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- ๐ WOW, SlavFest & a Free Big Band
๐ WOW, SlavFest & a Free Big Band
Plus Rockquest's national final, SOTA at Brewtown, Shakespeare in the Botanic Garden, a fabric market for hospice and the Hutt Half. Spring has landed ๐
Kirstie and Steve
September 17, 2026
WellyBuzz ๐
Your Wellington Weekend Sorted
๐ WOW Awards Night, SlavFest & a Free Big Band
Rockquest's national final, SOTA at Brewtown, Shakespeare in the Botanic Garden, a fabric market for hospice and the Hutt Half. Spring has landed ๐
๐ Welcome
Kia ora Wellington! ๐ธ
Te Wiki o te Reo Mฤori wraps up this weekend and Wellington is going out loud. WOW hits its Awards Night on Friday, SlavFest fills Te Whaea with Slavic music and food, a free 27-piece big band takes the Opera House stage for TNT!, and ลtari throws open the gates for its 100th birthday. Saturday alone has 29 things on. Let's get buzzing! ๐
๐ฅ Quick Picks
๐ 2026 WOW Show: GLO! - Awards Night (Fri) - Awards Night at TSB Arena, with an NZSL-interpreted ceremony after the show.
๐ Bee in the City (Fri) - Thirty giant bee sculptures have landed across the city. Free, and it runs all weekend.
๐ฅ SOTA "State of The Art 3.0" (Fri) - UK drum and bass takes over Brewtown. Final release only, plus a return bus from town.
๐บ๐ฆ SlavFest 2026 (Sat) - Free all-day festival of Slavic and Eastern European music, dance and food.
๐ฟ Rฤ Tลซwhera ki ลtari - ลtari Open Day (Sat) - Behind the scenes at ลtari-Wilton's Bush for its 100th birthday. Free, with a BBQ.
๐บ TNT! Te Tira Nui Tautito (Sat) - A free 27-piece big band meets te ao Mฤori, fronted by Lisa Tomlins.
๐ Wellington Lions v Northland (Sat) - NPC Round 8 at Hnry Stadium, a double-header with the Pride, and kids 0-15 free with a paying adult.
๐ธ Whakaataata Mฤra | Garden Performers (Sun) - Free roaming Shakespeare among the spring blooms, with a costume competition.
๐ Hutt Half Marathon (Sun) - Half, 10km, 5km and a Cool Kids Kilometre along the Eastern Bays.
๐ฐ๏ธ Welly's Time Machine
๐ท Buildings in Central Wellington, 1879, by James Bragge. Te Papa (D.000002) via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.
That's a steam locomotive on Lambton Quay. Wellington's steam-tram service began operating on 21 August 1878 and was formally opened three days later, when it was said to be the first in the southern hemisphere. The trams were noisy, dirty, prone to derailing and frightening to horses. Horse-drawn trams returned in 1882, although Wellington's last steam trams were not withdrawn until 1892.
Source: NZHistory
๐ฝ๏ธ Food & Drink
๐ท @nextlevelfoodies and @acai.era
Aรงaรญ Era has opened on Jackson Street, and this is exactly what we want after a walk along the Petone foreshore.
Era Bowls lead at $21.50, and the Dubai one layers aรงaรญ and granola with Dubai chocolate and pistachio sauce, finished with pistachio crumbs. Waffles, cheesecakes, swirl cones and smoothies too.
Find them at 133 Jackson Street, Petone, or order through Delivereasy.
๐ Events - What's On This Weekend
๐
Friday 18 September
๐ฎ Pacific Night Market
Food, goods and a lot of community at the Cook Islands Hall in Cannons Creek.
๐ Te Akapuanga Kuki Airani, 14 Mentor Lane, Cannons Creek, Porirua | ๐ Fri 5.30pm-8.30pm | ๐ฐ Free entry, food and goods pay as you go | ๐ All ages
Sixteen vendors of preloved, vintage and upcycled clothing take over a Victoria Street space for 18 days.
๐ 5/115 Victoria Street, Wellington Central | ๐ Fri 10am-6pm, Sat and Sun 11am-5pm | ๐ฐ Free entry
You're invited to the Shirley-East Cryptozoological Convention, where Aotearoa's monster hunters gather. Very silly.
๐ BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Terrace, Mount Victoria | ๐ Fri and Sat 11.30am and 1.30pm | ๐ฐ Waged $25, unwaged $18, child $10
Award-winning duo Aro run a free te reo songwriting workshop. Two sessions, spaces limited, so register.
