It's Matariki week, which means a few things.

There's this, and this, and this to do, and everything else I've thoughtfully included below, plus much, much more.

And if, like myself, you’re a deadset weekend warrior, then check out what’s on Friday to Sunday with my carefully crafted blueprint on how not to waste your three weekly days of freedom.

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Jump to: 

• Don't Miss
• Free And Budget-Friendly Events
• Food And Drink Events
• Arts And Culture 
• Rainy Day Activities 
• Uniquely Auckland Experiences
• Coming Soon

Don’t Miss

Matariki with Ria Hall & Auckland Philharmonia

19 June | Auckland Town Hall | $$

Image credit: Auckland Live | supplied

I'm sorry, but Auckland Town Hall is well and truly in her comeback era. Idk how many banging events I've recommended this winter that all happen to resonate within her ornately decorated walls, but here's another—and what a banger at that. Bringing together the striking vocals of Ria Hall with the powerful sonics of our city's most favourite orchestra, the Matariki with Ria Hall concert is going down this Thursday. And you? You, my dear, will sit back and enjoy

Free & Budget-Friendly Events

Enamoured Events: Book Club Late Nights & Pages of Passion

12 June & Every Thursday Thereafter | Enamoured Books | Free/$

Image credit Isabella Spinosa | supplied

Auckland’s first romance-only bookstore, Enamoured Books, is a wordy haven in Remuera, where owner Ruby Wallace has curated every trope your heart desires. All you smut lovers can now come together in Enamoured's cozy reading nooks with ‘Quiet Nights’—a series that lets you curl up with fellow romance enthusiasts every Tuesday evening, ‘Book Club Late Nights’, where Enamoured Books will be open late every Thursday for people to hold their book clubs and this Friday sees another instalment in the Pages of Passion series with Fangs For Nothing Launch by NZ romantasy queen Steffanie Holmes on Friday too (admission free, RSVP here). All worthy a bookmark—no dog-earing required.

NZBS National Blood Donor Week: ‘Blood Bangers' & ‘Plasma Playlists’ Submissions

Entries Close 1 August | NZBS Instagram & Facebook | Free

I donate blood occasionally. Not as much as I should. But one of my problems is that even though I'm a twenty-something man with hairs on my chest (a few) and a hearty mo (kind of), I still need a bit of a gee up to get me through those five draining minutes on the chair. Cue, quite literally, New Zealand Blood Society's 'Blood Bangers' & 'Plasma Playlists' initiative, which lets you suggest (here or here) a song you would choose to power you through a lifesaving donation to curate the ultimate super playlist, for the superhero donors among us.

Run Club 

Various Times | Various Locations | Free

Image credit: 445 Run Club | Instagram

According to my Editor, run clubs are being touted as the new Tinder. So why not try something on the wholesome side of things this week by stretching out the pins with a new crew. For example, 445 Run Club secure the worm every Friday with a “no excuses” vibe that I've been looking for from my friends for the last two decades. They meet at Akarana Eatery for a 40-minute run, walk or jog chased by coffee, ocean swims, gratitude and real chats. Love that. But if you're not a fan of worms, then here are 10 other run clubs you might wanna check out.

Ponsonby Central x Kindness Collective: 100,000 Dots of Positivity

For The Month Of June | Ponsonby Central | Free/Donation

When it comes to feel-good things that are put on by good humans for the sake of, well, humans themselves, then I never hesitate to show some love. In the newest case of joy to come across my desk, Ponsonby Central has partnered with Kindness Collective and dedicated an entire wall to positivity. Grab a coloured dot, write one word that makes you smile, stick it on the wall, and donate to families in need. They hope for a vibrant, growing canvas that reflects the community's spirit in real time, offering a moment of brightness to everyone who passes by.

Pacific Dance Festival

'Til 22 June | Across Auckland | Free-$$

Image credit: Pacific Dance Festival | supplied

June is the month you, I, and everyone else after a rich hit of Pasifika can all dive headfirst into the luminous depths of Pacific Dance Festival. Blooming across three marvellous weeks of performances—featuring the eighteen-dancer strong, hula-informed, Hawaiian mythology PELE: The Goddess of Fire—there will also be free open rehearsals at Auckland Art Gallery, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the War Memorial Museum, and hands-on Cook Islands workshops with master artist Aunty Kura. Cheaaaa.

