Darkfield is the kind of experience that will have you thinking and talking about it for weeks to come. Photo / Jack Rintoul
Darkfield is the kind of experience that will have you thinking and talking about it for weeks to come. Photo / Jack Rintoul
May continues to be awash with arts and cultural events that endeavour to entice you off your couch and out of your warm cosy whare. This weekend in Tāmaki Makaurau, there are art exhibitions and experiences aplenty; ways to indulge yourself and ways to do things for others; a chance to see the inner workings of NZ Opera, and more. Plus, if you haven’t already made plans to get to Auckland Writers’ Festival next week, now’s the time to do that. And while you’re at it, don’t forget the New Zealand International Comedy Festival and NZ Music Month are in full swing as well. Below is our curated selection of the best things to do in Auckland this weekend and beyond.
1) Darkfield
If you’ve wandered past or through Aotea Square this week, you may have noticed some rather large additions to the place: shipping containers. They’re here for Darkfield, an immersive audio experience that has travelled the world, including to major international festivals like the Venice Film Festival, BFI London, Tribeca and SXSW. There are two experiences: Seance and Flight, both somewhat chilling. The containers are pitch-black and visitors step inside either the Victorian seance room or the replica economy class cabin. From there, it’s a thrilling 20-25 minute 360-degree audio experience that makes you question what’s real, what’s not, and the precarity of your own mortality. It’s here for a month and is the kind of experience that will have you thinking and talking about it for weeks to come.
The Kindness Collective is running its PJ Project for the fifth year this winter.
This week’s weather probably had you pulling out your winter jammies, maybe even adding an extra layer to your bedding, but for many Kiwi kids, there are no winter jammies in the drawer or blankets in the cupboard, which is where you come in. The Kindness Collective is running its PJ Project for the fifth year this winter. Last year, with the help of community organisations, they successfully provided 25,000 pairs of winter PJs to children in need, and this year there is demand for almost 10,000 more. A simple $10 donation will buy a new pair of winter jim jams for a child going without. Or, if shopping is your love language, you can buy the pyjamas yourself and drop them into any of The Warehouse stores in the country. If you’ve got capacity to rally those around you, you could organise a collection at your workplace, school, sports club or wherever you find community.
3) In Focus - The Unseen Journey of Compassion, Commitment and Care
Mataira has documented the personal stories of patients and staff of WHT to shine a light on the importance of community-based healthcare. Photo / Rachel Mataira
A brave and moving photography exhibition opened this week on Waiheke Island. In Focus – The Unseen Journey of Compassion, Commitment and Care is a collaboration between photographer Rachel Mataira, Waiheke Health Trust and communications company NSPR. Mataira has documented the personal stories of patients and staff of WHT in order to shine a light on the importance of community-based healthcare and the incredible work Waiheke Health Trust does for the residents of the island. It has taken great courage by the subjects of the photographs to share their personal health stories so openly within such a small island community, which is one of the things that makes this exhibition so special. If you can make it over to Waiheke this month, head along to check it out.
When: May 8-June 1, 10am-3pm (or by appointment).
Where: Mataira Gallery, 16A Hamilton Rd, Surfdale, Waiheke Island.
4) Mother’s Day High Tea
There won’t be any soggy club sandwiches on this menu.
If you are only now taking a moment to think about your mother and wondering, frantically wondering, what you can get her for Mother’s Day, then you should immediately book the Mother’s Day High Tea in the Chandelier Lounge at the Cordis Hotel. There won’t be any soggy club sandwiches on this menu; this is high-end fare featuring gin-cured salmon on bagels, smoked lamb rump with baked swede, crab XO tacos, macadamia and caramel Paris-Brest, Earl Grey and date with orange mousse, bittersweet chocolate and coffee tart, cherry and almond tart, and lemon ginger scones. They’re serving the Mother’s Day High Tea on both Saturday and Sunday, and pro-tip: the Saturday seatings are significantly cheaper.
NZ Opera is giving the public a peek behind the curtain.
