What to do in Auckland this Labour weekend: Music, food and family fun

Actor-comedian Penny Ashton returns with The Tempestuous.

Keep your mind off work – whether you’ve got too much or too little – this Labour weekend with one of the many events happening around Auckland. We’ve collated our selection of the top arts, culture and good times taking place over the next three days from a fish and chip pop-up to live music and everything in between. Plus, there are a couple to put in your diary for the week ahead.

1) Long Weekend Top Spots

Lilliputt and The Country Club on Tāmaki Drive have reopened after a full redevelopment, complete with refurbished mini-golf courses, an all-day eatery and harbour views.

A few new or newish Auckland hotspots are on our long weekend to-do list, starting with Lilliputt and The Country Club on Tāmaki Drive. It has just finished a mammoth redevelopment and now has fully refurbished courses and an all-day eatery with harbour views and an outdoor playground. Meanwhile, on the other side of the bridge, Takapuna Beach Cafe has opened its summer fish and chip pop-up, which is open seven days a week and is the perfect spot for a long weekend beach dinner. Over on Waiheke, SOHO Family Vineyards opened its permanent cellar door yesterday. It sits on a sprawling grass lawn where wine enthusiasts can also chow down on Mexican street food by chef Joel Larson, known for his food truck Tacos y Masa, and play lawn games.

Lilliputt: Daily, 10am-late, 3 Tāmaki Drive, Parnell. Visit lilliputt.co.nz

Fish & Chip Shop: Daily, 3pm-8pm, Takapuna Beach Cafe, 22 The Promenade, Takapuna

SOHO Family Vineyards: Friday-Tuesday, 11am-5pm, 74 Onetangi Rd, Waiheke Island. sohowineco.com

2) Forever Blowing Bubbles

Motat’s Ngā Mirumiru Bubbles event is back this long weekend.

If you’ve got little ones to entertain this long weekend, there is no more joyful place to do it than at Motat’s Ngā Mirumiru Bubbles event. The museum’s been running these weekends for years now and it has got them down pat. There are live-action bubble shows, bubble displays, hands-on activities such as catching bubbles, painting with bubbles and getting inside giant bubbles. Plus, there is Motat’s usual excitement such as tram rides, food trucks and live entertainment.

When: Today, tomorrow and Monday, 10am-4pm

Where: Motat, Great North Rd, Western Springs

Price: Usual Motat entry fees apply

3) Milestone Celebration for Auckland Museum

After months of restoration, Auckland Museum has reopened its northern entrance and several beloved galleries.

After an unexpectedly challenging year for Auckland Museum, the northern entrance and galleries have reopened. To celebrate, the museum has a host of free events for Aucklanders throughout the long weekend. Among the much-missed galleries now open are Mataaho Volcanoes, WWI Hall of Memories and Te Ao Tūroa Māori Natural History. Today, tomorrow and Monday, Auckland visitors can get free guided museum tours, see Māori cultural performances, and participate in the Weekends of Wonder craft activity for children. The Great Kimberley Wilderness VR experience will also be free all weekend (subject to availability, book onsite only). Work is still being done on the Māori Court and Pacific Galleries but this is a significant milestone in the remediation process for the museum, well worth celebrating.

When: Today, tomorrow and Monday

Where: Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland Domain, Parnell

Price: Free for Aucklanders

4) Gin and Sizzle Season

Raise a glass for a cause at Pillars & Links, a Four Pillars Gin event at Nami Record Bar supporting KiwiPAL, a charity aiding children in Palestine. Enjoy gin, good company and a sausage sizzle by Grey Lynn Butcher.

Auckland has hinted at the arrival of summer this past week and a hint is all we need to signal the arrival of gin and barbecue season. Four Pillars Gin is hosting an event called Pillars & Links tomorrow at Nami Record Bar in Ponsonby to raise money for KiwiPAL, a charity supporting children in Palestine. Head along to Nami Record Bar tomorrow afternoon to welcome in the summer with a sly gin and a sausage sizzle from Grey Lynn Butcher and know you’re supporting a good cause while you’re at it.

When: Tomorrow, 2pm

Where: Nami Record Bar, 115A Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby

5) Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Bag

BirdCare Aotearoa is seeking donations to support its mission of rescuing and hand-feeding baby birds until they’re ready for release.

This one’s less an event and more a plea: BirdCare Aotearoa is inundated at this time of year with baby birds who’ve lost their parents and can’t survive alone. The staff hand-feed and nurture the baby birds through significant milestones until they can be returned to forest or sea. It’s an expensive operation to run – quite a bit more than tuppence a bag – and the charity has recently launched a Givealittle campaign to help keep the nursery on its feet and the birds in the air. If you can spare a few dollars to help protect and save our birdlife, please do.

When: On now

Where: Donate at givealittle.co.nz/cause/baby-bird-season-appeal

6) A Westy Music Festy

The Titirangi Festival of Music brings together West Auckland’s best musicians this weekend.

One of Auckland’s most artsy and alternative suburbs, with occasional hippy tendencies, will be vibing more than usual this weekend for the Titirangi Festival of Music. If you head to the village today there will be a full-day programme of free music, cultural and community performances, as well as ticketed concerts by Annie Crummer, with Arjuna Oakes; Albi & the Wolves; Blackstratblues; Taylor Griffin Septet; Na’amah; Renee & Raylee; Chelsea Prastiti; and Daughters Two. Tomorrow, at Avondale Memorial Park, there will be a free concert by a selection of West Auckland music talents including Thabani Gapara. Head west for music and good vibes this weekend.