๐ Central Library, 65 Victoria Street, Wellington Central | ๐ Fri 3.30pm and 4.30pm | ๐ฐ Free, registration required
The UK drum and bass headliner brings State of the Art to Brewtown with Skantia. Final release only, plus a return bus from town.
๐ Brewtown, 27 Blenheim Street, Upper Hutt | ๐ Fri 6pm-11pm | ๐ฐ Final release $99, return bus $20 | ๐ R18
๐ฃ HATCH Showcase
New work getting its first outing as part of the TAHI NZ Festival, and you're out in time for dinner.
๐ BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Terrace, Mount Victoria | ๐ Fri and Sat 6pm | ๐ฐ Waged $25, unwaged $18 | ๐ R16
An hour at the Hannah, and a title that'll stick in your head all weekend.
๐ Hannah Playhouse, 12 Cambridge Terrace, Te Aro | ๐ Fri and Sat 6pm | ๐ฐ Waged $31.23, unwaged $23.83, student and groups of 5+ $16.43 (incl. fees) | ๐ R13
๐ Revelation Valley
Lisa Maule's poetry with live music from Michelle Scullion, wandering from a capitalist stapler to the hills of Karori.
๐ Hannah Playhouse, 12 Cambridge Terrace, Te Aro | ๐ Fri and Sat 6.30pm | ๐ฐ GA $30.17, concession $22.96, pay what you want (incl. fees) | ๐ R13
The country's best young bands and solo acts play original music for national honours.
๐ The Great Hall, 15 Buckle Street, Mount Cook | ๐ Fri 7pm-10pm | ๐ฐ Seated $39.18, adult $28.92, student/child $23.25 (incl. fees)
๐ท Uncle Vanya
Chekhov on a rural vineyard, where years of quiet sacrifice come apart when the estate goes up for sale.
๐ Circa Theatre, 1 Taranaki Street, Te Aro | ๐ Fri and Sat 7pm, Sun 4pm | ๐ฐ Adult $60, senior $50, under-30s $30, child $25 (plus fees)
๐ธ Party Girl
A rock and roll monologue where a unicorn party from hell collides with a family in crisis. More Courtney Love than Tinkerbell.
๐ BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Terrace, Mount Victoria | ๐ Fri and Sat 7pm | ๐ฐ Waged $25, unwaged $18 | ๐ R16
Anita Wigl'it of RuPaul's Drag Race brings three rounds of inappropriate bingo and a drag show.
๐ Whisky & Wood, 60 Cambridge Terrace, Te Aro | ๐ Fri 7.30pm-9pm | ๐ฐ GA $38.15, VIP $43.28 (incl. fees) | ๐ R16
๐ 2026 WOW Show: GLO!
High voltage staging and Bizarre Bra back for the first time since 2023. Friday is Awards Night, with an NZSL-interpreted ceremony after. Saturday is sold out.
๐ TSB Arena, 4 Queens Wharf, Wellington Central | ๐ Fri 7.30pm, Sun 1.30pm and 6.30pm | ๐ฐ Restricted view from $69, C Reserve $89, B $109, A $149 | ๐ All ages
The doom and blackgaze trio launch their EP 'Suffering' with three bands in support.
๐ Valhalla, 154 Vivian Street, Te Aro | ๐ Fri 8pm | ๐ฐ $15 presale plus fee, $20 cash door | ๐ R18
Turntablism, sewer-pop and chaotic dance music, with Alphabethead launching his video Misanthrope.
๐ MEOW, 9 Edward Street, Te Aro | ๐ Fri doors 8pm, music 8.30pm | ๐ฐ $20 | ๐ R18
Bring a weird animal fact and watch it become a fully improvised nature documentary. No two shows are the same.
๐ BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Terrace, Mount Victoria | ๐ Fri and Sat 8pm | ๐ฐ Waged $25, unwaged $18, child $10
Two hours of stand-up MC'd by Katy Borrows and Emma Jean Goth. The line-up changes between Friday and Saturday.
๐ The Fringe Bar, 26 Allen Street, Te Aro | ๐ Fri and Sat 8pm | ๐ฐ GA $39.18, concession $34.05 (incl. fees) | ๐ R18
๐ Bee in the City
Thirty giant bee sculptures by Kiwi artists, plus 20+ community bees, across the city. Free map app to collect them all, auctioned in November for Life Flight.
