With two jam-packed wine sessions organised and over 60 wineries attending, Winetopia is taking over the Viaduct Events Centre on Saturday. Photo / Mark Leedom Photography Ltd.
Find your niche amongst all the events using our stacked weekend guide, highlighting the best things to do across the city this weekend and beyond.
The Paris Olympics might be on the tele but there’s an abundance of arts and cultural events taking place right here in
Ranging from kooky and bizarre to tasty and tempting, the offerings include theatre and festivals, wine and zines, a physical and philanthropic challenge for next month and a Tim Minchin musical to book ahead.
Have a gander at what’s happening in your neck of the woods and you’re bound to find something that piques your interest.
Wine connoisseurs and the vino-curious take note, Winetopia takes over the Viaduct Events Centre on Saturday. Boasting two jam-packed sessions of wine appreciation with over 60 wineries in attendance, a sake sommelier and loads of “restaurant-led” masterclasses, we’d strongly recommend public transport, taxi or an Uber to this event because, if you like wine, you’re likely to leave here a little too merry to operate heavy machinery. Highlights on the main stage include international wine expert Mike Bennie sharing tales of his travels through the wine regions of the world and the Winetopia Wine Battles hosted by MC Keelan McCafferty and Winetopia founder Rob Eliott. Your ticket gets you a Spiegelau glass to sample wines with and your first five tasting tokens. Spend the afternoon or evening sampling some of the country’s finest wines, as well as food from Auckland’s best chefs, throw in some good company and you’ve got yourself an idyllic few hours of entertainment.
When: Saturday July 27, noon-3.30pm or 5pm-8.30pm.
Where: Viaduct Events Centre, 171 Halsey St, Auckland.
Price: Tickets start at $50 + booking fees from winetopia.co.nz
Our small but mighty theatre community is struggling to keep its head above water this year, evident by the fact that Q’s Theatre’s MATCHBOX season is only able to present one of its three planned productions. That production, Our Own Little Mess, opened on Wednesday and is a genre-bending, completely original piece of theatre that is a must-see. Created by theatre company A Slightly Isolated Dog, they describe the show as a “mystery-comedy-thriller” featuring magical realism and inner voices. Audience members are given headphones to wear throughout the performance, in which they’re hearing the inner voices of the on-stage performers. It stars Laurel Devine, Maaka Pohatu, Andrew Paterson, Jack Buchanan and Isla Mayo and there are two performances on Saturday, with a post-show discussion following Sunday’s performance. The production continues next week, closing on Saturday, August 3, giving you plenty of opportunities to enjoy this irreverent and creative show.
When: July 24 - August 3.
Where: Q Theatre, Loft, 305 Queen St, Auckland Central.
Price: Tickets start at $30 + booking fees from qtheatre.co.nz
This weekend, rug up and spend an evening in Takapuna where the Takapuna Winter Lights Festival is illuminating the beachside suburb and providing loads of entertainment for the whole whānau. Aotearoa’s premiere light artist, Angus Muir, has curated the light displays that decorate Hurstmere Green, Potters Park and the new Waiwharariki Anzac Square. Along with the light display, there are food stalls and of course the many eateries and bars of Takapuna town centre; performances by local talent including Takapuna Grammar School’s Nathan Fry, James Cassidy and Ruby Jacobs; family-friendly activities and interactive light sculptures; and this year’s new pilot project, SHINE. Made in collaboration with community organisations Yes Disability and PHAB, SHINE is guided tours of the festival - held before the crowds settle in - for those with additional accessibility needs. Everyone is welcomed into Takapuna to see the suburb truly sparkle this weekend.
When: July 25-28, 5pm-10pm (SHINE tours 4-4.30pm).
Where: Waiwharariki Anzac Square, Central Takapuna, Auckland.
Price: Free.
Not all food is created equal and this weekend is a time to revel in the finest this country has to offer. The Auckland Food Show is taking over Auckland Showgrounds and features hundreds of exhibitors showcasing all kinds of new products - edible, drinkable and otherwise. Along with sampling delectable foodstuffs, you can see the newest in cooking equipment, attend masterclasses and sit down to live food demonstrations in the NEFF Cooking Theatre. Masterchef Australia star, Poh Ling Yeow, is taking the stage along with local favourites Josh Emmett, Tina Duncan, Vaughan Mabee, Annabelle White, Samir Allen and more. Anyone who enjoys cooking, eating or both will find plenty to entertain them at this weekend’s Food Show, so get on down there and see what culinary delights await.
When: Saturday, 10am-5pm; Sunday, 10am-4pm.
Where: Auckland Showgrounds, 217 Green Lane West, Epsom, Auckland.
Price: Tickets $28 adults; $17 child (6-12 years) from foodshow.co.nz
Zines are the epitome of guerrilla publishing and this weekend they’re being celebrated at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki with the return of Auckland Zinefest. Come and see the deeply personal, sometimes bizarre, always interesting creations of over 120 zine-makers, indie publishers and artists from all around the country. There are essentially no limits on what a zine may contain, it could be poetry, drawings, journal entries, political musings or any other subject or idea the creator feels compelled to share. Some of the zine-makers will be doing readings on the East Terrace and there’s badge-making and a collaborative zine that you can contribute to as well. Between 10 and 11 am it’s quiet hour for neuro-diverse visitors and everyone who visits is encouraged to bring cash to purchase their zines with and a bag to carry them in.
