11 Epic Things To Do In Auckland This Weekend

It's another stellar weekend in good old Tāmaki Makaurau, and with December already here, it is well and truly feeling a little Christmasy (IMO).

Here are 11 epic things to do this Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and all weekend.

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Friday 5 December

Check Out A City Christmas Classic

All Month | Aotea Square | Free

Image credit: Auckland Live | Website

Another classic for the Kiwi Christmas calendar (in the big smoke) has to be Christmas in Aotea Square. For most of the month, the square transforms into an extravaganza of holiday cheer, where you and the whanau can get down and enjoy it for free. All the info here.

Get A Bit Silly To Celebrate The Season At This Basement Venue

From 4pm | Basement Theatre | Free

Image credit: Basement Theatre | Supplied

The year's been a wee bit wild, so why stop now? Basement Theatre is wrapping up 2025 the only way they know how—loud, sweaty, and absolutely unhinged. SLEIGH 4 U is their Silly Season launch party and full venue takeover, featuring live sets from Lijah Mavaega and Chance of Sun, DJ sets from Adoration and basmami spinning everything from Afrobeats to Bollywood bangers, plus lush AV projections from Studio Auspicious lighting up the room. Cheap drinks, karaoke glory, free sausage sizzle. Doors from 4pm, dignity optional.

Saturday 6 December

Level-Up This Year's Xmas Ham

9.30-11.30am | Chruly's Brewpub & Eatery | $$$

Image credit: A Lady Butcher | Supplied

Take your Christmas ham to the next level and make your own this year with this hands-on class from award-winning butcher Hannah Miller-Childs this Saturday. Break down a free-range pork leg with the class, then create your own custom brine recipe before leaving your ham with the team for curing and smoking (ready for pick up by Christmas). Learn how to nail to perfect glaze before making your own—all while enjoying a Behemoth Brewing beverage and A Lady Butcher charcuterie platter too. Book your spot, stat. - Vicki Young

Get Your Fix Of Food, Art & Music At This Iconic Street

12-6pm | Karangahape Road | Free 

Image credit: Karangahape Road | Website

Every first Saturday of the month, the mythical and gorgeous K' Road transforms into a full-sensory extravaganza with FAM—a bold celebration of Aotearoa's finest food, art, and music. From noon till 6pm, this pulsing street party will showcase local talent across multiple disciplines, shifting one of Auckland's most iconic streets into its very top gear.

Visit This Beach-Side Street Food Market

3-9pm | Takapuna Beach | Free Entry

Image credit: Takapuna Beach | Vicki Young

What better way to celebrate the official first week of summer than Central Flea and Balmoral Street Food Market’s Takapuna market pop-up this Saturday. With this special one-off market running from 9am to 9pm, check out the curated line-up of vintage goods (til 2pm) and then grab a bite at their street food offerings from 3-9pm by Takapuna Beach. Check out their socials for all the deets. - Vicki Young

Go Watch The Derby

From 5pm | Go Media Stadium | $-$$

Image credit: Auckland FC | Supplied

The weekend heralds the derby. It’s the big one, the clash of the cities, the wise old man versus the up-and-comer, the upstart versus the status quo—it's Auckland FC vs Wellington Phoenix at Go Media Stadium. Perfect chance to have an outing with the crew, get the little ones down there early to enjoy the inflatable slide, face painting, mini football. Oh, and of course, the already beloved tailgate—BYO sossies before firing up for the game itself.

Sunday 7 December

Make Your Way To This Sunday Spritz Party

1-8pm | Bon Pinard | $$-$$$

Image credit: Bon Pinard | Vicki Young

Continue on the summer vibes at Bon Pinard’s last Sunday Session of the year. Blanc Distribution are bringing all the summer spritz with a tasty menu from Chef-owner Jordan Macdonald. Choose your spritz with picks like limoncello, pistachio, peach and aperitivo to name a few (plus non-alcoholic options too). Rock on up this Sunday, from 1-8pm. - Vicki Young

See What Happens When Legendary Ballet Meets Christmas Kiwiana

Various Show Times | Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre | $$

Image credit: Royal New Zealand Ballet | Website

An eagerly anticipated new production of the world’s most beloved ballet classic, The Nutcracker. It's a Christmas staple that's captivated generations of audiences, and it's just in time for summer. Of course, we do Christmas a bit different down here, so it's quite fitting this production should feature "a uniquely Kiwi touch, transporting audiences to the nostalgia of childhood holidays at the beach in Act I, before being carried in Act II to the snowy Southern Alps, where we encounter a fairytale Kingdom of the Sweets—some of which may look quite familiar…" Courtesy of RNZB Artistic Director Ty King-Wall and driven by Tchaikovsky.

Get Amongst This Friendly Open Mic

7 December | Kāhui St David's, Grafton | Free

A cosy, whānau-friendly open mic for rangatahi artists aged 16–29 to give it a go in a beautiful historic venue with proper gear support and zero pressure. Tea on tap, alcohol-free, all-inclusive vibes. P.S. Make sure you or the young one signs up for a 15-minute set.

All Weekend

Get Lost In An Enchanted Precinct

'Til 24 December | Teed Street, Newmarket | $$

Image credit: Enchanted Christmas/NBA | Supplied

Newmarket's gone full North Pole—and we're not just talking a tree and some tinsel. Enchanted Christmas is a two-hour, fully immersive walk-through wonderland featuring 200 themed trees, 150,000 twinkling lights, a kilometre-long garland path, and photo ops with both Santa and The Grinch (choose your fighter). There's a European Christmas market with 20+ artisan stalls, crafting workshops for the kids, and dedicated pet sessions so your furry mate can have their moment with the big man. Tickets from $40 for one adult and one child.

What's more, the Chrissy magic spills across the whole precinct. Six towering Nutcracker statues stand guard with QR codes for a $1,000 shopping spree draw, there's a scavenger hunt running daily prizes 'til December 20, and an 11-metre walk-through tree with a Santa mailbox bound express for the North Pole. And over at Westfield, Santa himself is ready for photos (including Sensitive Santa sessions).

Find The First Feels Of Christmas With This Dickens Masterpiece

Various Show Times | The Civic | $$-$$$ 

Bah humbug, it's nigh Christmas Carol season! And accordingly, Auckland Live is bringing Shake & Stir Theatre Co.'s award-winning adaptation of Dickens' classic to The Civic for a strictly limited run that's basically become Australia's festive tradition (127,000 people can't be wrong). Follow miserable ol' Scrooge through his famous, ghostly tribulations and expect live music, lavish costumes, innovative video design—genuine snow—and enough festive joy to melt even the coldest heart – perfect for the whole whanau or anyone who has a few cobwebs behind their ribcage that need dusting out. What's more, Auckland Live is partnering with Auckland City Mission, so your ticket helps spread actual Christmas cheer beyond the theatre—taking a lesson from the cantankerous man himself.

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

Main image credit: Image credit: Basement Theatre | Supplied

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