๐ City-wide trail, Wellington | ๐ All weekend, daily until 8 November | ๐ฐ Free | ๐ All ages
๐
Saturday 19 September
๐บ๐ฆ SlavFest 2026
Slavic and Eastern European culture fills Te Whaea all day: Medena, Klezmer Rebs, Krakerjack and Bazurka on stage, plus Polish, Ukrainian and Bulgarian dance.
๐ Te Whaea, 11 Hutchison Road, Newtown | ๐ Sat 10am-5.30pm | ๐ฐ Free entry | ๐ All ages
The only botanic garden in Aotearoa devoted to native plants opens for one day, and it turns 100. Tours, a Discovery Den, plant sale, ngฤ taonga tฤkaro and a BBQ.
๐ ลtari-Wilton's Bush, 160 Wilton Road, Wilton | ๐ Sat 10am-2pm | ๐ฐ Free, rongoฤ balm making $10.25
๐งถ Fabric-a-brac 2026
Vintage and modern fabric, patterns and haberdashery, run by volunteers for Mary Potter Hospice. $100,000 raised since 2009.
๐ St Anne's Parish Hall, 22 Emmett Street, Newtown | ๐ Sat 10am-1pm | ๐ฐ Free entry, bring cash as most stalls are cash only
Crates of records and collectables from local sellers. Bring cash and a bag.
๐ Kai Tahi, 20 Parumoana Street, Porirua | ๐ Sat 10am-3pm | ๐ฐ Free entry
๐ง Ngaio Repair Cafe
Don't chuck it, fix it. Mending, electricals and sharpening. Last items in at 12.30pm.
๐ Ngaio Union Church, cnr Crofton Road & Kenya Street, Ngaio | ๐ Sat 10am-1pm | ๐ฐ Free
๐งต Behind the Seams
Two Wฤtฤ Workshop costume technicians on how cardboard and glue became a blockbuster career.
๐ Wฤtฤ Workshop, 1 Weka Street, Miramar | ๐ Sat and Sun 10am-11.30am | ๐ฐ From $49, tour combo from $96 | ๐ 15+
๐ Next Wave Markets
A brand new market built for emerging founders and small local brands: food, music, thrifting, art, jewellery and prizes.
๐ The Exchange, Allen Street, Te Aro | ๐ Sat 11am-3pm
Show us your best moves. The manu platform is up at Arena Aquatics for four hours.
๐ Te Rauparaha Arena, 17 Parumoana Street, Porirua | ๐ Sat 12pm-4pm | ๐ฐ Free | ๐ All ages
Go behind the scenes at HUHA's animal sanctuary in the Haywards hills and meet rescued goats, pigs, ponies, ducks and turtles. Steep unsealed driveway, so bring gumboots. Tours need four people to run.
๐ HUHA Haywards Hub, Upper Hutt | ๐ Sat 12.30pm-2pm | ๐ฐ Adult $26.05, child 5-16 $15.75, under-5s $5.45, family pass $73.30 (incl. fees)
Charles and Emily Looker blend honeyed jazz with haka-inspired rhythm in a bilingual show for tamariki to join in with.
๐ Central Library, 65 Victoria Street, Wellington Central | ๐ Sat 1pm-2pm | ๐ฐ Free
๐ชง Picnic for Nature
Forest & Bird Wellington gather on the Parliament lawn alongside the national March for Nature. Bring lunch, a rug and a banner.
๐ Parliament lawn, Molesworth Street, Pipitea | ๐ Sat 1pm-3pm | ๐ฐ Free
A free half-hour recital from a visiting carillonist, ringing out over the park.
๐ Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, Buckle Street, Mount Cook | ๐ Sat 2pm-2.30pm | ๐ฐ Free
๐ Step in Time
Step Out Dance Company's top 90 dancers leap across rooftops and tumble into a chalk-drawn wonderland.
๐ Southward Theatre, Otaihanga Road, Otaihanga, Paraparaumu | ๐ Sat 3.30pm, Sun 11.30am and 3.30pm | ๐ฐ Adult $30, concession $25 (plus fee)
The Lions' Emergency Services Round, with Wellington Pride v Northland first at 4.35pm, Hato Pฤora Senior Kapa Haka at halftime and trading cards for the first 300 kids who arrive in club gear.
๐ Hnry Stadium, 105 Waterloo Quay, Pipitea | ๐ Sat gates 4pm, Pride 4.35pm, Lions 7.10pm | ๐ฐ Adult $20, student $10, up to 3 kids 0-15 free per paying adult, family pass $40
The fallout from Jackpot lands in Gracefield. Family passes make it easy with the kids.
