GIVE YOURSELF SOME SPACE THIS CHRISTMAS AT TE WHATU STARDOME

This festive season, Te Whatu Stardome is inviting visitors to escape into the wonders of the cosmos with an expanded programme of planetarium films, live events, and family-friendly activities.

Following a major upgrade to its planetarium technology, Te Whatu Stardome now offers sharper, more detailed visuals and enhanced 3D imaging. As the only planetarium in Aotearoa equipped with the leading Digistar OS, Te Whatu Stardome promises a truly immersive experience for all ages.

Planetarium Films
Te Whatu Stardome’s 2026 programme features returning favourites alongside stunning new fulldome experiences. The Year in Space 2025 returns with an annual recap of the year's biggest space stories including Project Artemis, Methanesat, Starship explosions, new discoveries on Mars and space adventures for non-astronauts like Katy Perry. The show also features incredible astrophotography from finalists of the New Zealand Astrophotography Competition.

For those captivated by the natural world, Big Wave: No Room for Error is an all-new 60-minute documentary that follows Tahitian surfer Heimiti Fierro as he strives to conquer the legendary waves at Teahupo’o, and journey through some of the world’s heaviest surf breaks in Portugal, Hawai’i, and Tahiti. Award-winning photographer and filmmaker Bo Bridges captures crystal-clear waters, vibrant coral reefs, and stunning coastal ecosystems. The immersive soundtrack, featuring Pearl Jam, Glass Animals, and the musical score of 16-time Emmy-winning composer Didier Lean Rachou, heightens the sensation of being inches from the raw energy of the sea. Recommended for ages 11+.

Orbital, created by Guy Reid and Planetary Collective, offers a meditative, dream-like journey of Earth from the perspective of astronauts. Hyper-real visualisations and first-hand accounts inspire a renewed connection to the planet. Meanwhile, Ngā Wāhanga o te Tau: Raumati (Seasons of the Year: Summer) is a live, presenter-led introduction to Māori astronomy and the maramataka (Māori lunar calendar), highlighting the stars of summer and their influence on our interaction with the natural environment. Recommended for ages 10+, 50 minutes.

School Holiday Programme
Te Whatu Stardome’s January school holiday programme is coming soon, featuring planetarium films, hands-on activities, and live events for children and families. Details and bookings will be announced shortly.

Zeiss Telescope Viewing
With longer nights, Te Whatu Stardome is offering more opportunities to view deep-space phenomena through its Zeiss Telescope, with expert commentary. Sessions run nightly at 9pm, weather permitting. Updates are posted on Facebook and Instagram.

Special Events
The Space Between: Music and the Cosmos with Rhian Sheehan – Friday 12 December, 7pm
An evening with multiple award-winning New Zealand musician and composer Rhian Sheehan, whose music has featured everywhere from Netflix to NASA. With no shortage of avenues for his musical output, Rhian has consistently been involved with space-adjacent projects, including numerous sci-fi and fulldome planetarium shows. We’ll discuss how and why Rhian returns to music that evokes the atmosphere, beauty, and excitement of exploring space and the unknown. The evening includes the New Zealand premiere of his latest fulldome project, One Step Beyond: A Journey to Mars, from the National Space Centre (UK).

The Circling Sun – Wednesday 17 December, 7.00pm
Aotearoa's jazz supergroup The Circling Sun takes people on a cosmic journey with their eclectic mix of spiritual and modal jazz. Experience an out-of-body, out-of-this-world performance as the band plays live inside Aotearoa’s largest planetarium. Tickets are strictly limited, offering a rare chance to see one of the country’s most boundary-pushing bands in an intimate, immersive setting. This is an alcohol-free event, respecting the spiritual, cultural, and community values of the Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau Authority.

Astronomical Events
December brings several celestial highlights to our night skies, including the Supermoonon 5 December, the Geminids Meteor Shower on 14 December, and the summer solstice on 22 December.

The Geminids are one of the year’s most spectacular meteor showers, originating from asteroid 3200 Phaethon. As Earth passes through its debris, particles burn up in the atmosphere, creating bright “shooting stars.” Peak viewing is 13–14 December 2025, midnight to dawn. Face north or northeast with a wide view of the sky to see up to 40–60 meteors per hour under dark, clear conditions - a magical highlight of our summer night sky.

Te Whatu Stardome will be closed between Christmas and New Year, from 5pm Wednesday 24 December and reopens 9.30am Saturday 3 January 2026.

For more information and bookings, visit www.stardome.org.nz