THE CAPITAL’S FUNNIEST NIGHT OUT WITH THE WELLINGTON COMEDY CLUB
In just 1.5 weeks time Tempo Dance Festival | Te Rerenga o Tere kicks off its milestone 25th edition, celebrating the brazen, the visceral and the rebellious. Featuring the best dance creatives from Aotearoa and beyond, the festival offers up six days of movement from 13 – 18 October (with some pre-festival treats) in Tāmaki Makaurau.
In just 1.5 weeks time Tempo Dance Festival | Te Rerenga o Tere kicks off its milestone 25th edition, celebrating the brazen, the visceral and the rebellious. Featuring the best dance creatives from Aotearoa and beyond, the festival offers up six days of movement from 13 – 18 October (with some pre-festival treats) in Tāmaki Makaurau.
With 40% of the ticketed programme close to or fully sold out, and a third of the Festival being FREE to attend – there’s no excuse not to be locking in October as the month of dance.
Check out more new details, more line-ups and more reasons to clear your calendar for this year’s festival.
Just confirmed is a very special event, and one that means a lot to Tempo. On the final day of the Festival, Honouring A Dance Creative will celebrate the life and legacy of the late Dr Carla Marja van Zon, ONZM. A dynamo in the arts, Carla’s colleagues and friends will acknowledge her extraordinary contribution to dance, both at home and abroad, and her remarkable career spanning multiple decades working across arts festivals in Aotearoa.
Dance your Friday night away at BODIES: a club night, co-curated with Prowl Productions, with performances fromThe Legendary Trailblazing Illustrious and Supreme House of Coven-Aucoin, international performance artist Kerith Manderson-Galvin, Projekt Team, Kuini, Wiseman Mataiti, and DJ Happyfeet, DJ AMERO and DJ Brenda on the decks. The party is ON from 9.30pm ‘til late at Cassette Nine.
Celia Hext and Olivia McGregor bring dance out of the theatre and into the Karangahape Road Car Park with EXHAUST, MARKING OUT THREE COUNTtakes Tempo out West at Te Puna Creative Hub in Henderson in mashup of wrestlers and dancers, and genre-defying DARK!DARK!DARK! at the Auckland Town Hall Concert Chamber adds a third performance, now on from 16–18 October.
Presented by Touch Compass, WHITE NOISE + Oro will be New Zealand Sign Language interpreted and audio described, with a Touch Tour available at 7.15pm (before the performance), facilitated by Audio Described Aotearoa. For access details for this show and the wider festival, visit tempodancefestival.co.nz
Dreaming With Your Feet: Classes for All schedule is dropping later this week, with options for everyone to get moving – from community-building dance fitness to house dance, and more. The festival will also be announcing the 6 artists from across Aotearoa and Australia whose screendance works will be presented at Academy Cinemas in Dream Futures: Screendance Now, curated in collaboration with Dance (Lens), Melbourne.
If you love 80s dance films (and who doesn’t?), there’s a special pre-Festival screening of Dance Films of Yesteryear: Flashdance. Come early and you can even learn some of the moves from a guest teacher! Keep an eye out around K’ Road on Saturday 17th October with our surprise pop up performances, or drop through the Q Theatre foyer for a mini exhibition of some of the best dance photography taken in Aotearoa.
With works from some of the country's most celebrated dance artists and companies, including Atamira Dance Company, Touch Compass, Projekt Team, Movement of the Human and more, Tempo Dance Festival is here to move you.
Tempo Dance Festival | Te Rerenga o Tere takes place across Tāmaki Makaurau from 13–18 October 2026.
Explore the full programme now at: www.tempodancefestival.co.nz
FROM AUSTEN TO BEZOS: AUCKLAND THEATRE COMPANY’S 2027 SEASON HAS IT ALL
Auckland Theatre Company has just announced its 2027 season, with eight extraordinary plays that run the full gamut of the theatrical experience. There are twists on beloved classics, a world-class psychological thriller, a picture of end-stage capitalism and a “faaabulous” portrait of an unlikely but real man. In all cases, a great night out.
Auckland Theatre Company has just announced its 2027 season, with eight extraordinary plays that run the full gamut of the theatrical experience. There are twists on beloved classics, a world-class psychological thriller, a picture of end-stage capitalism and a “faaabulous” portrait of an unlikely but real man. In all cases, a great night out.
Alongside productions of audience favourites – Stephen King’s Misery, Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile, Twelfth Night and The King’s Speech – are exciting new works by New Zealand playwrights, including two world premieres by Arts Foundation Laureate Victor Rodger ONZM and award-winning Kāi Tahu playwright Alex Medland, a return season of a smash hit from Fiona Samuel MNZM, and the Auckland premiere of a mischievous spin on an adored Austen classic from Penny Ashton. The shows reflect Auckland Theatre Company’s investment in storytelling.
The season also brings many of New Zealand’s talented storytellers and theatremakers back to the Company – Eleanor Bishop, Anapela Polata'ivao ONZM, Simon Bennett, Miriama McDowell, Cameron Rhodes, Jennifer Ward-Lealand CNZM, and Michael Hurst ONZM – to do what they do best, where they do it best.
“The nature of theatre is the gathering of people in the dark to enter a world created by artists. Spectators may learn, be challenged, be entertained. It could be all three,” says Auckland Theatre Company Artistic Director and CEO Jonathan Bielski. “Each show is made with aroha and manaaki by the actors, playwrights, creatives, builders and stitchers, crews and staff of Auckland Theatre Company. Each is a gift to you, our audience of theatre-lovers.”
Subscription packages for the new season are on sale now. To subscribe or book visit www.atc.co.nz or phone 09 309 3395.
MISERY
26 JAN — 20 FEB
By William Goldman
Based on the novel by Stephen King
In this isolated, snow-gripped cabin of 1987, there’s nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
From the King of Horror, Misery is the ultimate psychological thriller: a tense game of cat and mouse between writer and reader, patient and nurse, fan and celebrity. From page to screen to stage, Misery brings two of New Zealand’s most recognisable actors, Michael Hurst ONZM and Morgana O’Reilly, together to play the roles made famous by James Caan and Kathy Bates.
She’s his number one fan. He’s living a writer’s nightmare. This ice-cold plunge into Stephen King’s twisted mind, directed by Simon Bennett, is the ultimate antidote to the back-to-work blues.
THE BOY FROM VAIALA
2 – 14 MAR
By Victor Rodger
Victor Rodger ONZM has written an affectionate love letter to his highly unlikely but utterly fabulous Uncle Pasi, Pasi Daniells Silva – father of three, maître d’ to the stars and founder of an iconic drag bar.
As Pasi approaches his 90th birthday, his nephew Levi presses him for stories from a life that has sashayed from Vaiala to Vegas, Hawai'i to Wellington. Full of sass and wit, featuring Grindr and God, this biography doesn’t shy away from the darker side of the mirror ball.
Directed by Anapela Polata’ivao ONZM and starring Semu Filipo as Pasi, this celebrates one of the most unlikely Samoan men of his generation.
A collaboration between Auckland Theatre Company, FCC, Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival and Creative New Zealand’s Festival Commissioning & Presentation Fund, managed by PANNZ.
THE KING’S SPEECH
6 APR – 2 MAY
By David Seidler
London, 1936. Albert must step forward and save his family. The Windsors are caught in a constitutional crisis as World War II looms. This is the inspiring story of how a man found a voice, got the words out – and saved a nation. Ryan O’Kane (Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express) stars as Bertie, the king who stutters, alongside Wesley Dowdell (North by Northwest) as speech therapist Lionel Logue.