๐ The 162, 162 Gracefield Road, Lower Hutt | ๐ Sat 5.30pm-8pm | ๐ฐ Front row $16.58, GA $10.25 (incl. fees)
Bold & Beautiful Divas bring their first Jugni night to Petone: Indian beats, performances and shopping stalls.
๐ Indian Cultural Society Hall, cnr Udy & Nelson Streets, Petone | ๐ Sat 5.30pm-9pm | ๐ฐ $15 | ๐ Women only
๐ช Rufus Mundy
Contemporary folk in a not-for-profit Kelburn house concert. Reserve a seat and they'll email the address.
๐ Hilltop House Concerts, Upland Road, Kelburn | ๐ Sat gate 6.30pm, music 7pm | ๐ฐ Suggested donation $30, reserve a seat online
๐ป The Last Dream
An hour of prepared and improvised music between classical, ambient electronica and cinematic.
๐ Newtown Community Centre, cnr Colombo & Rintoul Streets, Newtown | ๐ Sat doors 6.45pm, 7pm-8pm | ๐ฐ Free entry
The other half of the finals weekend: student acts writing original music rooted in Mฤori and Pasifika culture.
๐ The Great Hall, 15 Buckle Street, Mount Cook | ๐ Sat 7pm-10pm | ๐ฐ Adult $16.58, student/child $10.25 (incl. fees)
๐ Ngฤ Uri o Tลซ
A Kฤpiti College production about five Mฤori boys who enlist underage for WW2, through drama, dance and kapa haka.
๐ Te Raukura ki Kฤpiti, 34a Raumati Road, Paraparaumu | ๐ Sat 7pm-9pm | ๐ฐ Adult $23.78, student/child $15.58, whฤnau four-pack $70.52 (incl. fees)
๐ท Frying Funk
New Zealand's top college jazz combo, first at the Tauranga and Manawatu comps, playing funk among the books.
๐ The Undercurrent, 118 Tory Street, Te Aro | ๐ Sat doors 7pm, music 7.30pm | ๐ฐ $15, online or on the door
Gee Quiz bring Quizney-themed trivia to Brooklyn, Pixar included, with a sing-along round.
๐ 1852 Pub & Kitchen, 55 Cleveland Street, Brooklyn | ๐ Sat 7pm-9.30pm | ๐ฐ $90 per team of up to 6
Wellington City Council closes te wiki with a free one: the 27-strong Capital City Big Band fronted by Lisa Tomlins, where big band meets te ao Mฤori.
๐ The Opera House, 111-113 Manners Street, Te Aro | ๐ Sat 7.30pm-9pm | ๐ฐ Free, plus a $5 booking fee per order | ๐ All ages
Four all-female-fronted acts: Boyband, Dystonia, Diplopoda and JQIME. Dreamy melodies to dirty riffs.
๐ Valhalla, 154 Vivian Street, Te Aro | ๐ Sat doors 7.30pm | ๐ฐ Early bird $10, door $15, under-18 plus guardian $20 | ๐ R18, under-18s with a legal guardian
Thirty-five ABBA tunes, all live vocals and costume replicas. Best 70s club gear encouraged.
๐ Upper Hutt Cosmopolitan Club, 11 Logan Street, Upper Hutt | ๐ Sat 8pm-10.30pm | ๐ฐ $31.20 (incl. fees)
Wellington's only all-female New Orleans street band bring the funk to Petone.
๐ Abandoned Taproom, 38 Fitzherbert Street, Petone | ๐ Sat 8pm-10.30pm | ๐ฐ $14.35 (incl. fees)
Wellington's fiercest drag competition rolls on, and the performers go for it.
๐ Ivy Bar and Cabaret, 63 Cuba Street, Te Aro | ๐ Sat 9.30pm | ๐ฐ GA $23.25, drag supporter $34.05 (incl. fees) | ๐ R18
๐ง Danny Rankin (UK)
Kurupt FM's DJ Decoy plays UK garage, jungle and bass, with Orfeo and CLOVA. Two releases already gone.
๐ MEOW, 9 Edward Street, Te Aro | ๐ Sat 10pm | ๐ฐ $34.50 general release | ๐ R18
Finals day of Hockey New Zealand's week-long national championship, with men's and women's teams from around the country across three tiers. Check the draw for match times.
๐ National Hockey Stadium, 9 Mt Albert Road, Berhampore | ๐ Sat, finals day
๐
Sunday 20 September
Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand turns 35 and sends Pucks, fairies and the odd Bottom roaming the garden. Vignettes at the Joy Fountain, 11.30am and 2.30pm.
