Equifest will be back in Taupō this month.
● Outside In, theatre performance, now until October 4, at The Meteor Theatre, Hamilton
Wing Valley Productions’ play Outside In follows the story of seven women who navigate their lives and themselves inside prison, trying to manage how much the outside seeps in. As a new inmate arrives and another prepares to leave, the cracks appear in a dangerously thin veneer of order. Tickets online via The Meteor’s website.
● Waikato Home and Garden Show 2025, now until October 5, at Globox Arena, Hamilton
Find everything you need to renovate, build, decorate and landscape your home under one roof. There will be show-only deals, hundreds of exhibitors, live cooking demos, seminars and demonstrations. Tickets online at tickets.lup.co.nz/waikato-home-and-garden-show-2025.
● Love your Bike Day, October 4, 10am-12pm, at Innes Common, Hamilton
Bicycles, bicycles, you have to love your bicycles, as enthusiasts are invited to ride the new Western Rail Trail or Lake Domain Drive. There will also be face painting and scavenger hunts. Free event.
● Bunnings NPC: Waikato v Northland, rugby, October 4, 4.35pm at FMG Stadium Waikato
It’s the last chance to see Waikato on home turf before finals footy kicks off. Tickets online via mooloo.flicket.co.nz.
● Pedal4Prostate, endurance cycling fundraiser, October 11, 7am at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park
This 4-hour endurance cycling event over the 2.7km National Circuit is a fundraising event for the Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ. Complete as many laps as possible during the event - all bikes are fitted with transponders. Sign up online at fundraise.prostate.org.nz/event/pedal4prostate.
● Ironfist 19 - Boxing Extravaganza, October 11, 4pm at Great Lake Centre, 5 Story Place, Taupō
The event will be headlined by a Muay Thai tag team title fight at 68kg. Also, Taupō local Kyle Merewether will take on Herewaka Katipa in boxing. Tickets online via Eventfinda.
● CMNZ Series Four Last Songs, concert, October 16, 7.30pm at Gallagher Academy - Concert Chamber, Knighton Rd, Hamilton
NZTrio and Australian soprano Emma Pearson are performing Richard Strauss. Composed in the year before his death, the Four Last Songs are regarded by many to be Strauss’ most beautiful, sensuous, and moving composition. Tickets online via Eventfinda.
● Beethoven Unwrapped, classical concert, October 17, 7.30pm at Gallagher Academy - Concert Chamber, Knighton Rd, Hamilton
Opus Orchestra, with guest conductor Brent Stewart, will take attendees on a journey through Beethoven’s Symphony No 7. Tickets online via Eventfinda.
● Equifest 2025, equestrian event, October 17-19, National Equestrian Centre, 136 Rapids Road, Taupō
This annual event celebrates all things equine and has something for all riding levels, disciplines and ages. There will be seminars, industry experts, competitions, shows and a range of exhibitors. Tickets online via equifest.co.nz.
● Vetro Spring Festival, October 18, 9am-3pm, at Rostrevor St, Hamilton Central
Spring has sprung as festival-goers are invited to try new food, enjoy in-store tastings and entertainment as the city bids farewell to the cold.
● Waikato Diwali Mela 2025, October 18, 5pm onwards at Innes Common
Celebrate the spirit of Diwali with friends and family, featuring fireworks, performances and food. Bring along picnic mats, rugs and chairs to relax under the stars and enjoy a night of culture. For more information, visit www.icsw.org.nz.
● Raglan Arts Weekend, October 25-27 in Raglan
The Raglan Arts Weekend is an annual open studio art event. Now in its 15th year, the line-up of 60 participants includes new artists, plus some established favourites. The artists work with a range of media from recycled metal sculptures, silk, ceramics, jewellery, photography, taxidermy, and painting. For more information visit raglanartsweekend.nz.