Inspired by David Seidler’s experiences as a child with a stutter, the film won four Academy Awards, and the West End production was a four-star hit. Benjamin Kilby-Henson directs the production, which had an extended sell-out season at The Court Theatre in Christchurch.
Auckland Theatre Company presents a production by The Court Theatre. By special arrangement with Music Theatre International (Australasia).
HELEN CLARK IN SIX OUTFITS
14 – 30 MAY
By Fiona Samuel
The sold-out satire of gender and power was a talk of the town in 2026 – and now it’s back for another term. Fiona Samuel MNZM retraces the remarkable journey of a Waikato farm girl who became New Zealand’s first elected female Prime Minister and a global voice through her work at the United Nations and beyond.
Jennifer Ward-Lealand CNZM plays Helen the Elder, with Lauren Gibson as Helen the Younger, as they deconstruct her public image and private self through six outfits. Directed by Sophie Roberts, the play examines social expectations, private compromises and public masks – and asks: if Helen Clark broke the glass ceiling, where are we now?
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
13 JUL - 1 AUG
By Jane Austen and Penny Ashton
When Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are rudely evicted from their childhood home after their father dies, their brother inherits everything – leaving romance their only route out of ruin. But should heart or head rule who takes their hand?
New Zealand playwright Penny Ashton gives Jane Austen’s iconic novel a uniquely theatrical spin, packed with her trademark mischief. An ensemble of six women, including Bronwyn Ensor (Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express),Lisa Chappell (Fallen Angels) and Jackie Clarke MNZM (Jackie Goes Prima Diva) play all 24 characters. Directed by Margaret-Mary Hollins, expect frocks, feminism, spice, hilarity and bold physical storytelling.
BECOMING JEFF BEZOS
20 JUL - 15 AUG
By Alex Medland
A young woman idealises the Amazon-founding billionaire so much that she’s changed her name. She’s tracking down someone who has lived in the Southern Alps for 30 years and is very keen to keep her location secret from the government. When they meet in a dystopian New Zealand, the culture clash couldn’t be worse – and the whisky doesn’t help.
Nī Dekkers-Reihana (Tiri: Te Araroa Woman Far Walking) and Nicola Kāwana (North by Northwest) star in this premiere by Alex Medland, the youngest-ever winner of the Adam New Zealand Play Award, directed by Jason Te Kare (Scenes from a Climate Era). When you’ve opted out of the world, what does success look like? How do you survive when you’re neck-deep in the system? Not associated with or approved by the real Jeff Bezos!
TWELFTH NIGHT
19 AUG – 29 AUG
By William Shakespeare
SPECIAL LIMITED SEASON
When shipwrecked Viola washes ashore with nothing but the clothes she’s standing in and a twin brother, she’s certain has drowned, she reinvents herself as a young man, as you do. As love-letter-driven hijinks ensue, a second survivor of the shipwreck arrives, looking a lot like Viola.
Created by a dynamic duo making their directing debuts with Auckland Theatre Company, Katrina George and Miriama McDowell, the production drops Shakespeare’s classic into a glamorous modern-day Illyria. In this dazzling South Pacific resort, the sun never stops shining, and everyone is a little lonelier than they look.
Alongside the strictly limited season of this work are two weeks of performances just for schools, made possible by Woolf Fisher Trust and the Douglas Goodfellow Charitable Trust.
AGATHA CHRISTIE’S DEATH ON THE NILE
14 SEP – 10 OCT
Adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig
After Murder on the Orient Express smashed every box-office record in Auckland Theatre Company’s books, the Company follows up with another mystery from Dame Agatha Christie, adapted by Ken Ludwig. In the searing heat of Egypt, a group of curious characters boards the steamer Karnak on the River Nile, little knowing their cruise will be beset by murder and mayhem. Famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot must investigate every passenger, unravelling romantic tensions, old rivalries and the influence of a spooky sarcophagus. Everyone has a grudge, something to hide or both.
Cameron Rhodes returns as Poirot, leading a cast of 11 in this lush, sweeping and cinematic New Zealand premiere, directed by Eleanor Bishop and designed by Tracy Grant Lord. Don’t miss the boat!
GET A MOVE ON: TEMPO DANCE FESTIVAL KICKS OFF IN 1.5 WEEKS
In just 1.5 weeks time Tempo Dance Festival | Te Rerenga o Tere kicks off its milestone 25th edition, celebrating the brazen, the visceral and the rebellious. Featuring the best dance creatives from Aotearoa and beyond, the festival offers up six days of movement from 13 – 18 October (with some pre-festival treats) in Tāmaki Makaurau.
In just 1.5 weeks time Tempo Dance Festival | Te Rerenga o Tere kicks off its milestone 25th edition, celebrating the brazen, the visceral and the rebellious. Featuring the best dance creatives from Aotearoa and beyond, the festival offers up six days of movement from 13 – 18 October (with some pre-festival treats) in Tāmaki Makaurau.
With 40% of the ticketed programme close to or fully sold out, and a third of the Festival being FREE to attend – there’s no excuse not to be locking in October as the month of dance.
Check out more new details, more line-ups and more reasons to clear your calendar for this year’s festival.
Just confirmed is a very special event, and one that means a lot to Tempo. On the final day of the Festival, Honouring A Dance Creative will celebrate the life and legacy of the late Dr Carla Marja van Zon, ONZM. A dynamo in the arts, Carla’s colleagues and friends will acknowledge her extraordinary contribution to dance, both at home and abroad, and her remarkable career spanning multiple decades working across arts festivals in Aotearoa.
Dance your Friday night away at BODIES: a club night, co-curated with Prowl Productions, with performances fromThe Legendary Trailblazing Illustrious and Supreme House of Coven-Aucoin, international performance artist Kerith Manderson-Galvin, Projekt Team, Kuini, Wiseman Mataiti, and DJ Happyfeet, DJ AMERO and DJ Brenda on the decks. The party is ON from 9.30pm ‘til late at Cassette Nine.
Celia Hext and Olivia McGregor bring dance out of the theatre and into the Karangahape Road Car Park with EXHAUST, MARKING OUT THREE COUNTtakes Tempo out West at Te Puna Creative Hub in Henderson in mashup of wrestlers and dancers, and genre-defying DARK!DARK!DARK! at the Auckland Town Hall Concert Chamber adds a third performance, now on from 16–18 October.
Presented by Touch Compass, WHITE NOISE + Oro will be New Zealand Sign Language interpreted and audio described, with a Touch Tour available at 7.15pm (before the performance), facilitated by Audio Described Aotearoa. For access details for this show and the wider festival, visit tempodancefestival.co.nz
Dreaming With Your Feet: Classes for All schedule is dropping later this week, with options for everyone to get moving – from community-building dance fitness to house dance, and more. The festival will also be announcing the 6 artists from across Aotearoa and Australia whose screendance works will be presented at Academy Cinemas in Dream Futures: Screendance Now, curated in collaboration with Dance (Lens), Melbourne.
If you love 80s dance films (and who doesn’t?), there’s a special pre-Festival screening of Dance Films of Yesteryear: Flashdance. Come early and you can even learn some of the moves from a guest teacher! Keep an eye out around K’ Road on Saturday 17th October with our surprise pop up performances, or drop through the Q Theatre foyer for a mini exhibition of some of the best dance photography taken in Aotearoa.
With works from some of the country's most celebrated dance artists and companies, including Atamira Dance Company, Touch Compass, Projekt Team, Movement of the Human and more, Tempo Dance Festival is here to move you.
Tempo Dance Festival | Te Rerenga o Tere takes place across Tāmaki Makaurau from 13–18 October 2026.
