16 Epic Things To Do In Auckland This Weekend

Epic tales of Aotearoa, Japanese cinema, American superstars of rap, country and fine art, a Canadian circus, a Korean sculptor, and a food festival in our very own backyard. Damn, it's an international weekend in good old Tāmaki Makaurau, and I'm sure you can't wait to get stuck in.

Here are 16 epic things to do this Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and all weekend.

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Friday 7 November

Witness A Bilingual Masterpiece

Various Show Times | ASB Waterfront Theatre, Parnell Village | $$

Image credit: Auckland Theatre Company/Tiri: Te Araroa Woman Far Walking | Website

Closing out ASB Waterfront Theatre's 2025 season is Tiri: Te Araroa Woman Far Walking, a groundbreaking adaptation of Witi Ihimaera’s epic tale. Directed by Katie Wolfe and starring Miriama McDowell, this two-part production follows Tiri Mahana, a 185-year-old matriarch, from the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi to modern-day Aotearoa, and for the very first time, the play will be performed in both English and te reo Māori.

Celebrate Japanese Film Excellence

Various Show Times | Academy Cinemas | Free

Six fantastic movies showcasing Japanese big-screen brilliance. It's the Japanese Film Festival at Academy Cinemas, and it's absolutely free.

Saturday 8 November

Enter Your Hybrid Athlete Era

7.15-8.30am | The Strand, Takapuna Beach Access

Image credit: Jonny Goosman | Supplied

AKL exercise pioneers, Outdoors Society, FAT, Oat Bros and Node Hydration are hosting 'The Hybrid Hustle’ early this Saturday morning. Start ya weekend right with a hybrid Run & HIIT class around gorgeous Takapuna Beach, then refuel with Oat Bro and Node goodness. Tickets are $10 a pop. Spots are limited.

Make A Gnomel To Support The Dawgs

1.30-3.30pm | Clay Studios Takapuna

After you've got your sweat on at the beach, take a quick dip and freshen up for this hand-building workshop where you can craft your very own Christmas angel, Santa or garden gnome. And with 100% of proceeds going to The Dog Rescue Project, this one's a no-brainer.

Get The Wee Ones Into Songwriting

2-3pm | UXBRIDGE Arts & Culture | Free/$

The good people at UXBRIDGE are putting on two beginner-friendly workshops for those looking for a helping hand in songwriting. Drop in to either one or both—you'll develop fundamental songwriting skills and get to know storytelling, rhyming, lyric writing, and melody creation like the back of your hand. Sponsored by the Howick Local Board (free for kids and teens) and instructed by award-winning Chinese-Kiwi songwriter, Amy Shuang Wang.

Watch Two Superstars Rock This Western Arena

8 November | The Outer Fields at Western Springs | $$$

Image credit: Jelly Roll | Instagram

Jelly Roll. Shaboozey. Western Springs? I call that a trifecta. If you recognise those names—and frankly, if you've turned the radio on in the last six months, then how could you not?—then you'll wanna get onto tickets before Saturday's monumental gig showcasing these two superstars from the U S of A.

Celebrating Six Decades Of Rock Royalty

8 November | SKYCITY Theatre | $$

2025 marks the diamond anniversary of Pink Floyd's inception, and what better way to honour this milestone than by blasting out every delicious era of Pink Floyd's catalogue in concert style? Six decades, one journey—from psychedelia to progressive rock—and all from the grandeur of SKYCITY Theatre. One for the oldies, youngies and everyone in between.

Go On A Journey Through American Fine Art

8 November-15 March | Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki | $

A landmark presentation of 52 compelling works from the world-renowned Virginia Museum of Fine Arts opens at Auckland Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki this weekend. Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Rosalyn Drexler and many more make for a major cultural event for Aotearoa New Zealand, including high-quality examples of art born from a variety of styles, movements and mediums. Tickets required.

Sunday 9 November

Boring® Presents: Rinse & Repeat – Free Breakfast + Micro-Market

8.45am-12pm | Norma Taps | Free

Free breakfast, a micro market and learning the ins and outs of doing the right thing—Boring® Presents: Rinse & Repeat. Featuring a short screening, plus a Q&A with recycling experts, as well as a beeswax wrap workshop with Love Food Hate Waste NZ. Start your Sunday the sustainable way.

Celebrate A Protein Bar's Birthday

9-10.30am | OKAHU | $

Bettys Bars are celebrating their first birthday in absolute style, with movement, nourishment, and community by the water. It's a feel-good morning out OKAHU this Sunday: a 40-minute Pilates class with Laura Mohi, followed by a practical, women-focused talk on protein for energy and hormones with nutritionist Emma Wylie. And all for just twenty bucks.

Craft The Cutest Berry Bowl Just In Time For Summer

10.30am-2pm | EcoMatters Environment Trust | $$

For me, summer means strawberries and other delights, enjoyed on the patio table 'til the sun goes down. But what I really need is a cute wee colander or bowl to match these warm-season aesthetics. Enter EcoMatters Environment Trust,  potter Jackie Muller and a two-hour workshop this Sunday, crafting a small colander or berry bowl.

