MOTAT's new science and technology centre, Te Puawānanga, is opening this weekend. Photo / MOTAT
Wondering what’s happening around Auckland this weekend? Luckily, our weekend guide has got you covered.
If you’re not escaping the city for the regions, you might be thinking about how you want to spend the last weekend of autumn at home before winter really sets in. Don’t worry though;
If you’re looking for a cultural experience, head down to Wynyard Quarter this Saturday, where the African Communities Forum Inc (ACOFI) is celebrating Africa Day with music, food, fashion and more for Auckland’s African community (and the wider community) to enjoy.
Or, if you’ve been holding off on renovation plans, now might be the perfect weekend to explore ways to improve your humble abode with the Auckland Home & Garden Show taking place at Eden Park from Friday to Sunday.
Whatever mood you’re in, and however much time you have, there’s something for everyone to do in Auckland this weekend - read on to find the perfect fit for you.
It’s a big weekend at MOTAT this weekend with the grand opening of their brand new immersive science and technology centre, Te Puawānanga. The new centre has an energy machine in which visitors can use teamwork to trigger a cannon, there’s an upright rainbow you can step inside or create giant pattern projections. For the littlest explorers, there’s an under 5s play space - Te Tumu - where they can climb and crawl around Tane Mahuta, a waka on the puna, a puriri tree nest and more. The weekend has loads of extra attractions to celebrate the opening including robotics-themed workshops, a roaming robot, face painting, story sessions, live music, food trucks, games and other science and tech themed good times.
When: May 25 & 26, 10am-4pm.
Where: MOTAT, 805 Great North Rd and 98 Motions Rd, Western Springs, Auckland.
Price: Usual MOTAT entry fees apply.
If you want to know where the party is this weekend, it’s Wynyard Quarter where the African Communities Forum Inc (ACOFI) is celebrating Africa Day. There’ll be live music performances, dance, market stalls, art, a fashion show, delicious food and you’ll probably also encounter an irresistible urge to groove to the joyous drum beats. The African community in Aotearoa continues to grow each year and Africa Day is a way for that community to get together and share their many unique national cultures with each other and the wider community of Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s a great day out in the city for the whole whānau.
When: May 25, 10am-6pm.
Where: Wynyard Quarter (behind Silo Park), Auckland Central.
Price: Free.
Even if the recession has put a temporary hold on your home and garden renovation plans, one can always dream. All the inspiration you could ever need to turn your home into your castle is at the Auckland Home & Garden Show at Eden Park this weekend. Along with loads of exhibitors displaying all the latest in home and lifestyle products and innovations, there are “Ask an Expert” sessions, giveaways and prizes, activities to keep the kids occupied, food and beverages and lots more.
When: May 24-26, 10am-5pm (4pm on Sunday).
Where: Eden Park, Reimers Ave, Kingsland, Auckland.
Price: Tickets start at $2.50 from eventbrite.co.nz or homeandgardenshow.co.nz
The Ka Mua Ka Muri series of web videos has been playing regularly on the big screen in Aotea Square this NZ Music Month and this weekend you can catch some of those talented local artists doing their thing live at Kāhui St David’s Church. Ka Mua Ka Muri, which loosely translates as “walk backwards into the future,” is a collection of videos of music performances and interviews by some of Auckland’s underground musicians and songwriters. Performing on Saturday night you can see En Passant and Juga, jazz singer Crystal Chen, hip hop artist Brandn Shiraz and RnB singer Sam V. This is your chance to see what’s happening on the fringes of the Auckland music scene and catch some of Aotearoa’s up and coming talents live and completely free.
When: May 25, 7pm-9.30pm.
Where: Kāhui St David’s Church, 70 Khyber Pass Road, Auckland Central.
Price: Free.