Explore the full programme now at: www.tempodancefestival.co.nz
EXPERIMENTAL DANCE FESTIVAL AOTEAROA 2026 RETURNS AFTER 6-YEAR HIATUS
From cults and Indigenous experiences of neurodiversity to the seriousness and silliness of having hair, the collision of K-pop and feminine rage, and a multigenerational whānau performance, Experimental Dance Festival Aotearoa returns this December with a programme that takes a break from the mainstream.
After a six-year post-Covid hiatus, Experimental Dance Festival Aotearoa (formerly Experimental Dance Week Aotearoa) takes over Tāmaki Makaurau from 20 November – 12 December, presenting 21 projects across 10 venues and bringing together artists from Aotearoa, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Taiwan, USA, Sweden and Korea. Artist talks and workshops begin from 20 November in the lead up to the full festival kicking off on 1 December.
From cults and Indigenous experiences of neurodiversity to the seriousness and silliness of having hair, the collision of K-pop and feminine rage, and a multigenerational whānau performance, Experimental Dance Festival Aotearoa returns this December with a programme that takes a break from the mainstream.
After a six-year post-Covid hiatus, Experimental Dance Festival Aotearoa (formerly Experimental Dance Week Aotearoa) takes over Tāmaki Makaurau from 20 November – 12 December, presenting 21 projects across 10 venues and bringing together artists from Aotearoa, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Taiwan, USA, Sweden and Korea. Artist talks and workshops begin from 20 November in the lead up to the full festival kicking off on 1 December.
Expect performances in secret locations revealed only after booking, video works, longer-form performances and a programme that moves between theatres, galleries and unexpected spaces across the city.
Artist-led and artist-centered, the festival was founded by Alexa Wilson, who returns as Artistic Director, Producer and Artist alongside Co-Curators Kelly Nash (Kaitiaki) and Dina Jezdic. Together they have shaped the 2026 programme from an open call to artists.
“After sell-out festivals in 2019 and 2020, we’re thrilled to be returning after six years with our biggest programme yet. This year’s programme celebrates the incredible breadth of talent and creativity of our local dance community and features exciting international works for the first time too,” says Wilson.
The works in EDFA 2026 are influenced by ideas and practices far beyond traditional dance, from philosophy and politics to performance and visual art, writing, somatic practices and non-Western creative processes. Artists question assumptions around gender, identity, the body and the ideologies that shape contemporary life, often drawing directly on their own lives, experiences and ways of moving through the world.
“Experimental just means creative. Risk-taking. It can be challenging, unsettling and unfamiliar, but it can also be invigorating, exciting, moving and inspiring.” says Wilson.
The festival remains strongly focused on Aotearoa artists and supporting a cross-section of intersectional voices, while 2026 also marks a first step into international exchange. At a challenging time for the arts, bringing artists together from here and overseas feels particularly significant.
Artist sustainability is at the heart of EDFA, ensuring artists are well paid while keeping ticket prices affordable for audiences. Through its artist-led approach, the festival aims to demonstrate how festivals can value artists’ work while keeping live performance within reach of audiences, something that matters more than ever in the current economic climate.
The programme includes five video works presented as an exhibition at Audio Foundation from 1 – 12 December, four talks and workshops at Wellesley Studios, a shared-bill programme of nine works at Pitt Street Theatre from 1 – 4 December, and seven longer-form off-site works presented across the city from 5 – 12 December.
The 2026 artists include local Indigenous powerhouses Charles Koroneho, Tru Paraha and Presley Ziogas, international heavyweights Chimerik (Canada/Taiwan) and pavleheidler (Sweden), experimental multidisciplinary artists Amber Liberté (NZ/Australia), Victoria Abbott/Mym Kwa (NZ/Australia), and Stephen Bain.
Also in this year’s programme is Min Kyoung Lee (Korea/NZ), Rebecca Jensen (Australia/NZ), Brandon Ross, Helena May, Sam Hamilton (USA/NZ), Jake Starrs/Stella Grace Seawright, Celia Hext, Olivia McGregor, Katie Burton, Oliver Connew, Josiah Morgan/Dominic Hamilton/Dispendio Grupo (NZ/Brazil), Cindy Yunha Jang, val smith andCassie Freeth, whose work will open the festival.
The 2026 programme is live now, check it out here.
EDFA 2026 is supported by Creative New Zealand, Foundation North, Auckland Council and Wellesley Studios. “We have been lucky enough to secure $135,000 of funding for this year’s festival. In this current climate of mass funding precarity, this cross-funder support is monumental and proves we as an alternative festival are actively changing the landscape of contemporary dance in Aotearoa.” says Wilson.
EXPERIMENTAL DANCE FESTIVAL AOTEAROA
20 November – 12 December
Workshops and talks from 20 November
Venues: Pitt Street Theatre, Audio Foundation, Wellesley Studios, and 7 off-site locations still to be announced.
Price: $25, 2 for 1 tickets $35, $17.50 conc, $245 festival pass.
Book Now
Follow the festival on Instagram.
CELEBRATING THREE DECADES OF THE BILLY T AWARD: 2027 NOMINEES ANNOUNCED
On Saturday night the next wave of comedy talent from across the motu competed for a coveted spot as one of the Billy T Award nominees at the 2027 NZ International Comedy Festival.
On Saturday night the next wave of comedy talent from across the motu competed for a coveted spot as one of the Billy T Award nominees at the 2027 NZ International Comedy Festival.
2027 marks 30 years of the Billy T Award, now one of the highest comedy accolades in Aotearoa. Presented by the New Zealand Comedy Trust, the award was named after comedy legend Billy T James, a performer who forged a hugely successful career and changed the face of comedy in Aotearoa. This prestigious award honours his legacy and celebrates up-and-coming comedians with outstanding potential set to follow in his footsteps.
18 comedians presented their best material and funniest punchlines at the Billy T Applicant Showcase to a panel of independent industry experts at The Civic Theatre, Wintergarden in Tāmaki Makaurau, with 2026 Billy T Award winner, Joel Vinsen, as host.
After much deliberation by an independent panel of industry experts, five rising stars have been nominated for the 2027 Billy T Award. Chosen for their comedic ability, dedication to their craft, and outstanding potential, the New Zealand Comedy Trust is proud to announce the 2027 finalists:
•Annie Guo: Bright, bubbly and energetic, Annie Guo is a rising presence in New Zealand comedy. Following a sold-out 2025 NZ International Comedy festival season, she returned with Artificial Infidelity in 2026, she has performed at SkyCity Theatre and made her television debut on Season 3 of Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont-Spelling Bee.
•Evie Orpe: Evie Orpe is a comedian with a sharp, funny and very current take on the world around her. Originally from Lower Hutt, Evie brings together stand up, social commentary, glamour, chaos and quick fire observation in a way that feels fresh, smart and completely her own.
•Joel McCarthy: Trained from birth in the ancient disciplines of shit talk, Joel McCarthy's particular brand of nonsensical comedy focuses on the mundane and insignificant. Contemplation is for the intellectuals, storytelling is for the socially competent, but that other stuff? That's Joel McCarthy.
•Jonjon Tolovae: Jonjon Tolovae is a Fa’afafine poet and artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau whose work interrogates the intersections of gender, cultural identity and diasporic memory within contemporary Pacific arts praxis. Grounded in the intellectual and aesthetic traditions of Moana storytelling, her practice engages critically with the politics of representation, the instability of normative gender frameworks and the ongoing negotiation of selfhood in postcolonial contexts.
•Richie Fa'avesi: Richie Fa’avesi is a South Auckland comedian whose comedy is built on lived experience, family, culture, community and the beautifully chaotic realities of everyday life. With a raw, energetic and naturally storytelling-driven style, Richie brings audiences into his world through honest observations and personal stories. His comedy finds humour in the things people often experience but don’t always talk about, balancing vulnerability with sharp punchlines and an unmistakably South Auckland perspective.