When: Today and tomorrow

Where: Titirangi Village and Avondale Memorial Park

Price: Free and ticketed events. Visit titirangifestival.co.nz

Plan Ahead: Cinema from Old Blighty

The Intrepid British and Irish Film Festival returns on October 29.

One of the highlights of the Intrepid British and Irish Film Festival, which opens nationwide on October 29, is the New Zealand filmed biopic Moss & Freud, chronicling the relationship of model Kate Moss and artist Lucian Freud. It sits within a programme of 23 superb films, playing in 22 centres across the country, including The Choral starring Ralph Fiennes; Dead of Winter starring Emma Thompson; & Sons starring Bill Nighy; Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, and more. This might be your only opportunity to catch some of these films on the big screen so take a moment to pore over the programme this weekend and make a movie date or two.

When: October 29-November 19

Where: Various cinemas nationwide (Lido, Capitol, Bridgeway, Rialto, Monterey, Waiheke)

Price: Standard cinema pricing

Photo credit: Not required

IMAGE: Supplied by British Film Festival. Source contact The Public Good. Free for editorial use.

Plan Ahead: A Shakespearean Mash-Up

Actor-comedian Penny Ashton returns with The Tempestuous.

Actor and comedian Penny Ashton has a history of tinkering with classic literary works to create original and unique theatre pieces, and her most recent production carries that tradition on. The Tempestuous opens at TAPAC on Thursday, with an opening night fundraiser for Shine. It’s a musical comedy that gives Shakespeare’s texts new life and showcases the superb performance skill of Penny Ashton and her talents as a comedic writer. The show received rave reviews when Ashton performed it in 2023 and is on for four nights next week, after which Ashton will begin preparing for her December tour of Austen Found.

When: October 30-November 1

Where: TAPAC, 100 Motions Rd, Western Springs

Price: $25-$39.50 + booking fees, from tapac.org.nz

Plan Ahead: An Ode to Analogue

The Inaugural Analogue Aotearoa Festival will take place in Te Aroha and includes portraits by Adrian Cook of Tintype Central using the old glass plate collodian method of processing, such as one of Francesca above. Photo / Adrian Cook

Next weekend is the inaugural Analogue Aotearoa festival in Te Aroha. The first of its kind in New Zealand, the festival celebrates analogue photography and has a full programme of events including exhibitions, artist talks, workshops, swap meets, slide shows and more. Among the highlights of the weekend’s activities are cyanotype workshops, pinhole photography workshops, a Super 8 film showcase by Isabella Rose Young, and a wet plate portrait session with one of the festival directors, Adrian Cook of Tintype Central. With a week until the festival, you may struggle to find accommodation in Te Aroha but options abound in the surrounding town centres. May this be the first of many Analogue Aotearoa festivals.

When: November 1-2

Where: Te Aroha

Price: Varies by event. Visit analogueaotearoa.com for details

Coming up

Bill Bailey – Vaudevillean: nationwide tour from October 29-November 23.

Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo: October 30-November 9, Spark Arena, Auckland.

Dungeon of the Damned: October 31-November 2, Birkenhead, Auckland.

Auckland Festival of Quilts: October 31-November 2, Auckland Netball Centre.

Bach Musica NZ Singing Workshop: November 1, Somervell Presbyterian Church, Remuera.

The Trusts Halloween Spooktacular: November 1, New Lynn, Auckland.

Tofiga Fepulea’i, Shuuush Your Mouf: November 1-8, Hamilton, Auckland, Tauranga.

A Journey to See Exhibition: November 1-21, Lake House Arts, Takapuna.

The Dry House: November 4-15, Basement Theatre, Auckland.

Japanese Film Festival: November 6-9, Academy Cinemas, Auckland.

St Andrew’s Epsom Strawberry Fair: November 8, Epsom, Auckland.

Harry Enfield And No Chums: November 13 and 21, Auckland.

Kowhai Art & Craft Club Sale and Exhibition: November 7-9, Matakana Hall.

NZ Sculpture OnShore: November 7-23, Devonport, Auckland.

Parnell Festival of Roses: November 9, Parnell, Auckland.

All Together Now Choir, Mixtape for the Mission: November 9, Auckland Town Hall.

Auckland Rose Society Annual Show: November 15-16, Parnell, Auckland.

An Evening with Priscilla Presley, Life after Elvis: November 20, Bruce Mason Centre, Auckland.

Black Grace, If Ever There was a Time and Esplanade: November 21, The Civic, Auckland.

Eddie Izzard – The Remix Tour Live: November 21-26, Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland.

Po’ Boys and Oysters: November 22-29, Herald Theatre, Auckland.

H.R. The Musical #2: November 25-December 6, Q Theatre, Auckland.

Auckland Horticultural Council 24th Annual Flower Show: November 29, Western Springs.

92nd Farmers Santa Parade: November 30, Auckland.

Kirk Franklin, The World Tour: December 10-13, Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland.

Dynamotion & Q Theatre present A Christmas Crisis: December 10-20, Q Theatre, Auckland.

Oprah In Conversation: December 14, Spark Arena, Auckland.

The ASB Classic: January 5-17, Auckland.

Jimmy Carr – Laughs Funny Tour: Nationwide January 7-28, 2026.

Auckland Folk Festival: January 23-26, Auckland.

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