🐝 Welly Buzz: Firelight, Free Matariki Magic & Winter Vibes

Kia ora Wellington!
Winter is settling in – the nights are long, the air is crisp, and Matariki is lighting up the city (and yes, the Winter Solstice is this Saturday).

Before we dive in, a huge thanks for all the amazing feedback on the Buzz Box idea last week – so many thoughtful comments, clever suggestions, and heaps of support for showcasing local gems and artists. We’re taking it all on board and cooking up something special... stay tuned! 👀.

Meanwhile, we’ve rounded up a warm, cozy, and fun weekend lineup – from Māori cabaret and communal feasts to stargazing and pop-up markets – to help you make the most of our capital’s coldest days. Grab an extra pair of socks, pour a hot cuppa, and let’s dive in.

🔥 Quick Picks This Weekend

🎇 Matariki Ahi Kā – Firelight, kai, and whānau vibes on the waterfront
🎶 Elvis Under the Stars – Hāngi dinner + hip-shaking tribute in Porirua
🍛 Sambhojana Utsav – A flavour-packed Indian street food fest in Petone
🌌 Mana Moana Pōneke – Mesmerising light and film art across the lagoon
🎲 Wellycon 2025 – NZ’s biggest board game convention takes over Tākina

🔥 In This Week’s Buzz

🐾 Pet of the Week – Olive & Sage, the inseparable bunnies who do everything together
🕰️ Welly’s Time Machine – The world’s first stamp vending machine? Yup, right here in Welly
🌟 Local Legends – A punk-meets-Japan vintage shop & a homewares treasure trove
🍽️ Food & Drink – Cinnamon scrolls, hāngi pies, and comfort food
🎉 Events – Over 45 fantastic events this Matariki weekend
⛅ Welly Weather Watch – Mostly fine all weekend, more chilly nights ahead
💝 Extra Sprinkles – Join the movement to make Wellington predator-free

🐾 Pet of the Week – Olive & Sage

This week, we’ve got a double dose of cuteness. Meet Olive (the black lop) and Sage (the white fluffball) – inseparable best friends who do absolutely everything together.

Their favourite things?
🥕 Food (of course)
🎁 Playing with their toys
🏃‍♂️ Zooming around the yard
💞 And most of all – snuggling with each other.

Thanks to Kelsey for sharing these adorable bonded buns. We can feel the love! 💛

Got a pet that steals the show? 🐾 Nominate your furry, feathery, or scaly friend for Pet of the Week by emailing a photo and blurb to [email protected]!

🕰️ Welly’s Time Machine

Bet you didn’t know Wellington led the world in vending tech over a century ago. In 1905, our General Post Office became the first place on Earth to install a stamp-vending machine – letting Kiwis buy stamps from a machine while most others were still lining up at a counter. Imagine feeding coins into a box for your stamps in the Edwardian era! It’s a quirky reminder that the Capital’s always punched above its weight in clever ideas.

🌟 Local Legends – Small Biz Gems to Check Out:

Bizarre Bazaar (100 Tory St)

Step into this sensory-overload vintage shop and you’ll feel you’ve landed in a punk-punk-Japan mashup. It’s a “dark corner” boutique loaded with one-of-a-kind fashion – from BDSM techno to trashy Americana – curated by founder Jess Scott. Think Vivienne Westwood meets Harajuku in a car parked inside the store.

Kaukau (30 Ghuznee St)

A bright, airy homewares & design mecca. Co-owners Nadya and Prakashan have packed this purple-walled Ghuznee shop with a perfectly curated mix of furniture, art, clothing and objets d’art. We love browsing their treasure trove of clever household finds and local art (and admiring that dusky-plum interior!).

🍽️ Food & Drink – Must-Try Spots This Week

Little Bread Loaf

A “hole‑in‑the‑wall” artisan bakery with two Wellington-area spots: Alicetown (31A Railway Ave) and Miramar (Unit 7, 24 Southampton Rd). Famous for scratch-made sourdough, cinnamon scrolls, savoury pretzels, rewena baps, and cheese-filled treats - plus weekend market pop-ups. If ever there was a place to grab your weekday sourdough fix or treat‑yourself weekend bun, this is it.

Pepe’s Café - 10 Broken Hill Road, Porirua

A beloved Porirua café, caterer and bakery serving soulful Pacific-inspired comfort food. They’re famous for hāngi pies, panipopo, pork buns and their epic “South Made” food truck appearances across Wellington. A warm, whānau-run gem where “every dish is a celebration of flavour.”