30 years ago, Mike King, Brendhan Lovegrove, Te Radar, Raybon Kan, Cal Wilson and Ewen Gilmour competed for the inaugural Billy T Award and went on to become household names. Since then, more than a hundred rising comedy stars have competed for the Billy T Award and cemented their place amongst an ever growing list of Aotearoa comedy icons.
Previous winners include Rose Matafeo, Taika Waititi & Jemaine Clement, Dai Henwood, Brynley Stent, Melanie Bracewell, Guy Montgomery, Abby Howells, Angella Dravid, David Correos, Kura Forrester and Hoani Hotene. Full list of previous winners here.
“Thirty years of the Billy T Award is a pretty incredible milestone, and there’s no better way to celebrate it than with this group of seriously exciting comedy talent. The Billy T has always been about spotting comedians at that magic point where something big is starting to happen, and this year’s nominees really show just how much brilliant new comedy is coming through in Aotearoa.” says NZ Comedy Trust General Director, Rae Baker.
This year’s panel of independent industry experts are: James Mustapic, Pax Assadi, Heidi O’ Loughlin, Lou Hunter, Jane Yonge and Leon Kirkbeck.
The five 2027 nominees will perform one-hour solo shows during the 2027 NZ International Comedy Festival (30 April – 23 May 2027), culminating in their final performance at Last Laughs Awards Gala on 23 May 2027, where one comedian will be crowned the 2027 Billy T Award winner and take home the prestigious yellow towel and $5,000 cash towards their professional development in the comedy space.
THE BEST COMEDIANS ON EARTH JOIN THE BEST COMEDY SHOW ON EARTH
Offering up 100’s of jokes and 1000’s of laughs, the NZ Intl Comedy Festival line up show Best Comedy Show On Earth is back for a whole heap of end-of-year comedy carry-on. Host Ben Hurley and some of our top comedians step up to the mic for an uproarious night of comic genius on Saturday 14 November at the Bruce Mason Centre.
New Zealand Comedy Trust Presents
Best Comedy Show on Earth
Hosted by Ben Hurley
Offering up 100’s of jokes and 1000’s of laughs, the NZ Intl Comedy Festival line up show Best Comedy Show On Earth is back for a whole heap of end-of-year comedy carry-on. Host Ben Hurley and some of our top comedians step up to the mic for an uproarious night of comic genius on Saturday 14 November at the Bruce Mason Centre.
With an impressive career spanning more than 20 years, Ben Hurley is a favourite across the motu, and for good reason. With both Billy T and Fred Awards under his belt, his many credits include 7 Days, Seven Sharp, Have You Been Paying Attention, Patriot Brains, Would I Lie To You and countless iterations of the Comedy Gala.
Joining Ben Hurley for the best night of comedy is:
With accolades across theatre, television, and radio, 2025 Comedy Gala host Hayley Sproull has appeared on our screens in Taskmaster, 7 Days and Golden Boy, and is a familiar voice as host of ZM’s Fletch, Vaughan & Hayley Breakfast Show. Now this multi-talented comedy talent is back on stage to deliver another dose of sharp wit.
2025 Fred Award and 2017 Billy T Award winner Angella Dravid has appeared on Taskmaster NZ, Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont-Spelling Bee, Under the Vines, Golden Boy and Creamerie, and now she brings her dark humour and unique comedy voice to the line up.
Also joining the bill is Justine Smith, much-loved from her stints on 7 Days and Taskmaster. She hosted the Comedy Gala in 2021, won the Billy T Award in 2003 and has won the NZ Comedy Guild’s Best Female Comedian four times; she’s a comedy force to be reckoned with.
Easily one of New Zealand’s most prolific local comics, Guy Williams, serves up his famous Kiwi humour that’s given rise to a career in television after earning him the prestigious Billy T Award in 2012. Best known for his TV show New Zealand Today, he’s appeared on the likes of Taskmaster, Jono and Ben and 7 Days.
Two-time Billy T Award nominee and Best Newcomer winner James Mustapic rounds out the first announcement of top-tier comedians. Known for his hit TVNZ series’ Abandonment Issues and James Must-a-pic His Mum a Man (he successfully did!), and his webseries Repressed Memories, James has also appeared on 7 Days, Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont-Spelling Bee and won 2023 Celebrity Treasure Island.
The Best Comedy Show on Earth, presented by the New Zealand Comedy Trust, does what it says on the tin - offers up the best comedy, with some of the country’s best comedians, for one last dose of local laughs before the year hits its expiry date.
And while you’re having a great night out, you’ll also be supporting an excellent cause. This event is a fundraiser for the New Zealand Comedy Trust, helping them champion comedians and grow the Aotearoa comedy industry year-round.
Tickets go on sale Thursday 24 September, with earlybird tickets on offer for $10 off for the first 72 hours.
www.comedyfestival.co.nz
BEST COMEDY SHOW ON EARTH
Saturday 14 November, 7pm
Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna
Tickets
Tickets on sale Thursday 24 September
SPRING IS JUMPING OUT OF THIS WORLD AT TE WHATU STARDOME
Kōanga has arrived at Te Whatu Stardome, with school holiday adventures, Halloween’s cosmic counterparts, an immersive live music experiment and the return of Strings Under the Stars.
Kōanga has arrived at Te Whatu Stardome, with school holiday adventures, Halloween’s cosmic counterparts, an immersive live music experiment and the return of Strings Under the Stars.
From Saturday 26 September to Sunday 11 October, Stardome’s school holiday programme will give tamariki plenty of ways to get curious about the universe, with immersive planetarium shows, daily rocket launches and hands-on activities in its brand-new learning space.
Rockets will launch daily at 11am, 12.30pm, 2pm and 3.30pm (weather permitting), while drop-in craft and activities will run throughout the holidays. From 1–3 October, the Watercare Wonder Wai Discovery Truck will also be onsite, bringing an interactive exploration of Auckland’s water journey to Stardome.
Inside the planetarium, families can travel from prehistoric Antarctica to the far reaches of the solar system, with highlights including T.REX, Dinosaurs of Antarctica, 3-2-1 Liftoff! and The Navigators. Younger tamariki can explore space through Perfect Little Planet and The Accidental Astronauts, while Looking Up! offers a live tour of the night sky above Auckland.
For older kids and adults, Astronaut, We Are Aliens, Beyond the Solar Systemand Our Sky Tonight offer deeper journeys into space, while Ngā Whetū o Kōanga (The Stars of Spring) explores Māori astronomy and the maramataka.
Following two sold-out seasons, Strings under the Stars returns on 16-17 and 23-24 October, bringing together a quartet of Auckland Philharmonia musicians and Stardome’s immersive planetarium for a concert experience beneath the stars.
The programme explores music inspired by night, nature and the heavens, including Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Haydn’s Sunrise Quartet and With Amber Hands, a new work by Tāmaki Makaurau composer Camryn Nel written especially for the performance.
As the musicians perform beneath Stardome’s dome, specially created planetarium visuals will transform the space around them, bringing together the intimacy of chamber music with the scale of the cosmos.
On Sunday 25 October, Stardome will welcome Extra Lives for a one-off live performance at 3pm. Billed as the world’s first Audience RPG, Extra Lives is a narrated choose-your-own-adventure game where the audience becomes the main character, with lights, music, sound effects and visuals inspired by legendary console games of the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s, alongside a live score performed by the band. The show debuted to a sold-out Hollywood audience in 2022 and has since toured internationally.