Food And Drink Events

Get Your Feast On For Matariki

20 June | Various Venues | Various Pricing

Image credit: Odettes Eatery | Instagram

I've put together an absolute whale of a list for all of the most delicious spots open this Friday. Whether you're after a morning brew, a cheeky brunch, a bit more of an arvo feed or some dining and drinks to boot, it's all right here.

Osteria Uno's Tiramisu With Lashings Of Truffle

Now Serving | Osteria Uno | $$

Image credit: Osteria Uno | Instagram

It’s officially truffle season, and Osteria Uno are going all out with a truffle-laced tiramisu. The mascarpone filling is folded through with lashings of fresh New Zealand truffle and then topped with a generous pile of shaved truffle for extra (savoury-sweet) measure. Get it quick while it lasts. And for more food news, follow your tastebuds here.

Arts And Culture

HAU [te Hī me te Hā] FESTIVAL

17-18 June | Basement Theatre | Free-$$

Image credit: Hau [te Hī me te Hā] Festival | supplied

Two weeks. Five shows. One iconic venue. Hau [te Hī me te Hā] Festival takes over Basement Theatre this week, and I feel this one's a bit of a no-brainer. From George Henare's powerhouse performance in TĀNE RORE to an all-woman, all-queer Matariki GARAGE PARTY, this festival delivers an extravaganza of fresh, authentic indigenous LGBTQiA2+ stories, single-handedly shifting the forecast for this winter to gale-force winds of change.

Roger Hall’s End of Summer Time (Auckland Theatre Company)

17 Jun–5 Jul | ASB Waterfront Theatre | $$

Image credit: Auckland Live | supplied

New Zealand’s favourite playwright, Sir Roger Hall, is bringing back his loveable grump, who’s here to steal the show again. Directed by Alison Quigan and starring Andrew Grainger, End of Summer Time is a hilarious solo play following retired cow cocky Dickie Hat, as he moves to the big smoke to be closer to his grandkids. Packed with Hall’s signature wit and heart, it’s a laugh-out-loud exploration of family, aging, and the chaos of life.

Annie (The Musical)

19-22 June | Bruce Mason Centre | $$

Straight up, as a twenty-something male hailing from provincial-dairy-country-New Zealand, musicals have never really been my thing (well, apart from a brief cameo I had in GREASE in year eight, but the less we talk about the Brylcreem, the better). Annie, on the other hand. She’s different. For decades, her optimism has won over audiences from Timbuktu to Toronto, and thanks to Encore Collective Theatre—hot on the heels of a wildly successful Matilda run—the loveable little red-head is set to grace Bruce Mason Centre this June.

A Century of Modern Art

Now Showing | Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki | Free

Image credit: Vincent van Gogh, Wheat Fields with Reaper, Auvers, 1890, Toledo Museum of Art, Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey.

Manet, Monet, Picasso, van Gogh… Cezzanne, Gauguin, Pissarro, Renoir… if these names have resolutely roused the art aficionado living in that one-bedroom, mattress on the floor, easel at the window, Parisian studio-attic-apartment somewhere in the back of your head, then check this: Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki’s ‘A Century of Modern Art’ is now showing. I would say more, but I think those names speak for themselves.

SUMER: Concrete (Ruth Cleland)

'Til 12 July, Opening 14 June | Free

Image credit: SUMER | Instagram

I don’t typically spend my week staring at footpaths and floors, but I’ll make an exception for the hyper-talented Ruth Cleland and her hyperrealistic works. She has gone to painstaking effort to depict the seemingly mundane—the concrete of footpaths, supermarket floors and even the gallery itself—and it’s as fascinating as it's original. ‘Concrete’ is now exhibiting at Sumer—one of Tamaki’s standout galleries down on Beach Road.

Turua Gallery’s ‘Lock, Stock & Barrel’

'Til 13 July | Turua Gallery | Free

It’s the awaited return of everyone’s favourite art slanger's annual stockroom exhibition. Running from 13 June for precisely a month, Turua Gallery is back with ‘Lock, Stock & Barrel,’ showcasing everything canvasly orgasmic, including hidden gems and revisited collections from emerging to established artists. What’s more, the good framing folks at Sgraffito Framers have partnered up with TG for a deal on any artworks purchased during the exhibition period. How good? Super good.

