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Is it just me, or are the weeks simply fi-ly-ing byeeeee.
I'm not really complaining. Not when a weekend in Auckland means getting down to Latin grooves, rummaging through someone else's car boot and mastering the art of kokedama (I think I know what that is...).
Here are 17 epic things to do in Auckland this weekend on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and all weekend.
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Friday 23 May
Sail To An Island Full Of Superheroes
‘Til 1 June | Mataira Gallery, Waiheke Island | Free
Image credit: Orna McGinn | Instagram
I am thoroughly through with Marvel movies. And to be honest, I need a very, very long break from anything capes and undies on my screen. Thankfully, Rachel Mataira’s stunning new exhibition ‘In Focus’ is an opportunity to witness the real superheroes of the world. A must-see if you plan on taking the ferry over to beautiful Waiheke this weekend.
Find Out What's Happening (Hint: It's Something Good)
7:30-11:00pm | Double Whammy | $$
Image credit: Riley Cough | Instagram
After years of low and slow-burning genius, devout cult adoration, and those super duper sporadic-yet-memorable live gigs that made you fall in love with that kinda quirky rock all over again, Auckland indie legends Voom are back with their first album in nearly two decades. Something Good Is Happening drops 16 May via Flying Nun, and they're kicking off their four-date NZ tour down at Double Whammy. So get down there. 'Cause something good will defs be happening.
Shake What Your Momma Gave Ya, For 50c An Hour
10am-4am | Pointers Bar & Grill | $
Image credit: The Latin Club | Instagram
La Latina is returning to where it all began with 18 hours of energy, rhythm, community and, of course, as much reggaeton as you can shake that booty to. The Latin Club has decided it's time to relive the magic that started at Pointers all those years ago, so this Friday you can expect a night (and early morning) filled with pure Latin energy, heavy perreo, salsa, dembow and all the classics and bangers you know and love. P.S. Online tix are only ten bucks, baby—that's basically 50c per hip-swivelling hour.
Saturday 24 May
Watch On As Over 1,000 Firefighters Climb The Sky Tower
7.30am-3.30pm | Auckland Sky Tower | Free
Image credit: SkyCity | supplied
The annual Firefighter Sky Tower Challenge fundraiser for Leukaemia And Blood Cancer NZ is back and this year will see a record number of fire brigades taking part from here, across the ditch in Oz and Canada. I don't know about you but parking up at Depot and indulging in a plate of their passionfruit curd beignets and a hot cup of coffee while firefighters scramble up 1,103 stairs as quickly as possible sounds like the perfect way to kickstart my Saturday morning. Donate to the cause here.
Lose Your Mind Inside A 40-Foot Shipping Container
Friday 6-9.30pm, Saturday 2-9.30pm, Sunday 2-8pm | Aotea Square, Auckland Central | $
“The darkness surrounds you. You are completely alone, together, as a strange new world unfolds around you. Welcome to DARKFIELD…” Sound like fun? A boundary-pushing, sensory expedition—DARKFIELD has landed in Aotea Square. Set inside custom-built, pitch-black shipping containers utilising 360-degree binaural sound with special effects, SÉANCE and FLIGHT are two mind-bending, immersive experiences that will challenge your senses, exploring the depths of human psychology and perception.
Get Super Calm To Have Super Sex
2-6pm | Kenkō Studios, Eden Terrace | $$
Image credit: Kenkō | Instagram
Hosted at the calming sanctuary that is Kenkō Studios, this latest scintilating workshop from The Naked World trades their usual booze-fueled freedom for yerba mate, movement, music, and connection—all designed to open the mind, nourish the body, and enrich the soul. It's a carefully curated affair that promises to be genuinely enriching rather than Instagrammy-pretend-wholesome.
Get Up On Your Foils For Change
12-4.30pm | Royal Akarana Yacht Club | $
Image credit: SailGP New Zealand | Instagram
If you're a foil fan and fancy taking part in the largest NZ event to ever glide upon the ocean, this one's definitely for you. Foil4TheGulf is exactly what the name says—a foilathon this Saturday at Royal Akarana Yacht Club, where you can share waters with the Black Foils SailGP team and Live Ocean. Why? Because the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill has stalled in Parliament since December, and these good folks are determined to keep one of Auckland's greatest treasures pristine for generations to come.
Do Good, With The Kindness Collective
‘Til 31 July, Drop-Offs ‘Til 24 June | Any The Warehouse Store, Nationwide | $, Free
Image credit: Kindness Collective | supplied
While some of us cosy up by the fire in our waffle duvets and quadruple oversized hoodies, a staggering 156,000 Kiwi kids are facing bedtime without basic warmth—that's 10,000 more children than last year shivering through the night. But check this—The Kindness Collective's PJ Project is bringing the heat with their fifth annual pyjama drive—donate just 10 bucks to sponsor a new pair of jammies, or call by any Warehouse to drop off a new pair yourself.