There’s just one chance to play, with the session limited to 50 people as Extra Lives makes its Stardome debut in the Space Room. It’s a live performance rather than a planetarium show, with tickets available exclusively through Stardome.
Then, on Saturday 31 October, Stardome puts a cosmic spin on Halloween with Spooky Space, a family-friendly, child-focused Halloween experience with sessions at 3.30pm, 4.15pm, 5pm and 5.45pm. Recommended for ages 6/7+, the 23-minute full-dome planetarium film matches familiar Halloween characters with their real cosmic counterparts: ghosts become ghostly nebulae, vampires meet black holes and zombie stars prove that space has monsters of their own. Watch the trailer HERE. Audiences are encouraged to dress up, with spot prizes for the most ghoulish costumes.
And as always, if anything kicks off in space, our team of friendly astronomers are keen and available for comment.
School holidays: 26 September–11 October
Strings under the Stars: 16–24 October
Extra Lives: Sunday 25 October, 3pm
Spooky Space: Saturday 31 October, 3.30pm, 4.15pm, 5pm and 5.45pm
SILO THEATRE’S END-OF-YEAR MARATHON IS GOING TO BE A DISASTER
From 12 November – 6 December, Silo Theatre rounds out the year with Marathon, a wildly funny take on one of the most disastrous races in sporting history. It’s also inspired by true events, which frankly makes it worse.
There’s the Auckland Marathon. And then there’s Marathon. One might make you fit, the other will have you in fits - because in this race, absolutely nothing goes to plan.
From 12 November – 6 December, Silo Theatre rounds out the year with Marathon, a wildly funny take on one of the most disastrous races in sporting history. It’s also inspired by true events, which frankly makes it worse.
It’s St. Louis, 1904, and the Olympic Games are still figuring out what the heck they’re doing. Thirty-two athletes line up for the marathon, lured by the promise of glory, redemption, and a medal awarded by First Daughter Alice Roosevelt. They have no earthly idea what they’ve signed up for.
What follows is incompetence, betrayal, cheating, wild dogs, rat poison and some seriously questionable decision-making, all brought to life by six of the funniest and most anarchic performers in Aotearoa who run headfirst into the madness.
Marathon began life as a solo show by New Zealand comedian and writer Nic Sampson, first performed at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe before heading to Soho Theatre in London. Now the script has been redeveloped into a full-scale ensemble production, bringing the story to the stage on a much bigger, louder and more physical scale, with considerably more opportunities for things to go very, very badly.
Taking on the race is Fred Award winner Chris Parker, Billy T Award winners Kura Forrester and Brynley Stent, and two-time Billy T nominee Brett O’Gorman. They step up to the block with Batanai Mashingaidze (seven methods of killing kylie jenner) and Silo newcomer Brayden Cresswell.
Half of the cast were part of Silo’s 2024 hit Camping, which also came out of the comedy circuit before making the leap to selling out on the mainstage. Now they’re back, only this time there are no tents, no campfire and the substances are way less recreational.
The result is physical, fast and gloriously unhinged, like Wacky Races meets Chariots of Fire or a Mario Cart session after someone’s eaten all the mushrooms.
Directing this particular sporting catastrophe is Ben Crowder, a mad genius of the New Zealand theatre scene with 30 years of theatrical shenanigans. He makes a welcome return to Silo after directing Bad Jelly the Witch at Auckland’s Wintergarden in 2005.
“We commissioned Nic to write this play because we wanted to give Silo audiences the silliest, sweatiest night out possible, with some of the funniest people we know.” says Silo Artistic Director Sophie Henderson.
Posterboy for The Brookwood Mysteries, Billy T nominee and OG Snort member, Nic Sampson moved to the UK in 2019 and has continued to work as a comedian, actor and writer, with credits including Starstruck, Taskmaster Juniorand even Paddington in Peru!
Beneath all the mayhem, Marathon has a surprisingly tender heart – a story about ambition, pride and our slightly ridiculous desire to do something extraordinary with our lives.
“I love Marathon because it’s about our obsession with trying to do something great, to prove that we’re special. But why? Does it really matter? It’s a wildly funny celebration of ambition, failure and the freedom that comes when you stop worrying about how history will remember you or your erotic vases.” Henderson added.
A play about friendship, dreams and falling short - spectacularly - Marathoncelebrates the losers, the cheats and the people history remembers for all the wrong reasons.
Get set. Book fast.
The Milford Asset Management Season of
MARATHON
12 November – 6 December 2026
Q Theatre, Rangatira
Tue–Fri: 7pm
Sat: 2pm & 7pm
Sun: 5pm
TAMI NEILSON, ANNIE & WILL CRUMMER JOIN JUBILATION CHOIR AT THE HOLLYWOOD
This December, Jubilation Choir will sing the house down at The Hollywood in Avondale alongside three of Aotearoa’s most distinctive voices, Tami Neilson, Annie Crummer and Will Crummer. With only two performances on Sunday 6 December, don’t miss Jubilation’s spectacular return to the Hollywood for a joyous celebration of singing.
This December, Jubilation Choir will sing the house down at The Hollywood in Avondale alongside three of Aotearoa’s most distinctive voices, Tami Neilson, Annie Crummer and Will Crummer. With only two performances on Sunday 6 December, don’t miss Jubilation’s spectacular return to the Hollywood for a joyous celebration of singing.
Joining Jubilation is Tami Neilson, one of New Zealand’s most beloved and awarded country artists who has opened for the likes of Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson and even released a duet with Nelson.
Alongside Tami will be Aotearoa music icon Annie Crummer MNZM whose career spans When The Cat’s Away, acclaimed solo music, and opening for and touring with the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, K.D. Lang, Sting, Ray Charles and Michael Jackson; and her father, the legendary Will Crummer, best known as frontman of trailblazing Cook Islands group The Royal Rarotongans, and who was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Pacific Music Awards.
Marking an incredible quarter of a century, Jubilation brings together people from all walks of life to sing songs reflecting universal themes of struggle, salvation and love. It’s a joyful celebration of the human voice raised in harmony. Recently the choir has been reaching out to their favourite songmakers to collaborate, creating a treasure chest of iconic NZ songs embellished with Jubilation’s signature gospel inspired style. It started with Aotearoa Reggae legend Tigilau Ness, led to last year’s Hollywood outing featuring Julia Deans, Anika Moa & Bella Kalolo and this year is celebrated with Tami Neilson and The Crummers.
This special performance will feature “Jubified” choral versions of Tami’s classics, including Beyond the Stars and Careless Woman, Annie performing her signature hit Language and Dave Dobbyn cover Oughta Be in Love, Will joining his daughter for a rendition of Aue Taku Tane, and more.
Jubilation Choir will perform songs from the likes of Prince and Joan Wasser as well as Ahakoa, their first-ever collaboration with Aotearoa reggae legend Tigilau Ness, which all feature on their newly released album, Oh What A Time.
With more than 30 singers, the choir is a vibrant collective of voices, including some of New Zealand’s most acclaimed performing artists such as Jennifer Ward-Lealand CNZM, actor/writer Fiona Samuel MNZM, vocalist/songwriter/producer Sandy Mill, and entertainer extraordinaire Jackie Clarke MNZM.
“2026 has been a huge year for us with the release of the album, so it’s great to be back at The Hollywood to celebrate, and it’s such an honour to be singing with Tami and Avondale legends Annie and Will Crummer. We truly hope Jubilation at the Hollywood becomes an annual event. It’s such a blast!” says Jackie Clarke.
Rounding out the show is a support set from up and coming duo Kōtiro Moana.
Join Jubilation Choir and their special guests for an evening of big voices, big harmonies and a whole lot of soul.