Rainy Day Activities

Auckland Council Libraries: Board Game Lending

For The Next Year | Council Libraries Across Auckland | Free

Image credit: Auckland Council Libraries | supplied

For many of us, libraries are more than just books. They’re institutions—warm, dry third spaces that offer a plethora of resources. And for many of us, board games are more than just games. That’s right, if you think you can get away with trading for all my sheep, then immediately roll a seven and blockade my fields, then I’ll happily flip the Catan board and leave. And in such a spirit, Auckland Council Libraries are now trialling board game lending, in the hope that they’ll ruin family dynamics and long-term relationships across the city. No late fees, no worries about the occasional missing piece, and the trial runs for a year. So show your support, and it could be rolled out to more libraries and with more board games in the future.

Unique Auckland Experiences

LSKD’s 2025 Pride Collection

On Now  | LSKD Online & Instore | $$-$$$

Image credit: LSKD | supplied

There’s nothing quite like getting your shred on in powdery pink, sunburst orange and baby blue. And with LSKD's 2025 Pride Collection, you can do just that. Every piece is designed for visibility and representation and 5% of sales go to Wear It Purple which means you can support queer folks, score a deal and blast past your PB all in one sesh. P.S. Their cheeky mid-year sale finishes Tuesday, so wander over there for an even better deal on the collection, but be quick!

Coming Soon

Imagine The Magic

Through Winter | Westfields Across Aotearoa | Free

Rainy days and shopping malls go together just about as well as Disney and ice. And it just so happens that the latter is coming to the former across Aotearoa this winter, as Westfields from Newmarket to Riccarton put on a few Frozen-themed shows. Yup, Frozen. I can almost hear the shrills of excitement from little Elsas and Olafs across the land.

Auckland Philharmonia Six-Thirty Session: Beethoven 5 

25 June | Auckland Town Hall | $$-$$$

Maybe you’re like me and kinda hate hump day. Maybe you’re also like me, and often try to schedule something a bit groovy to get through the mid-week blues. I call it ‘Faux Friday Night’, and it acts as half-time oranges for the soul, of sorts. And what better oranges to suck on than Auckland Phil’s new Six-thirty compact Sessions thundering Beethoven throughout the Town Hall. As the name says, strings are plucked at half six on the dot and come to a crescendoing end 75 minutes later with no interval in between. Dinner at eight, anyone?

Doc Edge Film Festival

25 June-25 August | Various locations | $-$$$

If documentaries are your schtick, you’ll want to deep dive into Doc Edge Festival, which, this year, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Always packed with high-calibre films from Aotearoa and around the world, plus immersive exhibitions, industry events, and a schools programme, Doc Edge is essential viewing.

Brew of Islands 2025

28 June | Bay of Islands | $$

Image credit: Brew of Islands | supplied

Craft beer bros have been copping some heat in recent times. Almost as much heat as I cop for obsessing over, what I like to call, 'craft tap water'. It's my private hunt for the best tasteting household tap water in all the land and isn't really relevant right now, but to answer all the allegations and thrown one heck of a partying in doing so, Brew of Islands 2025 is commandeering the Bay of Islands for one last, craft, tasty, sing-songy hurrah before dry July. 

DIVA at Auckland Museum

28 June-19 October | Auckland War Memorial Museum | $/$$

Image credit: Brew of Islands | supplied

My favourite building in all of the land is getting her slay on (I know this is the second time I've personified a large old building in this article, sue me) at the end of the month. Developed by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, DIVA opens 28 June at Auckland War Memorial Museum to celebrate icons of eras who challenged norms and changed the world through the power of performance. Over 280 objects, including fashion, photography, costumes, music, and design, featuring trailblazing performers, theatrical staging, and an immersive musical soundtrack experience. It's all I could ever have asked of an exhibition and more, more, more.