When: July 27 and 28, 10am-3pm (quiet hour until 11am).
Where: Auckland Art Gallery, cnr Kitchener and Wellesley Sts, Auckland Central.
Price: Free.
What better way to celebrate the incredible athleticism, discipline and dedication of the 2024 Paris Olympians than by drinking le vin rouge (red wine) and eating fromage (cheese) at the Maison Vauron Red Wine Market Day on Saturday? There’ll be live music from French band Tchin-Tchin, French street-food by L’Atelier du Fromage, a wide range of cheese from La Fromagerie and authentic Le Garde Manger Crepes. More than 20 reds wines are available to sample from a range of French wine regions including Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire Valley and Languedoc-Roussillon under the expert guidance of Maison Vauron’s sommeliers. Not everyone can be at the Paris Olympics so why not get into the spirit of France right here in Aotearoa at the Red Wine Market Day instead?
When: Saturday July 27, 10.30am - 3pm.
Where: 5 McColl St, Newmarket, Auckland.
Price: Free entry.
It’s hard to imagine anyone at the Creedence Clearwater Collective concert at Bruce Mason Centre on Saturday being able to stay in their seats. Playing iconic hits like Proud Mary, Have You Ever Seen the Rain, Fortunate Son and Bad Moon Rising from Creedence Clearwater Revival and John Fogerty, prepare to boogie. They may not be the original band but these guys are real-deal musicians and a travelling band who’ve made a name for themselves paying tribute to one of the most celebrated rock bands of all time. There are a few tickets left for Saturday’s performance in Takapuna and the Sunday afternoon performance in Kerikeri (Sunday night is sold out), then they’re off to Australia where they’ll continue touring for the remainder of the year.
Takapuna
When: Saturday, July 27, 7.30pm.
Where: Bruce Mason Centre, The Promenade, Takapuna, Auckland.
Price: Tickets $49-$69 + booking fees from aucklandlive.co.nz
Kerikeri
When: Sunday July 28, 3pm.
Where: Turner Centre, Kerikeri.
Price: Tickets $49-$69 + booking fees from iticket.co.nz
We’re odd little creatures, us humans, you only have to go along to Only Bones - Daniel Nodder to see that. The one-person physical theatre show and winner of the Outstanding Solo Performance at the 2023 NZ Fringe Festival has its last performance in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland on Saturday. It’s the 11th iteration of The Only Bones Project, which is the brainchild of physical and circus performer Thom Monckton. Performed by Daniel Nodder and a lightbulb, it’s a truly unique piece of theatre and an astonishing display of human physicality by Nodder, who describes himself as a spaghetti-limbed dancer and theatre-maker. The show, which is Pōneke-based, recently travelled to the San Diego Fringe where it picked up two awards: the Artists’ Pick and Out the Box awards. Don’t miss the opportunity to see this wildly creative show this weekend and have something interesting to tell your friends and colleagues on Monday.
When: Tonight, 6.30pm.
Where: Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland Central.
Price: Tickets start at $18 from basementtheatre.co.nz
An ebike or scooter parked in the middle of a shared pathway is a mild annoyance for some but, for thousands of guide dog users, it can be a terrifying and unexpected obstacle, which is why Blind Low Vision NZ is introducing the Pawgust challenge. Dog owners can join the challenge by committing to walk their fur babies every day throughout August, rain or shine, and collecting sponsorships from friends and families to go towards the breeding, raising and training of Guide Dogs. Non-dog owners, sponsor your friends with pooches and help spread awareness about the role of guide dogs for blind and low-vision New Zealanders. Whether you’ve got a pup or not, next time you’re out walking, observe and think about the challenges for guide dogs and their owners and, if you come across an unnecessary obstruction on a shared path, take the initiative to move it out of the way if you can do so safely. We can all work together to make Tāmaki Makaurau a safe walking city for blind and low-vision New Zealanders and their amazing guide dogs.
When: Throughout August. Visit pawgust.co.nz for more information and to register.
Our apologies for bringing up the next school holidays when you’re still recovering from the last, but this production is going to be super popular with kids and you’re not going to want to miss out. Since Netflix dropped the movie adaptation of Matilda The Musical in 2022, the live show’s popularity has skyrocketed and, judging by the creative team behind it, this locally-grown production is bound to be excellent. Produced by North Shore Music Theatre, The Amici Trust and Encore Theatre Collective with G & T Productions, there’s an exceptionally talented cast of Aotearoa’s very own revolting children and some pretty spectacular adults too. It opens in the last week of September and term three and runs throughout the school holiday period. Featuring Tim Minchin’s outstanding soundtrack and full of high-energy dance routines, Matilda The Musical is the definition of a show the whole whānau can enjoy.
When: September 25 - October 13.
Where: Bruce Mason Centre, The Promenade, Takapuna, Auckland.
Price: Tickets start at $72.60 + booking fees for adults, $42.60 + booking fees for children, from ticketmaster.co.nz
Debut dishes include an halal pepperoni pizza, raw ramen, honey toast - and four pies.