Jubilation at The Hollywood
With Tami Neilson, Annie Crummer and Will Crummer
Hollywood Avondale, Auckland
Sunday 6 December
Matinee: Doors 2pm | Show 2.30pm. Tickets here.
Evening Show: Doors 6pm | Show 6.30pm. Tickets here.
NZTRIO CLOSES OUT DREAMSCAPE 2026 WITH REVERIE
NZTrio He Taonga Wairere brings its 2026 Dreamscape season to a close with Reverie, a sweeping final programme moving between dreams and reality, romantic fervour, shimmering stars and the outer reaches of space.
Touring 10 centres across Aotearoa from 31 October – 4 December, Reverie brings together music by Hanna Kulenty, Adam Schoenberg, Leonard Bernstein and Robert Schumann, alongside the premiere of a major new work by New Zealand composer Karlo Margetić.
NZTrio He Taonga Wairere brings its 2026 Dreamscape season to a close with Reverie, a sweeping final programme moving between dreams and reality, romantic fervour, shimmering stars and the outer reaches of space.
Touring 10 centres across Aotearoa from 31 October – 4 December, Reverie brings together music by Hanna Kulenty, Adam Schoenberg, Leonard Bernstein and Robert Schumann, alongside the premiere of a major new work by New Zealand composer Karlo Margetić.
Reverie begins in a gently shifting world between sleep and wakefulness with Polish composer Hanna Kulenty’s A Cradle Song, an atmospheric work that rocks between dream and reality. From there, the shimmering textures of Adam Schoenberg’s Las Estrellasunfold into a celestial dance, before the first half concludes with Leonard Bernstein’s Piano Trio, written while the composer was still a student. Bursting with youthful brilliance and flashes of the quirky personality that would become unmistakably Bernstein, the work offers an early glimpse of the irrepressible energy later heard in his Broadway compositions.
At the heart of the programme is Icarus on Titan, a new 2026 NZTrio / SOUNZ Tarling Trust Commission written by Karlo Margetić especially for NZTrio, which situates the trio as explorers on an alien world, with a freedom and dynamism of movement not possible on Earth. Then, bringing the night and NZTrio’s 2026 Dreamscape series to its conclusion is the full Romantic intensity of Robert Schumann’s Piano Trio No. 3 in G minor, written as he neared the end of his life - a deeply expressive work filled with lyrical warmth and emotional urgency.
“We’ve had such a fantastic time with Dreamscape this year, and Reverie feels like a really special way to finish it. There’s so much in this programme that we love, and ending the series with a brand-new work by Karlo Margetić makes it even more exciting for us. We can’t wait to share this final Dreamscape programme with audiences around Aotearoa,” says NZTrio.
Featuring Amalia Hall (violin), Somi Kim (piano) and Matthias Balzat (cello), Reverietours from Wellington to Taupō throughout November and early December.
REVERIE PROGRAMME
Hanna Kulenty – A Cradle Song
Adam Schoenberg – Las Estrellas
Leonard Bernstein – Piano Trio
Karlo Margetić (NZ) – Icarus on Titan (2026 NZTrio / SOUNZ Tarling Trust Commission)
Robert Schumann – Piano Trio No. 3 in G minor
REVERIE
31 Oct – Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui, Wellington - tickets
1 Nov – Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui - tickets
4 Nov – Dunedin Public Art Gallery - tickets
5 Nov – The Piano, Christchurch - tickets
6 Nov – Nelson Centre of Musical Arts - tickets
8 Nov – Auckland Concert Chamber - tickets
14 Nov – Turner Centre Bar, Kerikeri - tickets
15 Nov – The Old Library, Whangārei - tickets
3 Dec – Rotorua Music Society, Sir Howard Morrison Centre - tickets
4 Dec – Ferner Galleries, Taupō - email for tickets here
OTHER PROGRAMMES
9–26 Sept – Chamber Music New Zealand, NZTrio+ nationwide tour - tickets
5 Oct – Morning Melodies “Love & Loss”, Bruce Mason Centre - tickets
28 Nov – Orchestra Wellington “Oceans”, Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington – tickets
Tickets and more information: www.nztrio.com/event-directory
Connect with @nztrio
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nztrio
Instagram: www.instagram.com/nztrio
PIZZA. WINE. FRIENDSHIP. REPEAT.
Award-winning playwright Sam Brooks transforms Q Vault for the premiere of All You Had Was Fun, November 18-29.
Four friends hang out. Someone brings pizza. Someone brings wine. Someone isn’t there.
From left to right: Max Crean, Kate Johnstone, Tyler Wilson-Kokiri, Adeline Shaddick. (Photo: Jinki Cambronero).
Award-winning playwright Sam Brooks transforms Q Vault for the premiere of All You Had Was Fun, November 18-29.
Four friends hang out. Someone brings pizza. Someone brings wine. Someone isn’t there.
They’re grieving. Or remembering. Or avoiding the subject entirely. Then the night happens again. And again. Same room. Same setup. Same four people. Different points in time. Something has shifted. Or maybe it hasn’t.
Written and directed by Sam Brooks, All You Had Was Fun is a play about friendship, cycles and the roles we end up playing with the people who know us best.
Starring Max Crean (Ngāti Kahungunu), Kate Johnstone, Adeline Shaddick and Tyler Wilson-Kokiri (Ngaati Porou), All You Had Was Fun lingers on that weird territory between people – the space where friendship, memory, identity and grief get tangled up. It’s about the people you know by heart. The people you can’t shake. The people who aren’t there anymore. And things that keep happening anyway.
“This show is playing a game I’ve never seen attempted onstage. It asks a lot of everybody involved – and that includes the audience,” says writer and director Sam Brooks. “We’re so used to sitting back and passively receiving content. I think audiences want to engage with art. They want to lean in. They want to ask questions and find their own answers.”
With a design from iconic team Filament 11 (A View from the Bridge, Constellations) and styling from the legendary Kristine Crabb (Miss Crabb, Gloria), All You Had Was Fun will transform Q Vault into a space like never before for a brand-new era of Q Theatre’s edgiest underground space.
Phil Evans, the head of programming and production, says, “Part of the fabric of Q Theatre, Vault is our smallest studio in which the most intimate magic happens. We are delighted to support the season of All You Had Was Fun and cannot wait for Sam's vision to transport our audiences and transform our space.”
We bring the pizza, the beer and the memories. You fill the gaps.
This production of All You Had Was Fun is presented by Smoke Labours Productions with support from Q Theatre and Creative New Zealand. The show’s development was supported by Barbarian Productions’ Ruckus development programme in 2022 and a residency at the Michael King Writers’ Centre in 2023. The 2026 season is produced by Nomuna Amarbat.
Sam Brooks is an award-winning playwright and journalist. His plays include Riding in Cars with (Mostly Straight) Boys, A Rich Man and Burn Her, which had a critically acclaimed and sell-out run at Q Theatre in 2018. He has won the Bruce Mason Playwrighting Award and holds the record for the most plays shortlisted for the ADAM Award, at 17. His upcoming work includes She’s Sold, a commission from Silo Theatre, adapting his play Boy Meets Man into a feature film screenplay, and Riding in Riding in Cars with (Mostly Straight) Boys with (Mostly Straight) Boys, a meta-theatrical adaptation of his landmark play.
All You Had Was Fun plays:
Wednesday, November 18 - Sunday, November 29
All shows at 8pm, apart from Sunday, which plays at 6pm.
Q Vault
Book at qtheatre.co.nz
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2026 TACKLES RISING LONELINESS ACROSS AOTEAROA
The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand (MHF) has announced the details for Mental Health Awareness Week 2026, running nationwide from 12 - 18 October. This year's theme, Belonging Matters, invites schools, workplaces, and communities across Aotearoa to focus on small, everyday moments of connection that foster a genuine sense of inclusion and boost mental wellbeing.