๐ Wellington Botanic Garden, 101 Glenmore Street, Kelburn | ๐ Sun from 10am and again from 1pm | ๐ฐ Free
๐ Hutt Half Marathon
Half, 10km, 5km and a Cool Kids Kilometre on a flat out-and-back course, on new routes this year.
๐ Race HQ, Petone Rugby League Club, McEwan Park, Marine Parade, Petone | ๐ Sun starts 8am to 11am by event | ๐ฐ Half $80, 10km $55, 5km $45, kids $10
Help tidy the beachfront and town centre for Keep New Zealand Beautiful Week. Gear and giveaways provided, a sausage sizzle from 11am, and a good excuse for a run up the coast.
๐ Maclean Park, near the boat club and Coastguard, Paraparaumu Beach | ๐ Sun from 10am | ๐ฐ Free
Ninety minutes and a tidier waterfront. Gloves and gear provided, first-timers welcome.
๐ Evans Bay Marina, cnr Evans Bay Parade & Cobham Drive | ๐ Sun 10.30am-12pm | ๐ฐ Free
John Scott's 1961 masterpiece opens its doors and its brand new audio guide launches with it. Bring your phone to scan the QR code and take the history at your own pace.
๐ Futuna Chapel, 67 Friend Street, Karori | ๐ Sun 11am-1pm | ๐ฐ Entry by koha
Weeding and planting natives, then a picnic afternoon tea. Get in touch first for the meeting point.
๐ Khandallah Park, Woodmancote Road, Khandallah | ๐ Sun 1.30pm-3.30pm | ๐ฐ Free
Aotearoa's Bulgarian folklore vocal ensemble, led by Tui Mamaki, back from Bulgaria with melodies learned on mountain tops.
๐ St Peter's on Willis, 211 Willis Street, Te Aro | ๐ Sun 3pm-4pm | ๐ฐ GA $35, concession $20, supporter $50
๐ Heads Up - Next Week
Four big ones land before our next edition, so diary them now.
๐ญ Matilda The Musical - Roald Dahl's revolting children storm the St James in a premiere Wellington season from Capital Theatre Trust and G&T Productions, with Tim Minchin's songs. Opens Wed 23 Sep and runs to 11 Oct.
๐ฐ What should we do about the Super age? - IDEA's free forum puts Cameron Bagrie, Susan St John and Bill Rosenberg on a panel about means-testing Super and the retirement age. Mon 21 Sep 6pm-7.30pm at Foxglove Bar and Kitchen, 33 Queens Wharf. Free, but register.
๐ Futuna Lecture Series 2026 - Filmmaker Catherine Hunter and architect Nick Sissons on Glenn Murcutt. Tue 22 Sep 6.30pm-8.30pm at Old St Paul's, then two Murcutt documentaries at the Embassy on Wed 23 Sep, 6.30pm, $20.
๐
Spring Equinox at Stonehenge Aotearoa - Watch the equinox sunset line up through the henge, with an audio-visual tour of the night sky after dark. Wed 23 Sep 6pm-8pm, 51 Ahiaruhe Road, Carterton.
โ
Welly Weather Watch
โ
Friday 18 September: A few showers clearing to fine in the morning. Southerlies. High 14ยฐC, low 8ยฐC
โ
Saturday 19 September: Fine, then showers developing in the afternoon. Southerlies, turning northwesterly in the morning. High 15ยฐC, low 7ยฐC
โ
Sunday 20 September: Mainly fine, chance of a shower. Westerlies, turning southerly in the afternoon. High 14ยฐC, low 7ยฐC
Saturday morning is the safest outdoor window: fine early, showers from the afternoon. Friday's showers clear in the morning and Sunday is mainly fine, with just the chance of one. MetService, issued Wed 16 Sep.
โจ Extra Sprinkles - Charity of the Week
Forest & Bird Wellington are volunteer-run, and this Saturday they're on the Parliament lawn from 1pm alongside the national March for Nature, calling for stronger protection of conservation land.
Bring lunch, a picnic rug and a banner, or paint one there. Free and open to all.
Questions to [email protected], and the branch is at forestandbird.org.nz.
Bring lunch, a picnic rug and a banner, or paint one there. Free and open to all.
Questions to [email protected], and the branch is at forestandbird.org.nz.
Te Wiki o te Reo Mฤori has been a cracker and this weekend is the send-off it deserves. Whatever you pick, get the outdoor bits done on Saturday morning before the showers roll in.
Ngฤ mihi nui,
Kirstie & Steve ๐
Ngฤ mihi nui,
Kirstie & Steve ๐
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