NZ Opera will host a one-off open day at their Parnell studio on May 11. Photo / NZ Opera
Want to head out but don’t know where to start? Our weekend guide to Auckland’s must-see events will surely help you decide.
It might be getting chilly outside, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting amongst the events happening in Tāmaki Makaurau this weekend.
Whether you want to get a close-up look at the work of artists, sip on a fine glass of Hawke’s Bay wine as you watch the boats go by, eat some local delicacies by the beach, or lose your breath from laughing at one of the several NZ International Comedy Festival shows playing throughout this month, there’s plenty of things for one to do.
Saturday is your chance to go behind the curtain, under the wigs and inside the rehearsals of the NZ Opera. They’re hosting an open day at their Parnell studio where visitors, young and old, are invited to take a sneaky one-off peek behind-the-scenes of an opera. You’ll be able to watch an open rehearsal of Le comte Ory, the Rossini comedy that opens at the Kiri te Kanawa Theatre on May 30, as the director and conductor work with the singers. Witness the stunning set design and intricate costume construction, and see the expert talents of the in-house hair, wigs and makeup team. It’s an incredible undertaking to bring an opera to the stage and this open day will certainly give you an appreciation for the mountain of hard work and unbridled passion that makes each of NZ Opera’s productions possible.
When: May 11, 12pm-2.30pm.
Where: NZ Opera Studio, 5/69 St Georges Bay Road, Parnell, Auckland.
Price: Free.
If you still haven’t found what you’re looking for to fill your Saturday night, then get last minute tickets to see some of Aotearoa’s finest musicians perform U2′s The Joshua Tree album. It’s the first concert in the Come Together 2024 three-part series: three rock concerts, three albums over three months. Led Zeppelin’s IV is the second set of concerts in July and The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is the final instalment in August/September. On the bill for Saturday’s gig are kiwi music legends Jon Toogood and Julia Deans, along with Milan Borich (Pluto), Dianne Swann (When the Cats Away, The Bads) and Jazmine Mary. They’ll perform The Joshua Tree album (With or Without You, Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For) in its entirety and throw in a few other U2 hits as well. Last year’s Come Together End of Year Big Bash, featuring Toogood and Deans, was a sell-out success and, with appearances by Devilskin’s Jennie Skulander, EJ Barnes (Jimmy Barnes’ daughter), James Milne, Sam Scott and Luke Buda among others, this series will no doubt rock your socks off even more.
U2′s The Joshua Tree:
When: May 11, 8pm.
Where: The Civic, corner Wellesley and Queen Streets, Auckland CBD.
Price: Tickets start at $99 + booking fees from ticketmaster.co.nz
Led Zeppelin IV:
When: July 19 - Christchurch, July 20 - Wellington, July 26 - Auckland.
The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band:
When: August 30 - Christchurch, August 31 - Wellington, September 7 - Auckland.
Price: Auckland and Wellington tickets from ticketmaster.co.nz Christchurch tickets from ticketek.co.nz
This weekend the Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing the one classical ballet that everyone should have the privilege of seeing at least once in their lifetime: Swan Lake. This production hasn’t been performed in Aotearoa since 2013 and will be brought to life by a new generation of RNZB dancers, stepping into the roles that every young dancer aspires to. The RNZB is joined by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra who will perform Tchaikovsky’s iconic score. After the Auckland performances, Swan Lake will tour Wellington, Napier, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. Aotearoa is lucky to have such talent here on home soil and if we want to continue to see this level of professional artistry on our stages, we absolutely must go out and enjoy it.
When: May 9-12.
Where: Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre, Auckland CBD.
Price: Tickets start at $36 from ticketmaster.co.nz Visit rnzb.org.nz for more information.
Cosy little wine bar on the waterfront, Somm, has a new Guest in Residence this month: Church Road. They’re bringing their finest drops up from the Hawke’s Bay for a series of alluring wine experiences at Somm Cellar Door. Throughout the month you can get meticulously curated wine flights that are as close as you can get to touring the Church Road vineyards yourself without leaving Tāmaki Makaurau. Somm chef Gavin Doyle has designed a set menu featuring Wagyu sirloin, specifically to pair with Church Road’s TOM cabernet sauvignon merlot. And if the wine flights really get you going, book a seat at the tasting event on May 23 with Church Road’s head winemaker and five-time New Zealand Winemaker of the Year, Chris Scott. Winter is coming and good wine might be what gets you through it.
When: Church Road Guest in Residence May 1 - June 2. Wine Tasting event with Chris Scott, May 23, 4pm, 5pm, 6pm and 7pm.