Theme of Belonging Matters announced for 12-18 October
AOTEAROA, NEW ZEALAND - The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand (MHF) has announced the details for Mental Health Awareness Week 2026, running nationwide from 12 - 18 October. This year's theme, Belonging Matters, invites schools, workplaces, and communities across Aotearoa to focus on small, everyday moments of connection that foster a genuine sense of inclusion and boost mental wellbeing.
Grounded in the whakataukī Ko au ko koe, ko koe ko au - I am you, and you are me, the 2026 theme comes at a crucial time. Recent research highlights a growing challenge across Aotearoa of rising loneliness1, declining trust2 and only 53% of New Zealanders feeling that their neighbourhood has a strong sense of community3. This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week champions a simple truth: nurturing a sense of belonging is one of the most powerful protective factors for our mental health.
"Humans are social beings and being able to spend time with one another, connect and feel that we belong, is vital for our mental and emotional health. Connection works at many levels, whānau, friends, workplaces, schools, community, country. It is a two-way street, we need to reach out and we need to invite people in. This all builds connectedness, belonging, trust and wellbeing," says Shaun Robinson, Chief Executive of the MHF.
Whether at school, work, or in local neighbourhoods, finding small ways to connect can make a world of difference. Belonging Matters because feeling connected to others reduces loneliness, strengthens self-confidence, and can provide valuable social support during hard times. From checking in on a mate and making time for a kōrero to reaching out to someone new, every action helps build stronger, more resilient communities.
Free downloadable resources and ideas for Mental Health Awareness Week are available now at mhaw.nz
The details:
What: Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 - Belonging Matters
When: 12-18 October 2026
Where: Everywhere across Aotearoa
Action: Reach out, kōrero, connect, host an event for your school, workplace, or community
More info, how to get involved and free resources: visit mhaw.nz
CROSS STREET MUSIC FESTIVAL DROPS FIRST WAVE OF 2026 LINE-UP
Cross Street Music Festival has dropped the first wave of artists for Saturday 28 November 2026, bringing together some of Aotearoa’s most exciting independent, underground and emerging music for its biggest year yet.
Sola Rosa, MELODOWNZ, Borderline, Lilbubblegum, DARTZ and Where’s Jai are among the first names announced for the eighth edition of the independent Tāmaki Makaurau festival.
Artwork: Tanja McMillan/ Misery
Cross Street Music Festival has dropped the first wave of artists for Saturday 28 November 2026, bringing together some of Aotearoa’s most exciting independent, underground and emerging music for its biggest year yet.
Sola Rosa, MELODOWNZ, Borderline, Lilbubblegum, DARTZ and Where’s Jai are among the first names announced for the eighth edition of the independent Tāmaki Makaurau festival.
This first drop jumps from electronic and hip-hop to indie pop and sweaty rock ’n’ roll, mixing established Aotearoa favourites with a new generation already making serious noise here and overseas.
Among the first wave is Sola Rosa, the ever-evolving project of Auckland producer, songwriter and musician Andrew Spraggon. Expect deep grooves, funk, soul, R&B, hip-hop and electronics all thrown into the blender. More than two decades in, Sola Rosa is still finding new ways to make people move, with new album In The Mids taking things firmly back to the dancefloor.
Joining the line-up is Avondale’s MELODOWNZ, serving up sharp, thoughtful hip-hop with reggae in the mix and plenty of West Auckland swagger. His acclaimed debut album Lone Wolf brought together international heavyweights Denzel Curry and Maxo Kream with local legends Troy Kingi, Bailey Wiley and Diggy Dupé. Avondale to the world.
Borderline bring big hooks, funk fuelled grooves and ridiculously catchy indie pop. The four childhood friends have gone from making music together in Auckland to SXSW, The Great Escape, shows in New York and Los Angeles, to opening for Teddy Swims on his New Zealand arena tour.
Then there’s Lilbubblegum, who started making music on his phone at 15 before finding his people in the wilds of underground SoundCloud. His dreamy, internet-born hip-hop blew up with viral track af1, and he’s since signed to US label Listen To The Kids and collaborated with Yung Gravy, Rico Nasty, Jasiah and SXMPRA.
Wellington four piece DARTZ bring loud, fast, sweaty rock ’n’ roll made for a live crowd. The band famously talked their way into a support slot for The Chats when they were only meant to play one show. Hundreds of gigs, two chart-topping Flying Nun albums, a Taite Prize nomination and two Aotearoa Music Awards later, that plan has clearly gotten a little out of hand. Album number three is now on the way.
Rounding out the featured artists are Where’s Jai, five 19-year-olds from Tāmaki Makaurau making high-energy pop-rock with big vocals, big feelings and a healthy dose of chaos. Fronted by powerhouse singers Grace Allis and Leigh Edmeades, they’re young, loud and exactly the kind of next-generation local band Cross Street is here for.
Also joining the first wave are Spell, BBYFACEKILA, Snakelegs, Mokomokai, Spdrtwnbby, Roy Irwin, Great South, Bub Band, Love Language, Beatniks, Magic Factory, Murry Sweetpants, Erin G, Tiger Lotiss, Hales and Noa Records with plenty more names still under wraps.
“Independent music needs places where artists can get on stage, shape their identity, find new audiences and be discovered — but it also needs community. Cross Street has always been about bringing people together — artists, audiences, local businesses and the wider community — creating a space where people can come together and express themselves. We should celebrate the brilliant music being made right here in Aotearoa, often without huge budgets or big machines behind it. These are the artists shaping what comes next, and they deserve to be heard.
You might come because you know one name on the line-up and leave obsessed with someone you’d never heard before. That’s the fun of Cross Street! says Festival Director Anya Vitali.
Before the volume gets turned up at 4pm, the festival spills out across K’ Road and the surrounding precinct from 12pm, with free music, art and activity to stumble across throughout the afternoon.
This year’s Cross Street artwork has also been created by renowned Tāmaki Makaurau artist Tanja McMillan, aka Misery, whose work has long been part of the visual fabric of Karangahape Road. Hand-painted by McMillan, the 2026 poster depicts The Magician, a Major Arcana tarot card associated with manifestation, personal power, resourcefulness and turning ideas into action, a fitting image for the festival’s eighth edition. McMillan’s connection to K’ Road runs deep and her permanent works on the street include the small bronze sculptures Twist and Thief, created with John Oz, which draw on some of Karangahape Road’s lesser-known history, from circus elephants once appearing on the roof of George Courts to the fruit and vegetable shops that once lined the street.
Independent by nature. Connected by community. He wāhi, he tāngata, he kōrero.
CROSS STREET MUSIC FESTIVAL 2026
Saturday 28 November
From 12pm
Free and open to all
Free music, art, installations, performances, activations and kids’ activities across Karangahape Road, Mercury Lane and Cross Street.
Ticketed from 4pm – 10.30pm
Cross Street Music Festival
Early bird tickets are on sale now at crossstmusicfestival.co.nz
Plus free, all-ages programming at the Mercury Stage and other locations across K’ Road.
Follow Cross Street Music Festival on Instagram and Facebook.
Cross Street Music Festival 2026 is proudly supported by Auckland Live and Auckland Council Events
CABARET EXTENDS TO A FIFTH AND FINAL WEEK DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND
Auckland Theatre Company and Auckland Live have extended their major new production of Cabaret, the musical at the Kit Kat Club, adding an extra week of performances through to Sunday 25 October.
Auckland Theatre Company and Auckland Live have extended their major new production of Cabaret, the musical at the Kit Kat Club, adding an extra week of performances through to Sunday 25 October.
