natalie Koren

Opening this Wednesday at the Frame Workshop gallery is a sprawling exhibition featuring the work of Auckland artist Melanie Field, titled Natural Phenomena. Made up of no less than 30 abstract oil paintings, the body of work on show represents an ongoing exploration by the artist of nature, intuition, duality and the delicate balance between surrender and emergence. From large statement pieces to intimate small works with just as much depth hidden beneath the surface, the paintings form a constellation of quiet and quite lovely revelations.

4) The Art Fair returns

The Aotearoa Art Fair is back! Photo / Reuben Paterson, Bethlehem (Constellation Orion), 2024, Bergman Gallery

Opening this Thursday and running until May 3, the Aotearoa Art Fair returns for its 2026 edition, and is set to be the biggest and brightest in its history. Vibrantly rolling out over multiple spaces and with works being updated daily, the 2026 outing brings together 60 galleries representing more than 200 artists, marking a record number of exhibitors and international participation. Following a milestone 2025 event that welcomed over 11,000 visitors, the fair is expanding across all three levels of the waterfront venue for the first time, with a broader programme that includes artist talks, guided tours and even an on-site bookshop. Whether you’re discovering art for the first time or adding to your collection, it’s a must-do. Tickets are available from artfair.co.nz.

5) Take to the skies at ground level

The Nightcar sees Michelin-starred dining touch down in Auckland.

An inventive new Cathay Pacific pop-up at hospitality hotspot The Nightcar sees Michelin-starred dining touch down in Auckland – and well below the price point of a first-class fare. For four days from April 29-May 2, the airline’s famous Michelin-starred culinary partner, Yat Tun Heen will be offering a limited-time dining experience that pays homage to the pair’s home city of Hong Kong. Called A Plane Food Dining Experience, the event includes delicious six dinner sittings, promising a veritable flight of fancy via a menu inspired by Cathay’s onboard offering. In March 2026, Yat Tung Heen proudly announced its 10th consecutive Michelin Star recognition, so if you’re keen to see why, this is the perfect opportunity. Secure your spot via the restaurant’s online booking system, with three courses on the menu for $60.

6) A carousel of collage

Ben Lysaght and Rubetta Neal's Carousel Horse. Photo / Carousel Horse by Rubetta Neal

On now at Corban Estate Arts Centre Homestead Galleries is Carousel Horse, an exhibition by Te Whanganui-a-Tara artists Ben Lysaght and Rubetta Neal. Using paint to explore collage conceptually, the pair recycled found imagery into surreal narratives and use this to reflect on our daily image overload; an endless carousel of delight and discomfort. The artists bonded over their shared use of the carousel horse in previous work, which they recognise as a literal spinning of wheels, made to delight, with a gilded decadence that lies hollow. Lysaght, an emerging multidisciplinary visual artist working primarily in oil paint and collage, calls on imagery sourced from vintage books due for discard, while Neal’s practice unfolds from the endless, overwhelming stream of imagery constantly infiltrating our lives online.

7) Lest we forget

Anzac Day is a time to reflect on the servicemen and servicewomen, past and present, who have displayed courage and self-sacrifice serving our country. With this in mind, today sees parades and services happening across Tāmaki Makaurau, including ones leaving from Mt Albert War Memorial Hall, Vellenoweth Green in St Heliers, the Grey Lynn Returned Services Club, Point Chevalier Rugby League Club and Mt Eden Memorial Hall. There is also a Sunset Service taking place in Point Chevalier’s Coyle Park around 5.30 pm, where a lone bugler will play The Last Post to seal the day.

8) Celebrate Te Wiki o Te Taiao at the zoo

Auckland Zoo will be concluding Te Wiki o Te Taiao / Conservation Week with a variety of events.

All this weekend, Auckland Zoo will be concluding Te Wiki o Te Taiao / Conservation Week with a variety of happenings celebrating our extraordinary natural world, and reminding us of the importance of taking time to connect in nature with whānau and friends. Check out the progress of artist Paul Walsh who has been at the zoo all week live-painting a Sir David Attenborough-themed mural ahead of the world-renowned naturalist’s 100th birthday on May 8, and just for today, Department of Conservation rangers will be visiting Te Wao Nui to share their love for nature and ways that you can get involved in helping te taiao wherever you live.

Coming up

• 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.
• Serving Can’t, May 7-9, Basement Theatre, 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.
• Cate Le Bon, June 5, Powerstation, Auckland.
• Lōemis Festival, June 9-21, across Wellington.
• The Marriage of Figaro, June 17, 19 and 21, St James Theatre, Wellington.
• Doc Edge Festival 2026, June 24–July 26, nationwide.
• The Veils Fragile World Tour, June 25-July 11, nationwide.
• The Auckland Opera Studio 2026 Gala, June 28, Auckland Town Hall, Auckland.
• 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.