Arts and culture capital of Aotearoa, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, is packed with an epic lineup of things to do all year round. From fresh beats to theatrical masterpieces, cultural workshops and festivals like CubaDupa and WOW. Scroll for a bit of you, then get out there and live the good life.
Lights, camera, action. Here’s the lowdown on what’s on in Wellington in 2025.
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What's On In Wellington In July 2025
Disney: The Magic Of Animation
'til 13 July | Tākina Wellington Convention And Exhibition Centre
Go behind the scenes and discover how all our favourite Disney films, from original Mickey Mouse sketches through to computer-generated masterpieces like Moana 2 and Frozen at Disney: The Magic Of Animation. Spanning 100 years of Disney, this all-ages exhibition is sure to be spellbinding with art and design highlights, plus the opportunity to get involved and flex your skills with coloured pencils, dress up, crafting, and spin-off events like the Be Our Guest Magic Dance Party (12 April) and A Bella Notte with Disney (17 May) where you'll spend a romantic evening perusing the exhibition and then dining on the best spag bol in town, Lady and the Tramp-style. Cute.
Wintergarden
'til 20 July | QT Wellington
Image credit: QT Wellington | Supplied
Some of the world's finest bubbles, served in a beautiful botanical setting—surely this must be The Garden of Eden? Nope, it's just QT Wellington's enchanting Wintergarden, where guests can delight in Perrier-Jouët champagne trees, themed cocktails, and champagne flights. Divine indeed.
Home, Land And Sea
24-26 July | St. James Theatre
Home, Land and Sea is as stunning an example of ballet as you'll ever see, and for the first time ever brings together dancers from both The Royal New Zealand Ballet AND The New Zealand Dance Company. Best described as “a poetic response to Aotearoa’s complex history, our evolving national identity and the ongoing search for belonging,” by its choreographer, acclaimed NZDC artistic director Moss Te Ururangi Patterson, it also features two additional works-of-dance (Chrysalis, and The Way Alone).
Darkfield
'til 27 July | Odlins Plaza
The Urban List team were amongst the 14,000 lucky peeps to experience Darkfield when it was in Auckland. Now it's your turn, Welly, to take part in this internationally acclaimed ground-breaking immersive audio experience (if you dare). Enter a pitch-black shipping container, and be transported straight into an economy airplane cabin (FLIGHT) or Victorian séance room (SEANCE)... the rest, you'll have to find out for yourself.
What's On In Wellington In August 2025
Wellington Raw Comedy Quest
'til 29 August | Various Locations
Witness up-and-coming comedic talent at the Wellington Raw Comedy Quest. The crème de la crème of open-mic comedy comps here in the capital (and where many Kiwi comedians first get their start), this year's event will see comics vying for shits and giggles throughout a series of heats at Fringe Bar, followed by a big-ass finale at Hannah Playhouse.
Visa Wellington On A Plate
1-31 August | Multiple Venues
Eat your way from the Kāpiti Coast to Wellington City with Visa Wellington On A Plate. With a vibrant array of festival events and pop-ups and dine and cocktail creations, you’re in store for more culinary excitement than you can shake a fork at. Foodies, consider yourself served.
Beervana
22-23 August | Sky Stadium
Beervana is the country's largest beer festival, held every year right here in Wellington—but as a local, you'll already know that. The 2025 event will see Kiwi legends like Urbanaut and Parrotdog joined for the first time by breweries direct from Seoul, which just like Welly, has become the epicentre of craft brews in South Korea. 7Brau and Seoul Brewery are amongst those confirmed, with more to come.
What's On In Wellington In September 2025
The Monster In The Maze
12-13 September | St. James Theatre
Fellow Classical Studies nerds will be all over this operatic re-telling of the Minotaur myth (or as I like to call it, the OG Maze Runner). Bought to life by an all-Kiwi cast and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, this internationally acclaimed community opera is giving big, bold monster energy and and better yet, it's performed entirely in English.
World of Wearable Art Show
18 September-5 October | TSB Arena
Image credit: World Of Wearable Arts | Instagram
Quintessentially Wellington, one of the best things to do in the capital is immerse yourself in WOW, a.k.a. World of Wearable Art. Prepare to be awe-inspired by creativity that knows no bounds, where designers from all over the globe painstakingly combine fashion, art, design and costume in pieces brought to life by dancers, aerialists, and performers. Think of it as your ticket to the future.
What's On In Wellington In October 2025
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience
10-11 October | Oaks Wellington Hotel
Anyone who grew up watching Fawlty Towers, raise your hand. Ditto—which means I'm amped to see the famous John Cleese-led series bought to life through this one-of-a-kind, comedy-meets-cuisine experience. Following on from a hugely successful season in 2024, audiences can expect a side-splitting, fully immersive improv show complete with '70s-style dinner. Lessshgo.
What's On In Wellington In November 2025
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
25 November | The Opera House
American singer/songwriter Sharon Van Etten is set to rock Welly this November and for the first time ever with her very own band, The Attachment Theory (who join her on her seventh and latest album). As such, you can expect a slightly different but no less incredible sound from the artist whose haunting vocals had a starring role in Yellowjackets. The group are also set to headline The Others Way 2025 festival in Auckland, later in the month.
What's On In Wellington In December 2025
Kāpiti Coast Food Fair
6 December | Paraparaumu
Sink your teeth into over 200 sumptuous stalls at the Kāpiti Coast Food Fair, which is set to pop up in Mazengarb Reserve. From a cooking stage brimming with mouthwatering demonstrations to face-painting, live music and, of course, loads of delicious kai. Forks at the ready.
In Wellington for a good time and a long time? We've rounded up the best things to do in the capital.
Main image credit: CubaDupa | Supplied
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