And Do The Same All Again
9am-2pm | Turua Gallery | Free
And in a similar effort, St Heliers' chicest art space is temporarily trading landscapes for layers as Turua Gallery transforms into warmth central for their ‘Fill the Truck Challenge’—an annual winter donation drive in support of Give a Kid a Blanket. Join the final drop-off day this Sunday, complete with live music and a sausage sizzle—because nothing says community spirit quite like a cheeky carpark snag.
Sunday 25 May
Rummage Through Someone Else's Car Boot
Set up from 6am, Markets 8-11:30am | Grey Lynn Returned Services Club Car Park | $/Free
Image credit: Grey Lynn Car Boot Market | Instagram
I've spent enough Sundays trawling the mysterious and weird depths of Facebook Marketplace, slinging countless "Is this still available?" messages into the meta-void. Luckily, that degeneracy can now come to an end thanks to Grey Lynn Car Boot Market. No new stuff allowed (because, planet), just pre-loved goodies at prices that'll make both your wallet and Mother Earth smile. Selling spots are car-sized for $30, but book ahead—it’s a popular biz slanging bits and bobs.
Level-Up Your Potting Game
Kokedama 10.30am & Terrarium 1.30pm | Babylone Store | $$
Image credit: Babylon Store | Instagram
When Auckland's skies inevitably turn to a drizzle, there's simply nothing I'd rather imagine myself doing than a wee bit of potting, and Babylone Store wholeheartedly agrees. This Sunday, you can whip up terrariums that won't judge your plant-parenting skills and master the art of kokedama—aka the sexiest way to show off your plants. Yes and yes.
Get Your Pad All Padded Out
9am-3pm | Auckland Showgrounds | $
Image credit: General Collective | supplied
It’s a bad, bad day to be my bank account when General Collective rolls into town. So when I heard about their flagship Autumn Edition returning to Auckland Showgrounds this Sunday, my wallet was swiftly placed in the safe, and the key practically launched into oblivion. Although... the mere $5 entry fee (and free admission for children under 12) makes a visit practically unavoidable.
Come Swoon From A Cosy Corner
11am | Enamoured Books | Free
Image credit: Enamoured Books | Instagram
Auckland’s first romance-only bookstore, Enamoured Books, is a wonderous word-filled haven tucked away in Remuera, where owner Ruby Wallace has curated every trope your heart could possibly desire. Following the success of that special opening day in April (IYKYK), Ruby is now introducing ‘Enamoured Events’, with this Sunday's "Beasts of Briar" Author Event featuring Elizabeth Helen (RSVP essential), the first chapter in a three-part series.
All Weekend
Learn To Write Real Good
Saturday & Sunday 10am-1.30pm | Devonport Community House | $$$
Image credit: Nicole Gaston/@nice.assets | Instagram
This one isn't exactly an all-weekender, but you'll definitely be locking in for both Saturday and Sunday. Too many writing workshops leave you with nothing but a depleted bank account and someone else's coffee stain on your notebook. But Dominic Hoey—acclaimed Auckland poet, author, playwright and all-around man of the people—promises something different. Across both days, you'll receive personalised feedback in a small group setting, making this a must for turning those fledgling ideas into words that actually make it onto paper.
Get Jacked Up On Caffeine To Play Some Games
23-25 May | 242 Broadway, Newmarket | Free
Image credit: Chorus | Brett Phibbs
I'm old enough to remember when the internet sounded like R2-D2 and WALL-E getting it on. It's a gurgle I thought I'd never have to hear again, only Chorus reckon otherwise, offering an electric journey from dial-up nostalgia to a fibre-powered future at their new pop-up Chorus 'Internet Café of Now.' There's a bunch of activities planned across the weekend including a live podcast recording with Bri Barrett of Her Hustle, an influencer mastercalss with Nciola Chan, a contnet creator mastercalss with Torrell Tafa, and a chance to challenge the E Black JMK King to a game of FIFA, plus barista-made coffee.
Find Your Next Favourite Band Behind A Dumpster
Various Show Times | Across Auckland Central | Free
Image credit: Music Photography Award 2024 Winner: Brenna Gotje | OurAuckland website
NZ Music Month is turning the many streets and lanes of midtown and beyond into a symphony of chaos—and I am most certainly here for it. From opera echoing throughout the Strand Arcade to jazz jamming in Vulcan Lane’s cobblestone corridors, and the pulse of the haka reverberating throughout the waterfront—this isn’t just background music—it’s a full-volume love letter to Tāmaki Makaurau’s UNESCO City of Music status.
Laugh Your Ass Off All Weekend
Various Show Times | Various Locations | Various Pricing
Image credit: Joanna Cosgrove | supplied
Sponsored by a jar of mayo and back every year to remind us what life's all about, the NZ International Comedy Festival 2025 has launched, laughed and is now almost at an end. Originally, I reckoned my ribs wouldn't make it, and although they're cracked, bruised and all but broken, they've managed to last this far. So then, what to laugh at this weekend? Look no further.
All that weekend planning left you hangry? Check out The Feed.
Main image credit: NZ Opera | Supplied.
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