Upcycled Necklace Making Workshop

29 June | Lost and Led Astray | $$

Image credit: DIY Daisy | supplied

Self-care, slow fashion and sustainable fun? Yes, yes and yes. DIY Daisy is on a wee tour across Aotearoa, spreading her feel-good crafts to conscious consumers. She’s popping into Lost and Led Astray on 29 June and will be running a two-hour upcycled necklace-making workshop, where guests can rummage through a lovely little stash of second-hand beads to design their own bespoke statement necklace—all while sipping tea, snacking, and soaking up the vibes. In her own blissful words, “These workshops are about making sustainability joyful and accessible. It’s not about perfection— it’s about expressing yourself, connecting with others, and giving pre-loved materials a beautiful new life.” Sign. Me. Up.

Dracula's

26-28 June | The Civic | $$$

Image credit: Dracula's | supplied

There comes a time when you realise your soul is yearning for a vampire pulling off gravity-defying contortions in silks. And fortunately, this June, the universe is delivering. Yep, cult-favourite cabaret, Dracula's, is coming to Tāmaki. With two shows already sold out, they're releasing a third on Friday, 28 February. Ninja skills at the ready.

Peppa Pig's Fun Day Out LIVE!

28 & 29 June | Sky City | $$

Image credit: Peppa Pig's Fun Day Out LIVE! | Luke Gallagher

My two nephews', and just about every human two feet and below's, favourite lil piggy will be filling SkyCity with songs, dance, muddy puddles, and all manner of wholesome delights. That's right, Peppa, her family, and her friends go to the zoo and the beach for a special party this June in Peppa Pig's Fun Day Out LIVE! And if you're out of town, you'll be stoked to know she's on tour with additional shows in Wellington, Christchurch and Hamilton throughout July. Tickets live.

The Art of Banksy

7 July-3 August | Hunua Rooms, Aotea Centre | $$

Image credit: The Art of Banksy | supplied

In my younger and more vulnerable years, forever fighting acne, teenage angst and rumours of ‘The Man’, I would've given up my whole $13.75/hour paycheck to catch an exhibition from this street-art titan. Better yet, I’m now a bit older and wiser and can enjoy the celebrated, definitive works of one of the greatest guerrilla artists to ever pick up a paint can even more. And although most of his work appears without prior consultation, The Art of Banksy is scheduled to wow the Hunua Rooms of Tāmaki Makaurau's Aotea Centre from 7 to 3 August. It’s the world’s largest collection of original and authenticated Banksy art, showcasing more than 150 pieces and including the global exclusive of the first-ever Flower Thrower—now a symbol of Palestinian solidarity and resistance, but initially conceived in '97 as a Valentine’s Day gift for his then-girlfriend.

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

15 Jul-9 Aug | ASB Waterfront Theatre, Parnell Village | $$

Shakespeare’s timeless tale of love and tragedy gets a bold, 1960s makeover in this atomic production of Romeo and Juliet. Directed by Benjamin Kilby-Henson, Theo Dāvid and Phoebe McKellar star as the star-crossed lovers in a world of Missoni prints and Pucci glamour. With a powerhouse cast including Miriama McDowell and Bronwyn Bradley, this electrifying reimagining celebrates love’s triumph over hate, but at a devastating cost. A fresh, stylish take on a classic that’s as relevant today as it was back when they were all into their frilly clothes and the word ‘doth’.

Ethel & Bethel’s Comedy Bingo Night—Fundraiser for the Kidney Society

12 September | Freemans Bay Community Hall | $$

Image credit: Ethel And Bethel | Instagram

Something about 'R18 Bingo Night' just gets me hyped. Maybe it's my competitive side, or maybe I just love taking seemingly innocuous events to the extreme—like that one mishap I had with Pin the Tail at my nephew's fifth birthday. Anyway... Ethel & Bethel's Comedy Bingo Night in September has me genuinely intrigued. It's a night with a mission—raising $30,000 to support people with kidney disease, with every ticket making a real difference. Beyond their sharp wit and chaotic energy, prizes, drinks, snacks, and a fair bit of community-inspired chaos await. No door sales, so grab your tickets now.

Cirque du Soleil: Corteo

30 Oct-2 November | Spark Arena | $$$

Image credit: Cirque du Soleil | Maja Prgomet

Cirque du Soleil is returning to Aotearoa this October, 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. Tickets are live.

Not in Auckland? Check out what's on in Christchurch, Wellington, and Queenstown this year.

Main image credit: Queer Powerpoint | Website.

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