What to do in Auckland this weekend: Art contests, baby shows and family fun

Motat's theme for tomorrow’s Live Day is flying.

Some weekends are for doing and some weekends are for planning, and whichever one you’re having, our list of the top things to do in Auckland has got you covered. Tāmaki Makaurau is abundant with arts and culture this August weekend and next week as well. From live theatre to art to babies and bugs, there’s a plethora of exciting events and activities to keep you inspired, educated and entertained.

1) Secondary school art awards

Enter The Arts House Trust Secondary School Art Awards before the weekend is over. Photo / Audrey Goggin, Stitching Together Memories

If there’s a high school student in your orbit with a talent for art, get on the blower and tell them to enter The Arts House Trust Secondary School Art Awards before the weekend is over. Open to Year 11-13 students, it’s a nationwide contest that has $2350 in prize money to be awarded across four prizes. This year’s judge, with the curatorial team from The Arts House Trust, is acclaimed contemporary Māori artist Brett Graham (Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, Tainui). Entries close tomorrow night, and the selected finalists will have their artworks publicly exhibited at Pah Homestead, with winners announced at the opening event on September 11. Young artists need to upload one or two photographs of the piece they’re submitting by 11.59pm tomorrow to be considered for the prize.

When: Entries close August 17, 11.59pm. Opening event September 11, 3.30-5pm. Finalists’ exhibition September 11-October 19.

Where: The Arts House Trust Pah Homestead, 72 Hillsborough Rd, Hillsborough, Auckland. Visit artshousetrust.co.nz to submit your entry.

2) The Baby Show

The Baby Show, at the Auckland Showgrounds, features all the latest in baby paraphernalia with expert advice and light entertainment. Photo / XPO Events

Anyone with a bun in their oven, a freshly baked bundle of joy or a tasty toddler should flock to the Auckland Showgrounds this weekend for The Baby Show. Now in its 32nd year, the event features all the latest in baby paraphernalia, with expert advice and light entertainment. This year, there’s a baby sensory zone and an entertainment stage to keep the little attendees happy, a pram-testing track for the grown-ups, as well as the Birthcare Learning Lounge with free seminars on a range of topics like first aid, sleep challenges, pelvic health and c-sections. Perhaps the biggest drawcard of all is the baby starter prize pack that one lucky visitor will take home, valued at over $10,000.

When: Today 9am-4pm and tomorrow 10am-4pm.

Where: Auckland Showgrounds, 217 Green Lane West, Epsom, Auckland.

Price: Tickets $10 from babyshow.co.nz or on the gate (children under 16 free).

3) Motat’s live day of flying, plus tram talk

Tomorrow is the third Sunday of the month, which means the Museum of Transport and Technology (Motat) is going live. The theme for tomorrow’s Live Day is flying. Start your visit at The Aviation Hall on Motions Rd, where you can get a behind-the-scenes look at the aviation collection, take a guided tour, see giant flying boats, and get hands-on with arts, crafts and other fun activities. Plus, don’t miss the internationally lauded immersive digital experience Te Kōtiu, stories from the sky. Then take a tram down to the main site where the Pumphouse will be open, with live entertainment and backyard games. It’s the perfect way to keep curious minds entertained this weekend. There’s a little something extra for tram enthusiasts next week: get yourselves tickets to see James Duncan, Motat’s tramway project manager, give a talk about Auckland’s electric tram network on Thursday night.

When: Tomorrow, 10am-4pm.

Where: Motat, 800 Great North Rd & Motions Rd, Western Springs, Auckland.

Price: Usual Motat entry fees apply. Visit motat.nz for tickets to Always a Tram in Sight with James Duncan, $25.

4) Bret McKenzie’s family concert with the NZSO

Introduce a new generation to the wit and whimsy of Bret McKenzie and the wonder of classical music.

Fans of Flight of the Conchords have the opportunity to introduce a new generation to the wit and whimsy of Oscar-winner Bret McKenzie and the wonder of classical music this weekend when he hosts a family concert with the NZSO. Creepy-Crawly Carnival: Saint-Saëns & Roussel celebrates wild animals and creepy crawlies through a charming and slightly silly performance of Roussel’s The Spider’s Feast. Then McKenzie will narrate Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals. Arrive early and enjoy face painting, a bouncy castle, a photo booth and colouring in. Can’t make it tomorrow? Head to the Town Hall today for Open Doors: a day of free concerts and events.

When: Tomorrow, 2pm.

Where: Auckland Town Hall, Auckland Central.

Price: Tickets $12-$35 from aucklandlive.co.nz. Visit nzso.co.nz for info on Open Doors and tonight’s Schumann & Vaughan Williams concert.

5) New Xhuba Gallery will transport you to Mexico

Xhuba Gallery is a unique new space that’s currently exhibiting a collection of Mexican art.

For a weekend art adventure, consider some city gallery-hopping, starting at the newly opened Xhuba Gallery on High St. It’s a unique new space that’s currently exhibiting a collection of Mexican art. The gallery’s opening exhibition, Raiz, features sculptures by award-winning artist Maria Bayardo, alebrijes – Mexican folk art made of wood or papier-mâché, depicting fantastical creatures – and jewellery. Hop on a train into the CBD this weekend and take a self-guided tour of the city’s galleries – for a brief moment, you might just think you’ve stepped off the streets of Mexico City, not Tāmaki Makaurau.