For some transcendent choral music with a side of poetry, get yourself tickets to see Voices NZ’s Horizons this weekend. The concert is being held at St-Matthew-in-the-City, a more magical venue to experience choral music in Auckland doesn’t exist. This is not your typical choral concert however, directed by Jacqui Coats and featuring actor Nathaniel Lees as the narrator, attendees are able to sit, stand or even wander through the set as Lees and the choir tell a moving story about migration and the myriad and complex emotions that define the migrant experience. Included in Horizons is the world-premiere of Huwiyati Muhajer/Citizens of Horizons by Palestinian Jordanian composer Shireen Abu-Khader, along with pieces by Ériks Ešenvalds, Bob Chilcott, Antonín Dvořák, Rosa Elliott and the exciting talent of a 24-year-old local composer-to-watch, Takerei Komene.
When: May 25, 7.30pm and May 26, 4pm.
Where: St-Matthew-in-the-City, 132 Hobson Street, Auckland Central.
Price: Tickets $25-$55 from voicesnz.com
Here’s one for the music nerds and we mean that in the kindest possible way: The NZ Music Month Summit is a free day of panel discussions by music industry insiders focused around the theme of Amplifying Aotearoa. It’s your opportunity to get insights into the industry, particularly for musicians or anyone wanting a career in music whether young or old. It’s being held at the Tuning Fork and includes discussions on topics like ways to make your music stand out as an artist, the rise of waiata reo Māori, the role of music videos in getting your music seen and heard, and more. The day concludes with a casual mixer where you’ll get the chance to rub shoulders with fellow musos/attendees and some of the panellists as well.
May 25, 10.45am - 4.30pm. The Tuning Fork, 42/80 Mahuhu Crescent, Parnell, Auckland. Limited tickets available from moshtix.co.nz FREE
Weekend markets can be a little sparse over the colder months but this Sunday the Orewa Artisan Market is braving the unpredictable autumnal weather and popping up for your weekend morning amusement. This little monthly market inside and outside the Orewa Community Centre has a range of artisanal products from local producers and creatives. You could pick up a unique gift and have a chat with the maker while you’re at it, the best way to shop. Just across the road from Orewa beach, pair the market with an oceanside stroll and you’ve got yourself a rather idyllic Sunday morning outing.
When: May 26, 9am-1pm.
Where: Orewa Community Centre, 368 Hibiscus Coast Highway, Orewa.
Price: Free.
If you want to feel sophisticated and complex, you could take up smoking, drinking black coffee and eating croissants like a French existentialist, or you could not destroy your body and just attend the French Film Festival Aotearoa. It opens on Wednesday at The Bridgeway and Rialto Newmarket with screenings of The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan, which are close to sold out however the festival continues until June 19 in Auckland and longer throughout the country so there’s time for you to gather your cultured friends and enjoy the cinema of France. In truth, not all French cinema is high art, there’s a full range of comedies, thrillers, biopics, dramas and family-friendly films on the programme so the festival truly is for all movie fans as long as they can read English or understand French. Take some time to peruse the programme this weekend, preferably with a french pastry in hand, and you’ll almost certainly find something that piques your interest.
When: May 29 - June 19 (in Auckland and up to July 3 in other centres).
Where: The Bridgeway, Rialto Newmarket, The Capitol Cinema and The Lido Cinema, Auckland.
Price: Visit frenchfilmfestival.co.nz for the full schedule and to book tickets.
Next week NZ Opera is all silliness and sopranos with Rossini’s Le comte Ory. The operatic comedy about an ill-fated Count, played by tenor Manase Latu, who has his eyes firmly set on wooing the Countess Adele (Emma Pearson), is equal parts ridiculous hijinx and stunning vocal performance. The local and international cast performing alongside Latu and Pearson includes Hanna Hipp, Moses Mackay (Sol3 Mio), Wade Kernot, Andrea Creighton and Tayla Alexander. The Auckland shows will feature the Auckland Philharmonia, with Orchestra Wellington and Christchurch Symphony Orchestra accompanying the performances in their respective centres. NZ Opera has given Rossini’s classic a bit of Kiwi spin, albeit sung in French, and with the vibrant wardrobe and impressive set design, it’s bound to be a gloriously extravagant production.
May 30 and June 1. Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Tāmaki Makaurau. Tickets start at $25 from ticketmaster.co.nz Visit nzopera.com for information and tickets on the Wellington and Christchurch performances.
"Spot the difference" - artists clash over clasped hand sculptures.