Drink Bubbles In The Sun With Live Classical Music And Fresh Kaimoana

1-9pm | Bon Pinard | $$-$$$

Image credit: Bon Pinard | Supplied (Photography by Alex McVinnie @alexmcv)

Bon Pinard is celebrating the start of summer with their neighbourhood Sunday session series, and this Sunday we’re talking Aotearoa bubbles and live classical covers of modern songs in the sun from The Black Quartet. Marlborough’s Hunter’s Wines are debuting their méthode traditionelle MiruMiru™ (meaning “bubbles” in te reo Māori), with a special menu created by Chef Jordan MacDonald. Hunter’s chief winemaker James Macdonald will be pouring bubbles this Sunday alongside Marlborough oysters with MiruMiru™ mignonette, juicy Mills Bay mussel escabeche, and classic steak frites with Hunter’s pinot noir jus. Head over the bridge and towards the sunshine from 1-8pm this Sunday 9 November. - Vicki Young

Listen To A Legend Play At One Of The Prettiest Spots In Town

7-8.30pm | The Arts House Trust, Pah Homestead | $$

Part of a commitment to support and provide opportunities for live performance, The Arts House Trust is commencing their new Sunday Concert Series this Sunday with none other than Paul Ubana Jones. The series will feature an eclectic mix of musicians and genres, showcasing local performers from the beautiful grounds of Pah Homestead. How good.

All Weekend

Indulge In A Staycay, Bubbles, And The Best Caviar Service In Auckland

Until 30 November | JW Marriott Auckland | $$$

Image credit: JW Marriott Auckland | Facebook

The most luxurious staycation to slide into our inbox—and wishlists—is.  True to its namesake, a crisp bottle of France’s best champagne is the centrepiece of the stay. Though, it’s brought to life with some extra indulgences: like Auckland’s best Caviar service. A full tin of Caviar Mafia, a dozen pillowy oysters, trolleyed right in, to enjoy between sips in the comfort of your own suite.

Speaking of angelic extras. The stay comes with a leisurely 1pm check out, valet parking, and breakfast in the most sprawling of Auckland's breakfast buffet. Available until the end of November, this experience goes from $1,888 a pop. Broken down, this is perhaps the best #girlmath in town.

This offer is yours any day of the week. But do get in quick, there’s just the one space kitted out for the occasion until the end of November. Plus, we hear this spring iteration is just the tip of the JW Marriott staycation iceberg. We’re on tender hooks for more—and you should be too.

Head Uptown For This Neighbourhood Food Festival

3-16 November | Uptown | $-$$$

Image credit: Uptown Bites | Supplied (Blink @blinkboys)

Uptown in Tāmaki Makaurau is debuting their first food festival, Uptown Bites. Restaurants, cafes and bars at the top of Grafton, Newtown and Eden Terrace are coming together with food deals, free tastings and workshops for two weeks (Monday 3 November to Sunday 16 November). Learn how to make chicken larb (meat salad) and Luang Prabang salad (a.k.a. Laos salad) at Puen Eatery & Bar, and serve it in your very own ceramic plate made at Eden Ceramics’ workshop. Say cheers with a champagne tasting at Normanby Fine Wines, followed by crayfish from Lillius (served with beautiful greens from local community garden O.M.G. Organic Market Garden). Master the art of coffee with Altezano Brothers and De’Longhi, then watch the team at Sabato demo risotto and paella at their free tasting. Don’t forget to get tickets to A Taste of Dalmatia, where the Dalmatian Cultural Society are putting up an epic buffet spread for two nights—complete with octopus salad, sarma (Croatian cabbage rolls), pršule (fried doughnuts) and palačinke (crepes), to name a few. Check out the full line-up here. - Vicki Young

Add Your Touch To This Collaborative Art Installation

'Til 19 July 2026 | Te Aka Matua, The Creative Learning Centre | Free

Image credit: Artland/Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki | Website

Internationally acclaimed artist Do Ho Suh has teamed up with two standout young artists... his young daughters! Instead of crayon stick men stuck to the fridge, they've created Artland, a collaborative hands-on installation that's basically a dream come true for anyone who's ever wanted to sculpt weird and wonderful creatures. This evolving sculptural environment is made entirely from children's modelling clay and features imaginative landscapes populated by Noodlegrass, Blobbugs, Spocky Trees, and Slimes—and here's the best bit: visitors of all ages are invited to add their own creations to the ever-growing world. Free to visit and a perfect excuse to get creating.

Get Your Brains Blown By These Twisty Peeps

'Til 9 November, Various Show Times | Spark Arena | $$$

Image credit: Cirque du Soleil | Aldo Arguello

Cirque du Soleil has returned to Aotearoa, with the Auckland debut of Corteo. Directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, Corteo is a festive parade imagined from a clown’s perspective, set on a double-sided stage. Expect grace, power, and comedy played out in a liminal space between heaven and earth.

All that weekend planning left you hangry? Check out The Feed.

Main image credit: Halloween Dog Parade | Eventfinda

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