When: Open Tuesdays to Sundays.

Where: 5 High St, Auckland Central.

6) National Poetry Day events

More than 110 poetry events were to pop up all over the country on Friday.

Friday, August 22, is Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day, which means more than 110 poetry events are popping up all over the country. In Tāmaki Makaurau, poetic events aren’t limited to Friday – there are readings from AUT creative writing staff on campus on Monday, a Poetry Live event in Ponsonby on Tuesday, a Grey Lynn Poetry and Pizza Night on Thursday, as well as events at TimeOut Books, The Open Book, Dear Reader and lots more. Whether you’re a budding writer, voracious reader, or anywhere in between, take a moment to see the poetry all around you next week, both figuratively and literally.

When: August 22.

Where: Various locations nationwide. Visit nzbookawards.nz for the full schedule of events.

7) Win big with Decadunce

Decadunce comes to the Basement Theatre next week.

Decadunce, the third instalment in Marshall Lorenzo’s Baby Gorgeous trilogy, comes to the Basement Theatre next week, and buying a ticket could get you a $2000 decadent night out on K Rd, including a night for two in a swanky hotel, among other splendours. Following in North American sketch traditions, having graduated from the Second City Conservatory, Lorenzo’s comedy shows have garnered him much recognition, including the NZ Fringe 2025 International Exchange Award. A former Drag Race Canada contestant, Lorenzo takes on capitalism with Decadunce, exploring themes of “fraud, excess and stupidity,” while keeping the audience in stitches.

When: August 21-23, 6.30pm.

Where: The Basement Studio, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland Central.

Price: Tickets $17-$30 + booking fees from basementtheatre.co.nz

8) The 53rd Victim by Pip Hall opens in Titirangi

The 53rd Victim by Pip Hall opens at Titirangi Theatre on Tuesday.

Marion Prebble takes on the role of Rachel Brooke-Taylor.

On Tuesday night, The 53rd Victim by Pip Hall opens at Titirangi Theatre. Based on real-life events that happened after the 2005 London bombings, the play explores the story of a New Zealand woman who claimed to be a doctor who helped the wounded on the bombed double-decker bus in Tavistock Square. Hailed as a hero, in the days following it was revealed that the woman – dubbed Rachel Brooke-Taylor in the play – had only been posing as a doctor, and may instead have had a personality disorder. Two weeks after the bombings, she was found dead in her flat. It’s a fascinating story and Pip Hall’s dramatisation is widely acclaimed. Marion Prebble takes on the role of Brooke-Taylor, directed by Catherine Falstie Jensen. It’s worth a trip out west.

When: August 19-30.

Where: Titirangi Theatre, Lopdell Precinct, 418 Titirangi Rd, Titirangi.

Price: Tickets $15-$35 from titirangitheatre.co.nz

Coming up

• MARY: The Birth of Frankenstein: August 19-September 7, ASB Waterfront Theatre, Auckland.
• The Space Between: Science and Fiction With Dr. Gina Cole: August 21, Stardome, Auckland.
• Auckland Philharmonia’s Wallace & Gromit in Concert: August 23, Aotea Centre, Auckland.
• NZTrio & Manukau Symphony, Beethoven’s Pastorale & Triple Concerto: August 24, Due Drop Events Centre, Manukau.
• University of Auckland’s Raising the Bar: August 26, Auckland.
• E Ngaro Ana Koe?: August 26-30, Basement Theatre, Auckland.
• New Zealand Herald Premier Series, Love Stories (Auckland Phil): August 28, Auckland Town Hall.
• DARKLIGHT: The Edge of Light: September 2-4, Okahu Bay, Auckland.
• Roadkill, The Uber-Cool Musical: September 3-6 and 24-27, Basement Theatre, Auckland.
• Mother Play: September 4-20, Q Theatre, Auckland.
• Light + Shade, photojournalism exhibition: September 5-14, Auckland.
• NZ Opera’s The Monster in the Maze: September 5-20, Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland.
• Kōanga Festival: September 12-21, Te Pou Theatre, Auckland.
• We The Young (youth arts festival): September 16-28, Auckland.
• The World of WearableArt (WOW): September 18-October 5, TSB Arena, Wellington.
• Art in the Park: September 18-21, Eden Park, Auckland.
• Bach Musica NZ’s World Premieres & Bach: September 21, Auckland Town Hall.
• Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live: October 4, Eden Park, Auckland.
• Faulty Towers The Dining Experience: October 8-26, Christchurch, Wellington, Whanganui, New Plymouth, Rotorua, Tauranga, Auckland.
• The NZ Highwaymen tour: October 15-19, Tauranga, Putaruru, Auckland, Whangarei, Orewa.
• Nelson Arts Festival: October 23-November 2, Nelson.
• Bill Bailey – Vaudevillean: nationwide tour from October 29-November 23.
• Eddie Izzard - The Remix Tour Live: November 21-26, Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland.
• H.R. The Musical #2: November 25-December 6, Q Theatre, 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 7-28 January, 2026.
• Murder on the Orient Express [return season]: February 7-15, 2026, ASB Waterfront Theatre, Auckland.
• Splore 2026: February 20-22, Tāpapapakanga Regional Park, Auckland.
• Mānuka Phuel Synthony Festival: March 21, Auckland Domain.
• The Rocky Horror Show (West End touring cast): February 26-March 8, The Civic, Auckland.

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