On 2 October 2000, John Bishop stepped onto the stage at the Frog and Bucket in Manchester to perform his first ever comedy gig in front of just a handful people. John was working by day in the pharmaceutical industry, but that night, as he picked up the mic and performed for the very first time, he changed his life forever.
Read MoreEddie Izzard –The Remix Tour Live is a chance for Eddie, inspired by her ever-loyal audiences to remix and re-imagine some of her own favourite, personal comedy highlights.
Read MoreOne of our most treasured theatre stars, Ellie Smith returns home this November with her uplifting and poignant new one-woman show, Life on a Loop, a heartfelt exploration of dementia, love and care. Straight off the back of a return London season during World Alzheimer’s Month at Golden Goose Theatre, Life on a Loop lands at Q Theatre from 11 – 16 November, marking Smith’s first Aotearoa stage performance in over 15 years.
Read MoreAfter the first FAM celebration lit up Karangahape Road in May, it’s back this winter with a brand-new twist. On Saturday 2 August, the street transforms into a living, breathing cinema with films popping up in arcades, alleyways, shopfronts, and around all kinds of unexpected corners. FAM: Film Festival Edition will fill the street with screenings, live performances, and music from 2pm ‘til late and it’s all completely free.
Read MoreBach Musica NZ returns to the Auckland Town Hall on Sunday 21 September at 5pm with a presentation of world premieres by NZ composers, Gabor Tolnay, and Oliver Bramah in collaboration with Hēmi Kelly, and a selection of glorious repertoire by J.S. Bach, Barber, Vavilov and Ravel.
Read MoreStardome Observatory & Planetarium is thrilled to announce the appointment of Kelly Bewley as its new Chief Executive, marking the beginning of an exciting new era for the organisation.
Read MoreA gin-soaked martini of memory, glamour, and Mommie Dearest theatrics, The Milford Asset Management Season of Mother Play is the latest triumph from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel, playing 04 – 20 Sep at Q Theatre. This gloriously unhinged new work makes its Aotearoa debut in a Silo Theatre production directed by Sophie Roberts, whose 11-year tenure as Artistic Director comes to a close with this bold, beautiful farewell.
Read MoreThe prestigious annual World Press Photo Exhibition opens this month, bringing the past year’s most captivating and thought-provoking photojournalism and documentary photography from around the globe to Auckland, from 26 July – 24 August at 131 Queen Street.
Read MoreJoin the Auckland Opera Studio and Friends of Holy Trinity Cathedral on Friday 8 August as they proudly present Opera in the Cathedral, a Grand Opera Gala which will showcase some of New Zealand’s most outstanding young emerging opera talents.
Read MoreOn Thursday evening Doc Edge held their annual awards as part of the 2025 Doc Edge Festival at The Grand Millennium Hotel in Auckland. Twenty-four awards were announced to honour and celebrate the superb documentaries and filmmakers, from both New Zealand and internationally, participating in this year’s programme.
Read MoreSilliness prospects just got exponential with Artsense Productions announcing a follow-up to its runaway 2024 hit, H.R. The Musical: the no-nonsense (which means all kinds of nonsense) H.R. The Musical #2.
CEO Richard (“Dick”) and his band of generic employees return to Q Theatre, from 25 Nov – 6 Dec, with a completely new show of riotous musical sketch-comedy.
Bach Musica NZ has announced the retirement of Rita Paczian from her position as Music & Artistic Director at the end of the 2025 season.
Read MoreThe capital’s premier open mic comedy competition, the Wellington Raw Comedy Quest, returns for 2025. A stepping stone for many New Zealand comedians, the Raw Comedy Quest offers the chance to witness the rising stars in stand-up comedy before they hit the big time. The first heat kicks off in Wellington on 3 July at Fringe Bar, MC’d by 2020 Quest finalist and 2025 Billy T nominee Lesa Macleod-Whiting.
Read MoreWhich one are you? The tutu, the peacemaker… or the odd one out? SIBLINGS is a bold, genre-defying new theatre work exploring the messy, funny, profound world of siblinghood - a story as old as time but told in an entirely new way. This world premiere plays for a limited 5-performance season at Te Pou Theatre from 24-28 July.
Read MoreTe Wehi Ratana’s story takes centre stage in ration the Queen’s veges following a theatrical act of redaction, resistance, and reclamation, playing to Circa Theatre, Wellington from 16 August – 13 September.
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