It's that time again and we're crossing everything that the heavens don't rain on our parade this time.
Pull up a pew at Silo Park, groove to the beat or sink your teeth into some next level kai. Unleash your inner cxnt, lark about with sunflowers, or stare in awe at some pretty nifty lanterns. Fossic around for the next star of your wardrobe (preloved, because climate change) and take a chance locking eyes with a stranger during 'Shape of You'. Get covered in rainbows, rave... on two wheels, or indulge in a fine foodie shindig. All this and more.
Here are 23 epic things to do in Tāmaki Makaurau this weekend.
Friday 10 February
See Everything Everywhere All At Once, For Reals
A special Pride screening of Everything Everywhere All At Once is coming to Silo Park this Friday. Head on down with a fold out chair or picnic rug in hand, nab a mean feed from one of the food trucks and treat yourself to a twilight drink while this flick, which has been described as “a queer masterpiece of colossal sincerity”, plays out on the side of a silo.
Get Groovy With Cat Tunks Trio
Flock to Crown Range Lounge this Friday from 4pm to unwind to the blues, soul and grooves of the Cat Tunks Trio with support from Mitch Goodfellow. For the uninitiated, the Crown Range Lounge is an intimate event space in Parnell with a distinctly Central Otago vibe. They’ve got a rad public offering too, with Thirsty Thursdays, Jazz/Soul Fridays, Saturday Sessions and Blues/Folk Sundays. Nice one.
Level Up Your Doodling
Swap your screen for a pencil this Friday and try your hand at live drawing at the Auckland Art Gallery. These sessions are a great way to shake off any work day tensions by flexing your creativity in the gallery spaces of Tāmaki Makaurau’s art capital. You’ll be guided by observational drawing tutor, Abbey Lyman, and drawing materials are provided (but you’re welcome to bring your own provided they’re dry).
Feast On Tāmaki Makaurau’s Tastiest Food Trucks
The Food Truck Collective is slingin’ all your fave eats this weekend so head along to Metro Park in Millwater for mouthwatering kai by Double Dutch Fries, MāoriMex, The Corner, The Roaming Berry and more. Busy Friday? No problem! Pop to Collins Park in Greenhithe for a similarly delicious lineup (more on that below).
Saturday 11 February
Get Cxnty
Yep, you read correctly. Auckland Pride Festival is in full swing and Club Cxnt at Basement Theatre is a must-experience. Tickets are already selling fast for this luxurious House of Givenchy-hosted event so snap up yours, stat, and get ready to witness Aotearoa Ballroom at its finest. Categories are Drags Face, OTA Runway, OTA Sex Siren, and Soft N Cxnt performance, and the night’s theme is Skin & Sin. Dress accordingly.
Frolic Through A Sea Of Golden Orbs
Our sunflower season is short but sweet and this Saturday Auckland’s very own Franklin Farm Sunflower Fields in Waimauku is opening. Thought to be a sign of luck and lasting happiness in Chinese culture, sunflowers are often gifted to recent grads or to business owners at the beginning of a new venture. They also make a joyful backing for a photoshoot. Plan to visit between 8am and sunset and brighten up your ‘gram this weekend.
Light Up Your Weekend With Lanterns
If you’re still mourning the cancellation of the Auckland Lantern Festival (we feel you), you’ll be stoked to know the 7th annual Greenhithe Lunar New Year is coming to Collins Park this weekend. The one-day festival will be brimming with cultural dances, music, arts and crafts, games, kai by the iconic Food Truck Collective and, of course, loads of lanterns.
Peruse Preloved Fashion
Local favourite, Freida Margolis, is throwing open its doors this Saturday for something a little different. From 10am ‘til 1pm the wine bar will be transformed into a market, packed with pre-loved vintage, jewellery, ceramics, vegan baking kits, cookies and more. There’ll even be a second hand book space in their iconic 1970s caravan for children and teens to explore.
See Ed, Live
By now we all know the club isn’t the best place to find a lover so if you’re looking to snag a special someone for Valentine’s Day next week perhaps you should try your luck at Ed Sheeran’s concert. Set to storm Eden Park, his Wellington concerts have received rave reviews, not that there was any doubt that his gig would be perfect. Yessiree, sure to give you shivers, the + - = x Tour (pronounced ‘The Mathematics Tour’) will make for one helluva Saturday night.
Dance Among The Trees
Flock to Albert Park this weekend for roots and dancehall vibes by Rubi Du, Aotearoa-Korean duo Imugi 이무기, bilingual beats by Huia, and alt five-piece live band Speech Act Theory. Part of Music in Parks, this is just one of many free, family-friendly musical gigs set to pop up in parks all over Tāmaki Makaurau from now through March.