Where: Somm Cellar Door, Shed 22 Princes Wharf, Auckland CBD.
Price: Tickets $45pp from sommcellardoor.co.nz
Sprinkle a little art appreciation into your weekend by heading down to the newly opened exhibition at The Frame Workshop & Gallery. Outside - Inside is the first solo show by Hawke’s Bay artist Robyn Fleet and given the Frame Workshop’s stellar track record for spotting emerging talent, we’re confident that Fleet’s work will impress. Featuring a collection of evocative faceless portraits and moody landscapes, Fleet layers paint using oil sticks and oil paints to create depth in her pieces which she describes as “layer upon layer of events, memories and experiences.”
When: May 9-25.
Where: The Frame Workshop & Gallery, 182 Jervois Road, Herne Bay, Auckland.
Price: Free.
Cooking schmooking, weekends are for relaxing in our books so grab your puffer jacket and head down to Little Shoal Bay on Saturday evening where you’ll find the Food Truck Collective rolling down to the seaside. In this weekend’s fleet there’s Hungariantwister, Double Dutch Fries, Raw Kind, Ma Va Pizza and The Munching Alley. It’s a scaled-back Food Truck Collective event, sans seating or a bar, so you’ll need to BYO picnic blankets or fold out chairs or take your grub to go.
When: May 11, 5pm-8pm.
Where: Little Shoal Bay Reserve, Northcote, Auckland.
Price: Free entry.
It’s not often you can take the whole family to see a live orchestra for free but on Sunday the Auckland Symphony Orchestra are providing you with that very opportunity. Animal Kingdom is a free afternoon concert being held at Bruce Mason Centre where the orchestra will take the audience on a musical journey through the animal world. On the programme is Anthony Ritchie’s Underwater Music, David Woodcock’s Forest Sketches, the Jurassic Park score, Prokofiev’s narrated tale Peter and the Wolf, and more. It’s a wonderful opportunity to expose your children to classical music and the wonders of a live orchestra without breaking the budget.
When: May 12, 2.30pm.
Where: Bruce Mason Centre, The Promenade, Takapuna.
Price: Free tickets available from aucklandlive.co.nz
Don’t forget that the New Zealand International Comedy Festival continues to provide good times and very occasional joy-induced incontinence this weekend at multiple venues throughout the city. Tickets start cheap and shows start early and late so you’ll almost certainly find something that you can both afford and fit into your busy weekend schedule. Highlights of this weekend include the Asian Comedy Takeover, Robbie Nicol’s Late Night Pilot, Nazeem Hussain’s Totally Normal, Jesse Griffin’s Late Night Jazz Scat and, for the intrepid comedy adventurers, multiple improv shows. Check out the festival website and find something funny to see this chilly weekend.
When: May 3-26.
Where: Various locations in Auckland CBD.
Price: Visit comedyfestival.co.nz for more information and tickets.
The countdown is on to the first beacon of light in the dark of winter: King’s Birthday Weekend, aka a paid day off work. If you’ve got the means to make the long weekend a bit special this year, then the place to go is Queenstown for LUMA 2024. The organisers describe it as a “multisensory experience that celebrates arts and culture.” Set in Queenstown Gardens over five nights, each night of the festival has a different theme. There will be light displays by Angus Muir, soundscapes, live music, sculptures, interactive performances and good eats. You don’t need an excuse to go to Queenstown but LUMA is a great one.
When: May 30 - June 3.
Where: Queenstown Gardens, Queenstown.
Price: Tickets $25, children 12 and under free, from https://luma.flicket.co.nz/
If you haven’t yet seen the Auckland Writers Festival programme which kicks off next week then now is the time to peruse the online schedule and find a literary event or three to put in your diary. The festival’s hottest ticket might be Sam Neill in conversation with Robyn Malcolm or maybe Ann Patchett talking to Meg Mason, you’ll have to be quick to nab tickets to those events. Perhaps the most innovative event on the programme is Dyad Productions’ A Room of One’s Own in which Rebecca Vaughan takes the audience on a journey through the history of
literature, feminism and gender in character. The festival begins on Tuesday, with the weekend of May 18 and 19 being the main festival weekend. There’s an enormously broad range of events not just for readers and writers but for anyone who’s ever had a creative thought or new idea, including plenty of free events and whānau friendly sessions as well.
When: May 14-19.
Where: Aotea Centre, Auckland CBD.
Price: See writersfestival.co.nz for the full schedule and tickets.
"Spot the difference" - artists clash over clasped hand sculptures.