What’s on in Auckland this weekend: EcoFest, Stem fair, World of Cultures festival and more

Inside the Garden & Beyond features works by Auckland artist and tutor Verity Kindleysides. Photo / Verity Kindleysides, Takarunga Jewel Garden, Oil on board, 680mm x 1000mm

The days might be growing colder, but the events calendar is still running hot all over Tāmaki Makaurau and beyond. From setting sail with your teddy to digging through old vinyl and rubbing shoulders with the stars at the Hunt for the Wilderpeople’s tenth birthday celebrations, there is more than enough to keep the whole whānau booked and busy over the next few days, and a plethora of dates coming up to add to your diary as autumn rolls on. Here are our top picks for things to do in Auckland this weekend, and a skux as celebration to plan for on Tuesday.

1) All-species singalong

Catch Tunes 4 Tamariki: The Fantabulous Animal Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia’s interactive children’s concert. Photo / Sav Schulman

Herd your cubs, pups and tadpoles to Takapuna’s Bruce Mason Theatre today for Tunes 4 Tamariki: The Fantabulous Animal Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia’s latest interactive children’s concert. The tot-friendly, one-hour concert is an animal-themed music extravaganza featuring a cute Kiwi children’s storybook brought to life on stage though music, art and storytelling, alongside a zoo-full of singalong tunes. Presented by children’s entertainer Kath Bee, the concert also introduces children to the instruments of the orchestra and environmental themes around the importance of biodiversity, and you can even get among the free pre-concert activities like facepainting, arts and crafts, and an instrument show and tell.

Perfect for ages 6 and under and with sessions at 10am and 11.30am, tickets are $15 from aucklandphil.nz. If you miss out, the wild and wonderful musical adventure is also making its way to Auckland Town Hall on April 12.

2) Fun at the fair

Motat's Stem fair is back and bigger than ever. Photo / Connor Crawford

Motat’s much-loved  Stem Fair is back this weekend – and bigger than ever. The two-day event celebrates the exciting world of science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) in Aotearoa, inspiring curious minds of all ages through hands-on discovery and playful learning. Held in Te Puawānanga, Motat’s science and technology centre from 10am to 4pm, the fair brings together Stem organisations, researchers and educators for a weekend packed with interactive demonstrations and activities. From building bridges with civil engineers to learning how to save shellfish with inspiring marine scientists, it’s the perfect place for tamariki to get stuck in, whether they dream of being a doctor, engineer, game designer, or something entirely new.

Motat's Stem Fair marine science activities. Photo / Connor Crawford

Offering a fun, classroom-free environment to explore future careers and see just how exciting Stem can be, entry is included with general admission.

3) Devonport delight

Head to Devonport village’s community creative hub, Depot, this weekend to see a new exhibition by West Auckland artist and tutor Verity Kindleysides. Titled Inside the Garden & Beyond, the exhibition places the seaside suburb’s natural wonders front and centre, exploring the three-maunga chain of the Devonport peninsula linked by jewel-like gardens. A homage to acclaimed New Zealand artist Pat Hanly’s early-1970s Inside the Garden series, the exhibition is a lovely way to explore Kindleysides’ unique style, which was honed over the years at Auckland’s Elam School of Fine Arts, the Slade School of Fine Art and the Royal Drawing School in London. The exhibition is free, and open until April 26.

4) Ten years in the wild

Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople is returning to cinemas nationwide.

Skux as! Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople is returning to cinemas nationwide over Easter to mark the 10th anniversary of its original release, with some special anniversary screenings taking place this Tuesday, March 31. Held at local cinemas across Aotearoa, they will be communal experiences featuring appearances by stars from the 2016 homegrown hit and more, with the film being shown in a 4K version and maximum audience enthusiasm encouraged. A range of creative collaborations have also been launched to mark the anniversary, like NZ Post’s series of stamps featuring images from the film, a release of the official soundtrack on vinyl for the first time by Impressed Recordings and Garage Project’s  limited edition Majestical Lager, which will be available at cinemas and retailers across the country. Fans can purchase tickets to screenings on March 31st at huntforthewilderpeople.com.