Flex Your DIY
Resolved to reduce your kitchen waste this year? This environmentally-savvy workshop on Queens Wharf will have you whipping up your very own wax wraps with a level of pizazz that’d woo any Planeteer. Drop in between 10am and 4pm and magic yourself up some wraps like there’s no tomorrow (which, ironically, makes it more likely there will be a tomorrow). P.s. This workshop is totally free.
Shake That Tail Feather
Nab yourself a ticket to Sundial then swing by East St Hall from 4pm to soundbathe in house and hip-hop by NO COMPLY, Hotel Tropic, HarrisonJupe, Chef Mob and Buttermilk. Tickets are selling quicker than boujee gluten-free doughnuts so if this sweet, sweet gig sounds like a bit of you, you need to act fast. Like, now.
Treat Yo’self To Good Vibes
If you’re all about the good life (and by that we mean the finest food and drink paired with the some toe-tappin’ beats) you’ll want to hightail it to The Hunting Lodge for the North West Wine, Beer And Food Festival 2023. Local breweries and wineries plus Good From Scratch and Morepork BBQ will be seasoned by musical heavy hitters Bic Runga, Troy Kingi & The Promises, Hollie Smith and Georgia Lines.
Sunday 12 February
Pelt Strangers With Coloured Dust
If you’ve never experienced the hectic frivolities of Krishna Holi - Festival of Colours, there’s no time like the present. Set at the Hare Krishna Temple in Kumeu, this alcohol-free event is unlike anything else around. Expect high energy technicolor realness on a backdrop of hand-spun tech house, electro pop, techno, trance, trap, EDM, progressive and psytrance. Parking can be a bit tricky so we’d recommend carpooling with mates or jumping onto the official shuttle bus.
Pimp Your Bike And Get Amongst This Rolling Rave
Fit-out your faithful steed in all the things, get costumed for the gods and roll around the shiny new Ōrākei Basin shared cycle path to the bangin’ beats of George FM’s own Dan Aux. Registration is at 6.45pm at Sunhill Carpark, followed by a ride briefing, with the Bike Rave itself kicking off at 7.15pm sharp. Sounds like your jam? Round up your bike-loving mates and get ready to ride.
Zen Out In The Botanical Gardens
If you’re in need of a good stretch, a bit of yoga might be just the thing, especially if it’s in a judgment-free setting in the shade of a tree. Luckily, that’s exactly what yogi Angeli Kapoor is offering—free yoga in the Auckland Botanical Gardens every Sunday. Designed to be accessible for beginners and aspiring yogis alike, this is yoga at its finest. BYO mat and an open mind.
Set Yourself Up For A Very Smooth Sunday
Pssst, secret New York-inspired cocktail bar, Caretaker, offers live jazz every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday night from 9pm. The perfect tonic to a wild weekend, shimmy on over to the speakeasy for a total change of pace and unwind with tastebud-tingling cocktails and all the good vibes. Just please don’t ring the bell.
All Weekend
Pedal For The Planet
If summer’s far too moist for you and it’s got you feeling all climate change-adjacent, jump on your bike and ride. That’s right, you can channel all that angst into the Aotearoa Bike Challenge stoked in the knowledge it’s wheelie good (we had to) for your health and for the environment. Simply register, mount your two-wheeled chariot, log your rides and earn points, and maybe even some rad prizes.
Get Those Steps In
If the sun is shining (what is that like again?) a long weekend is a great opportunity to make the most of the stunning nature walks in and around Tāmaki Makaurau. Whether you’re after a coastal stroll, a slog up a never-ending staircase, a forest-bathe or an urban jaunt, we’ve got it all. Check out the best the city has to offer, take your pick, then get wandering.
Spend A Wholesome Day Picking Strawberries
Fun fact: a strawberry isn’t technically a berry at all but bananas, avocados, pumpkin, tomatoes, watermelon and kiwifruit are. Ponder that while you’re plundering the strawberry fields, and don’t forget to reward yourself for all your hard work afterwards with a real fruit strawberry ice cream. Summer incarnate.
Witness A Renaissance Of Classic Proportions
An immersive multimedia experience is gracing The Civic in a classical sound bath where artworks by renowned Renaissance artists come alive before your eyes in RENAISSANCE The Age of Genius. The impressive lineup includes the likes of Giotto, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, Titian, Peter Bruegel the Elder, Lucas Cranach the Elder and Albert Durer. Swish.
Get Answers To An Ancient Mystery
Stans of the famed stone circle, Stonehenge, will want to hightail it to Auckland Museum to get the down-low on some pretty spicy Stonehenge secrets. Delving into all the big questions—who built it, the intentions behind it, and its role as a domain of the dead-this world-class exhibition is a must-see. Around until 25 April 2023, it’s sure to rock (we had to).
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Image credit: Ed Sheeran.