There’s nothing more dazzling and seemingly untouchable for most of us than opera but, this Saturday, NZ Opera is giving the public a peek behind the curtain. In the lead-up to their upcoming season of La Boheme, they’re holding an open day where you can go inside their Parnell studio and watch an open rehearsal with the director, conductor, pianist and mesmerisingly talented singers. You’ll also get to see the sets up close, the costumes being constructed, and a wig collection that rivals RuPaul’s. It’s a free event and everyone is welcome, including little ones.
When: May 10, 12pm-2.30pm.
Where: NZ Opera Studio, 5/69 St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell, Auckland. Visit nzopera.com for more info.
6) Our Backyard
Our Backyard is a great way to be reminded of the wonder that is the natural landscapes of Aotearoa.
One of several exhibitions to open this week is Our Backyard at Turua Gallery in St Heliers. The group show features the work of six landscape artists – Georgina Hoby Scutt, Josh Lancaster, Judith Milner, Kylie Rusk, Michelle McIver, and Sean Beldon – who have been inspired by the unique terrain of Aotearoa. Each artist has their own artistic style and particular personal connection to their chosen New Zealand landscape, which comes through in their paintings. It’s an excellent way to be reminded of the wonder that is the natural landscapes of Aotearoa, and if you visit in person, you can also enjoy one of Tāmaki Makaurau’s finest vistas by taking a meander along the St Heliers boardwalk while you’re there. The exhibit is also available to view and purchase online.
Where: Turua Gallery, 10A Turua St, Saint Heliers, Auckland. Visit turuagallery.co.nz to view the works online.
7) Mother’s Day Market Day
Reframe your procrastination as an ethical shopping choice by buying something unique, handcrafted and/or locally made for your mum.
For last-minute gifts and good weekend vibes, toddle on down to Ponsonby Rd where the General Collective and I Love Ponsonby are putting on a special Mother’s Day Market Day on Saturday. Running between Pember Reeves St and Franklin Rd, the market will have the General Collective’s signature curated selection of local designers and makers, along with lots of Ponsonby retailers, bringing the local businesses into the market festivities. You’ve probably left it too late to order something online for mum, so you might as well reframe your procrastination as an ethical shopping choice by buying something unique, handcrafted and/or locally made at the Mother’s Day Market Day.
When: May 10, 10am-2pm.
Where: Ponsonby Rd between Pember Reeves St and Franklin Rd, Ponsonby.
Share a Coke is back in supermarkets and popping up all over the country this month. Photo / Patrick Stevenson
Having things with your name on them is fun, but gifting things with your friends’ names or nicknames on them is even more fun. Share a Coke is Coca-Cola’s personalised can campaign, and it’s back in supermarkets and popping up all over the country this month. In stores, you can already find cans of Coke with just over 170 different names and nicknames on them. And, for those Olyvias and Josefs out there, or for anyone whose name isn’t on the list, there are going to be personalisation pop-ups where you can get whichever name or pet-name you’d like printed onto a can starting from Monday, May 12. They’re offering either Coca-Cola Classic or Coke Zero Sugar, and if you check the website, you’re almost guaranteed to find a pop-up near you over the next couple of months.
When: Available in store while stocks last. Visit coca-cola.com for the full schedule of pop-ups nationwide.
9) Plan ahead: Auckland Writers Festival
Reflect on the reading you’ve done and plan some good reads for your winter hibernation. Photo / Auckland Writers Festival
It’s that time of year when we have the opportunity to feel very literary and cerebral by attending the Auckland Writers Festival. In all seriousness, the festival kicks off on Tuesday and is full of amazing events that are very accessible for all readers, writers and thinkers. There’s a wide-ranging programme and an incredible lineup of international guests including Fiction Laureate Colm Tóibín; 2025 Booker Prize winner Samantha Harvey; British actress and author Dame Harriet Walter DBE; US novelist Rumaan Alam; author of One Day David Nicholls; Sir Ian Rankin; The New York Times diplomatic correspondent Edward Wong; and many, many more. For whānau, there’s a completely free programme of events called Pukapuka Adventures. The festival is a wonderful way to reflect on the reading you’ve done and plan some good reads for your winter hibernation.
When: May 13-18.
Where: Aotea Centre, Auckland Central. Visit writersfestival.co.nz for the full programme and tickets.
