What’s on in Auckland this weekend: Music Month, RBG play, sleep week and more

Australian actor Heather Mitchell in the Sydney Theatre Company's RBG: Of Many, One. Photo / Prudence Upton

Music is still top of mind across the motu this weekend, with New Zealand Music Month – Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa rolling out in full force. Auckland’s glowing Lightpath will be the scene of a nightly dance-off to jump into if that’s your vibe, while Karangahape Rd’s always-popular monthly market FAM is back with live music, DJs and performances popping up across Beresford Square, Pitt St and beyond. But whether you’re in the mood to move or not, there’s always plenty going on, so read on for a selection of what’s happening in Tāmaki Makaurau this coming weekend.

1) Dance the light away

Dance Your Sillies Out is a free dance event. Photo / Movement Producer/Co-Choreographer Katharine Atafu-Mayo

You’re invited to cut some shapes along Auckland’s famous ribbon of light this May as Sounds of Tāmaki Makaurau meets the 10th anniversary of Te Ara I Whiti – The Lightpath.

Called Dance Your Sillies Out, the free dance event kicks off this evening at 6pm, when two dancers will lead groups from either end of the path, teaching moves inspired by moana-nui dance storytelling. Promising simple choreography, a great soundtrack and pulsing coloured lights, all are encouraged to dance to the beat of the electronic soundtrack on launch night or in fact any other night, until May 30.

2) Up close and personal with the notorious RGB

After triumphant, sold-out tours across Australia, the smash-hit Sydney Theatre Company production RBG: Of Many, One will touch down in Tāmaki Makaurau at the ASB Waterfront Theatre this Thursday, for a limited run. Australian actor Heather Mitchell will reprise her award-winning, tour de force performance as Ruth Bader Ginsburg – the fierce, funny and fearless woman who redefined the American legal landscape and became an icon of equality and reproductive rights. Alone on the stage, Mitchell plays Ginsburg from ages 13 to 97, from Brooklyn teenager to her appointment as the second woman ever to sit on the United States Supreme Court, serving through the Clinton, Obama and Trump eras. Promising to be a powerhouse performance, it’s a look into the private and public moments that helped shape an icon.

3) Take a moment to breathe easy

Take a Breath Sleep Week might just be the reset you’ve been waiting for.

If you’re lying awake at 2am staring at the ceiling, the culprit might be closer than you think – it’s probably the way you breathe. Take a Breath Sleep Week kicks off nationwide on May 25, and it might just be the reset you’ve been waiting for. The premise is simple: most of us have never been taught to breathe properly, and it’s quietly wrecking our sleep. The numbers back it up; 76% of people in a 2021 study improved their sleep just by changing one thing: their breathing pattern. Not a new mattress. Not melatonin. Just breath.

The free Seven-Day Sleep Challenge in the Take a Breath App walks you through the science and the simple tools to shift those habits, with a National Sleep Experiment running across the week so you can track real, measurable results for yourself.

Join Take a Breath Sleep Week via the free app. More at TakeABreath.world.

4) A sketch legend touches down

Kevin McDonald is coming to New Zealand for the first time.

Kevin McDonald, the co-founder of the Canadian sketch troupe Kids In the Hall, is coming to New Zealand for the first time, hitting the stage this evening at Tāmaki Makaurau improv home The Covert Theatre. Also known for his roles in the likes of Seinfeld and Arrested Development and as the voice of Puss in Boots in Shrek 2 Retold, McDonald is performing and also teaching while he’s in town, with a workshop on offer this afternoon alongside the aforementioned show tonight with New Zealand’s own The Improv Bandits. If you’re keen to learn from one of the best or see the sketch maestro put through his improv paces, this is an opportunity not to be missed.

5) A right royal upbringing

The Queen’s Nanny is a deeply affecting comedy-drama. Photo / John McDermott

On now at the PumpHouse Theatre in Takapuna, The Queen’s Nanny is a deeply affecting comedy-drama starring some of Aotearoa’s most-loved acting talents. Directed by Simon Prast and with Anna Julienne, Laura Hill and Jack Buchanan in starring roles, it brings to life the extraordinary true story of Marion Crawford, the governess who raised the young Princesses Elizabeth (destined to become Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret, and the firestorm that followed when she published her memoir. A look into the personal and institutional pressures of palace life, the play questions who is allowed to tell the stories of the powerful – giving voice to the women whose lives were devoted to raising them and the great personal cost of telling the truth.