5) Get your Ted on Ted

The New Zealand Maritime Museum is inviting everyone to sail on the heritage vessel, Ted Ashby. Photo / Courtesy New Zealand Maritime Museum

Teds on Ted. Photo / Courtesy New Zealand Maritime Museum

Are you and the little ones looking for an across-the-sea Ted-venture? Well, New Zealand Maritime Museum is here to grant your wishes this Saturday, inviting all to grab their teddy bears and bring them along for a sailing on heritage vessel, Ted Ashby. Pack a picnic and gather the whole whānau for a delightful adventure with teddies in tow on the beautiful Waitematā, with each picnicker enjoying fun snacks and leaving with a special Polaroid keepsake of them and their cuddly companion. With three sailings at 10.30am, 11.30am and 1.30pm, there are multiple opportunities to jump on board. Tickets from $20 per person are available online.

6) One place, endless experiences

Cultures converge like nowhere else in Aotearoa at World of Cultures festival.

Auckland Council's CultureFest 2026.

It’s the second weekend of Auckland Council’s annual World of Cultures festival, an action-packed events series taking place all over the city until April 5. A celebration of the many cultures that co-exist in Tāmaki Makaurau, CultureFest pops up this Sunday at Mt Roskill War Memorial Park, promising a fun-filled day the whole family will enjoy. On site will be more than 100 stalls offering arts and crafts, fair trade goods and culinary wonders from all over the globe, and there will also be performances throughout the day that draw on traditions from Bangladesh to Niue, Bulgaria and beyond. If you can’t make it on the day, visit worldofcultures.co.nz for the full schedule of events at various locations around Tāmaki Makaurau, where cultures converge like nowhere else in Aotearoa.

7) Hīkoi by the sea

Part of EcoFest 2026, head to Harbourview-Ōrangihina in West Auckland this Sunday for Hīkoi Series: Taihua, a hands-on interactive exploration to discover what benthic invertebrate species live in the intertidal zone at Te Atatū Peninsula. You’ll join a team collecting valuable data on the biodiversity, distribution, and abundance of seashore species across time and space, and there will also be fascinating conversations about the connectivity of this space to the wai/water that flows from the upper catchment and how this might be impacting what we see now and in the future. The event is happening from 11am to 1pm and is free to attend. Be sure to bring along gumboots or other footwear you are happy to get muddy, a sunhat, drink bottle, and raincoat just in case!

Registration is open now.

8) Pretty flash

Fancy yourself as a bit of a bedroom DJ or a pro looking to add to their crate? Head along to the Flash Record Market at Ponsonby Social Club this afternoon from 2pm to 5pm and you just might find your next favourite banger. Presented by Tāmaki-based online vinyl retailers Dusty Crates and Stack Records, Flash Record Market promises to be a fun afternoon of digging, connecting, and discovering records, with a curated selection from local vinyl vendors offering both new and second-hand gems up for grabs. Free to attend, there will also be rotating DJs on the decks keeping the soundtrack flowing throughout the afternoon, and plenty of ways to keep the party going at Ponsonby Social Club as the evening rolls on.

Coming up

• Cambridge Autumn Festival: March 20-29, Cambridge.
• World of Cultures: March 21-April 5, Auckland.
• Dreamer Light Festival: April 3-12, NZICC, Auckland.
• Deva Mahal New Zealand tour, April 3-May 2 nationwide.
• Helen Clark in Six Outfits: April 7-26, ASB Waterfront Theatre, Auckland.
• K-Pop Live: April 7-18, nationwide.
• Milli: April 7-11, Basement Theatre, Auckland.
• & Juliet: April 9-May 3, The Civic, Auckland.
• Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge, April 9–May 3, Q Theatre, Rangatira, Auckland.
• Auckland Phil’s Six-thirty Session, Tchaikovsky 4: April 9, Auckland Town Hall.
• Darklight, The Hidden World: April 9-18, Aotea Centre, Auckland.
• NZSO Resonance featuring Jörgen van Rijen: April 10, Auckland Town Hall.
• Ultra Festival, April 10, Wellington Waterfront
• Finding Cynthia: April 10 - 11, Artworks Theatre, Waiheke Island.
• Jimmy Barnes, Working Class Man: April 19, Spark Arena, Auckland.
• The Graduate Choir NZ Recital for Pope Francis: April 21, St Michael’s Catholic Church, Remuera
• Split Enz, Forever Enz Tour: May 6, Wellington and May 9, Auckland.

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