Directed by Benjamin Kilby-Henson, following his acclaimed, sold-out season of Macbeth, this major new staging brings together a stellar cast of Aotearoa musical theatre performers.
Sixty years after it first premiered, Cabaret remains one of the most iconic and enduring musicals ever written.
Cabaret concludes a year of strong audience response to the engaging storytelling on the ASB Waterfront Theatre stage. Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, Helen Clark in Six Outfits, RBG: Of Many, One and Macbeth all finished their seasons with sold-out performances.
Tickets for the extension week of Cabaret go on sale on Monday 24 August from 9am.
CABARET – THE MUSICAL AT THE KIT KAT CLUB
Book by Joe Masteroff | Based on the play by John Van Druten and Stories by Christopher Isherwood
Music by John Kander | Lyrics by Fred Ebb
22 September – 25 October 2026
ASB Waterfront Theatre, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland
Tickets on sale now at atc.co.nz and ticketmaster.co.nz
Presenting partner: MiNDFOOD
Creative Team
Director – Benjamin Kilby-Henson
Musical Director – Robin Kelly
Choreographer – Kira Josephson
Set & Costume Designer – Dan Williams
Lighting Design – Filament Eleven 11 (Rachel Marlow & Bradley Gledhill)
Sound Design – Sam Clavis
Engine Room Assistant Director – Jthan Morgan
Assistant Musical Director – Billie Hart
Engine Room Assistant Designer – Grace Newton
Voice & Dialect Coach – Kirstie O’Sullivan
Cast
Susan Brady (Fräulein Schneider)
Nomi Cohen (Sally Bowles)
Jonathan Martin (Ernst Ludwig)
Hillary Moulder (Fräulein Kost)
Matu Ngaropo (Emcee)
Steven Ray (Herr Schultz)
Justin Rogers (Clifford Bradshaw)
Kit Kat Club ensemble features:
Monēt Faifai-Collins
Vincent Farane
Joel Hewlett
Sophie Jackson
Kira Josephson
Josh Morris
Emily Patterson
Waikamania Seve
Adeel Surendran
Te Ohorere Williams
An Auckland Theatre Company and Auckland Live production, proudly supported by Auckland Council Events.
HOMEGROWN CREATIVITY MEETS WORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCE: NELSON ARTS FESTIVAL REVEALS ITS 2026 PROGRAMME
Joyful, adventurous and bursting with homegrown and global creativity, the Nelson Arts Festival returns this spring with 11 days and more than 50 events spanning theatre, music, comedy, circus, literature, visual arts and large-scale community celebrations.
From 22 October – 1 November, Whakatū will come alive with breathtaking performances, a bold new commission and shared moments of wonder, as New Zealand's longest-running annual regional arts festival brings together local, national and international artists for an unforgettable celebration of creativity, connection and imagination.
Joyful, adventurous and bursting with homegrown and global creativity, the Nelson Arts Festival returns this spring with 11 days and more than 50 events spanning theatre, music, comedy, circus, literature, visual arts and large-scale community celebrations.
From 22 October – 1 November, Whakatū will come alive with breathtaking performances, a bold new commission and shared moments of wonder, as New Zealand's longest-running annual regional arts festival brings together local, national and international artists for an unforgettable celebration of creativity, connection and imagination.
The full programme is now live at www.nelsonartsfestival.nz.
Built around the theme of Joy, the 2026 festival invites audiences to step away from the everyday and experience the magic of gathering together. Under Artistic Director Janelle Bish, this year's programme places the creative talent of Whakatū centre stage while welcoming acclaimed artists from across Aotearoa and around the world.
"There are moments in history when simply choosing to gather, create and imagine becomes an act of quiet defiance. This year's programme is a celebration of joy, generosity and connection. Alongside exceptional national and international artists, we've invested more deeply into the incredible creative talent that exists here in Whakatū Nelson. We're telling local stories, commissioning new work, creating opportunities for artists to grow, and opening spaces where our community can come together, participate and belong. We hope people leave feeling uplifted, connected and reminded that joy is something we create together," says Artistic Director Janelle Bish.
Opening the festival is Tiri: Te Araroa Woman Far Walking, Auckland Theatre Company's powerful production directed by Katie Wolfe and adapted from the landmark work of Witi Ihimaera Smiler. Award-winning actors Miriama McDowell and Nī Dekkers-Reihanalead audiences on a sweeping theatrical journey through Aotearoa's history, with Ihimaera joining the opening-night post-show kōrero.
Bringing international spectacle to Whakatū is acclaimed Canadian company Machine de Cirque, arriving direct from Québec for its exclusive South Island appearance. Blending breathtaking acrobatics, live music, quick-fire comedy and astonishing physical theatre, this internationally celebrated production promises an unforgettable festival experience filled with risk, invention and infectious energy.
A major part of this year's programme is a commitment to creating extraordinary arts experiences that everyone can be part of, with free events taking over some of Whakatū's best loved public spaces. The Big Swing Street Party transforms Upper Trafalgar Street into a vibrant playground of free music, dance, art and participation. At its centre is Swing, Ian Pidd's spectacular nine metre high bright yellow swing, arriving in New Zealand for the first time after delighting audiences at the Sydney Opera House and festivals across Australia.
Another major free event is The Gathering Tide, a spectacular sunset performance on Tāhunanui Beach created by internationally acclaimed Nelson choreographer Chloe Loftus. Developed through the festival's By Whakatū Residency Programme, the work has grown from an early creative seed into an ambitious festival commission, bringing together up to 100 local performers in a moving celebration of place, belonging and collective movement beneath the stars.
The festival's commitment to local creativity continues with Echoes, a new immersive production by Golden Bay theatre-maker Martine Baanvinger (delving into the history of the iconic Fairfield House), and Tāhae: Stolen From the Museum, an exhibition led by local artist and carver Kahu Paki Paki celebrating the reclamation of taonga through the work of Te Tauihu artists. Musician Levity Beet brings his inventive family performances to Motueka Library and community celebrations, while Pukapuka Talks once again champions local storytelling, with around half of this year's featured authors coming from the Nelson-Tasman region.
Heading to Whakatū fo Pukapuka Talks is also former politician Kiritapu Allan, 2022 Booker Prize winner Shehan Karunatilaka, novelist Charlotte Grimshaw, Ockham award-winner Tina Makereti and Ingrid Horrocks , comedian Pax Assadi and many more.
Across the festival, audiences can enjoy an eclectic mix of music, dance, comedy and performance. Highlights include hearing brand new music from The Phoenix Foundationperforming at Neudorf Vineyards, acclaimed artist Byllie-jean, the Māori futurism-inspired concert Ā Mua, and Where Conversation Speaks and Music Flows. Hot off the heels of of the Venice Biennale Danza and Atamira Dance Company presents YMCĀ by The Butterfly Who Flew Into The Rave choreographer Oli Mathiesen , a bold takatāpui reimagining of the Village People and a dazzling collision of disco, queer identity and Māori contemporary dance.
Comedy fans can catch award-winning comedian, journalist and social commentator James Nokise, rising star Bailey Poching (star of Netflix’s North of North) and the wildly entertaining feminist cult-cabaret Chooks, while immersive sell-out horror-comedy Werewolf and family adventure The Valentina promise unforgettable experiences.
From the free experiences of a nine metre high swing in the heart of the city and gathering on Tāhunanui Beach at sunset, to world-class circus, local artists and extraordinary performances, the Nelson Arts Festival is an invitation to come together and share in the joy.
Nelson Arts Festival runs from 22 October – 1 November 2026. For the full programme and tickets visit www.nelsonartsfestival.nz