6) Delve into an artist’s archive

Jody Hope Gibbons' Vintage is a deeply personal new solo exhibition at Turua Gallery.

New Zealand artist Jody Hope Gibbons has unveiled a deeply personal new solo exhibition at Turua Gallery in St Heliers, simply called Vintage. The show offers a rare opportunity to step inside the artist’s own archive, being composed of a curated collection of works she has held on to for years, many of which have lived only in her home and studio. Spanning decades of her practice, the exhibition traces the evolution of her signature style with another element of layered storytelling behind it. Alongside the artworks, Gibbons’ personal vintage collection – including rugs, chairs and found objects – will be incorporated into the gallery space, offering insight into the textures, colours and history that inspire her work.

7) FAM is back, and bigger than ever

FAM is returning with a special Music Month edition. Photo / France Hemon

FAM returns to Karangahape Rd today, with a special Music Month edition that sees the much-loved monthly market expand its footprint like never before. Rolling out from 10am to 2pm will be a raft of fun activities and chances to buy and support local, as organisers bring together local makers, street food, vintage finds and creative energy, activating the precinct and inviting people to spend time on one of Auckland’s most vibrant streets. In line with New Zealand Music Month – Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa, today’s programme leans into sound, with live music, DJs and performances popping up across Beresford Square, Pitt St and beyond. And for the first time, FAM expands into Hopetoun Alpha Courtyard, introducing a dedicated food truck zone to further fuel fun on the strip.

8) Going live at Motat

Motat promises to be a sizzling day of hands-on fun and discovery this Sunday. Photo / Connor Crawford

This Sunday sees LIVE Day: Steam rolling out across family favourite Motat from 10am to 4pm, with the raw power of steam energy taking centre stage. It promises to be a sizzling day of hands-on fun and discovery, where you can learn how steam can power a train – and naturally, jump aboard for a ride – and visit the historic Pumphouse to see the awe-inspiring beam engine from 1877. One of the most advanced of its kind anywhere in the world, it supplied clean water from Te Wai Orea Western Springs to the residents of Auckland for more than 30 years, before the Waitākere Reservoir arrived on the scene in 1907.

The Print Shop and the Forge will also be in action, and there’ll be live entertainment, food and beverages plus endless activities – a little something for everyone.

Coming up

• FIVE, May 25, Trusts Arena, Auckland
• The French Film Festival, May 27-June 28, nationwide
• Cate Le Bon, June 5, Powerstation, Auckland
• Lōemis Festival, June 9-21, across Wellington
• Heathers: the Musical, June 10-14, The Civic, Auckland
• The Marriage of Figaro, June 17,19 and 21, St. James Theatre, Wellington
• Auckland Live Cabaret Festival, June 24 – July 5, The Civic, Auckland
• Doc Edge Festival 2026, June 24 – July 26, nationwide
• The Veils Fragile World Tour, June 25- July 11, nationwide
• Gil Shaham Plays Beethoven with the Auckland Philharmonia, June 27, Auckland Town Hall
• The Auckland Opera Studio 2026 Gala, June 28, Auckland Town Hall, Auckland
• Englebert Humperdinck: The Celebration Tour, June 26-30, nationwide
• Matariki: Waiata Anthems in Concert, July 9, Auckland Town Hall
• Postmodern Jukebox, July 11, Wellington Opera House
• Exploding Rainbow Orchestra’s The Jukebox of Joy, July 12, Aotea Centre, Auckland
• Dog Man: The Musical, July 14-18, Bruce Mason Theatre, Auckland
• The Harlem Globetrotters 100 Year Tour, July 14-19, nationwide
• Amanda Nguyen Live, July 21, Bruce Mason Centre, Auckland
• Sheku Plays Elgar with the Auckland Philharmonia, August 13, Auckland Town Hall
• Jason Derulo Last Dance World Tour, September 27, Spark Arena, Auckland
• The Wiggles Live In Concert Tour, October 10-14, nationwide

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