🎉 Events: Your Weekend Lineup 🌟

Friday, 20 June:

🧊 Wellington Ice Rink – Lace up for winter skating by the sea at Queen’s Wharf.
📍 Queen’s Wharf | 🕒 10am–late | 🎟️ Ticketed

🎪 Matariki Under the Stars: Interactive Experience – Light shows, stories, and star lore.
📍 Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua | 🕒 From 10:00am | 🎟️ Free entry

🛍️ Matariki Māori Business Showcase – Explore kai, crafts, and culture from Māori businesses nationwide.
📍 Te Papa | 🕒 From 9am | 🎟️ Free

🌿 Glow Worm Night Walk – Discover Wellington’s glowing titiwai with a torchlit garden tour.
📍 Botanic Garden | 🕒 7pm & 8pm | 🎟️ Adults $10, Children under 12 Free

🌟 Celebrate Matariki at Stonehenge Aotearoa
A breathtaking evening of celestial storytelling and cultural insights under the stars at one of Wairarapa’s most iconic stargazing spots.
📍 Stonehenge Aotearoa, Carterton | 🕓 4:30pm | 🎟️ Tickets

🪞 The Heiress – A powerful period drama set in 1840s Manhattan, where love, inheritance, and heartbreak collide. Based on the novel Washington Square by Henry James.
📍 Gryphon Theatre, Ghuznee St | 📅 Wed 18 – Sat 28 June | 🕢 7:30pm (matinee Sun 22, 3pm; early shows Tues 24 & Wed 25, 6:30pm) | 🎟️ $15–$30

🎯 Axtion Packed Friday Fling – Try your hand at axe throwing with mates.
📍 Sweet Axe, Wellington + Upper Hutt | 🕒 4pm–late | 🎟️ $59.68

🎤 Taonga; Matariki – An immersive drag and live performance showcase celebrating Māori talent.
📍 Ivy Bar & Cabaret | 🕒 9:30pm | 🎟️ R18, $10.25 - $16.58

🎭 La bohème – Puccini’s classic hits the St James stage for Matariki weekend.
📍 St James Theatre | 🕒 7:30pm | 🎟️ From $79

🎧 Hybrid Minds “in Colour” – Drum & bass takes over Upper Hutt with immersive light and bass.
📍 Brewtown, Upper Hutt | 🕒 5:00pm | 🎟️ From $89

🎇 Matariki Ahi Kā – Firelight, kai and a special ceremony
📍 Waterfront | 🕒 6–9pm | 🎟️ Free

🎸 Come Together – Live Rust – A star-studded tribute to Neil Young’s iconic album.
📍 The Opera House | 🕒 8:00pm | 🎟️ From $99

🎹 Jazz Orchestra: Daniel Hayles Composer Series – Big band meets moody modern jazz.
📍 Bedlam & Squalor | 🕒 7:00pm | 🎟️ $15

🎨 Star Glaze Ceramics Festival – Celebrate clay, kilns, and community in Ōtaki.
📍 Ōtaki Racing Club | 🕒 From 10:00am | 🎟️ See event link

🧒 String Bean Puppets: Once in a Full Moon – A dreamy puppet adventure for tamariki.
📍 Zealandia | 🕒 10:30am | 🎟️ Free

🛍️ Whataitai Matariki Market – Local crafts, music, and free kai in Miramar.
📍 Miramar Community Centre | 🕒 10:00am–3:00pm | 🎟️ Free Admission

🌌 Matariki Star Crafts at Space Place – A family-friendly craft session under the stars.
📍 Carter Observatory | 🕒 From 10:00am | 🎟️ Adults $16, Children $10

🎷 George Young & Band – Late-night soul and R&B grooves.
📍 Rogue & Vagabond | 🕒 9:30pm | 🎟️ Free entry

🎆 Matariki Bonfire at Castlepoint
Celebrate the rising of Matariki with a pre-dawn bonfire on the beach, fire poi displays, and a sizzling sausage sizzle. A magical start to the day.
📍 Castlepoint Beach | 🕔 5am, Friday 20 June | 🎟️ Free

🌴 Strictly Jungle 2 – Drum & Bass Carnage
Valhalla turns up the tempo with rising NZ star Armes and a stacked local Junglist lineup. Expect fast breaks, big bass, and zero chill.
📍 Valhalla, Vivian St | 🕒 10:00pm–late | 🎟️ Early birds online, limited door sales

🌀 Flashpoint: Synapse – Sound, light, and memory collide
A haunting Matariki performance in total darkness. Musicians glow in sync with shifting lights as sound and memory loop, fade, and return.
📍 Hannah Playhouse | 🕒 7:30pm | 🎟️ Ticketed, includes light effects

👨‍👩‍👧 Whānau Day: Matariki at Te Papa – Storytelling, kapa haka and crafts for the whole family.
📍 Te Papa | 🕒 From 10:00am | 🎟️ Free with museum entry

🎤 MELODOWNZ & MĀ – Indigenous Hip-Hop Showcase
Celebrate Matariki with Aotearoa’s freshest Indigenous hip-hop, soul, and R&B artists. MELODOWNZ headlines this stacked Friday lineup at San Fran.
📍 San Fran, Cuba St | 🕒 7:00pm | 🎟️ Tickets via Moshtix

🌊 Mana Moana Pōneke – Light art and short films on the lagoon
📍 Whairepo Lagoon | 🕒 6–9pm | 🎟️ Free

🛍️ Matariki Night Market – Food trucks, stalls & music
📍Wainuiomata Marae | 🕒 4–9pm | 🎟️ Free Entry

🎲 Wellycon 2025 – Game on! NZ’s biggest board game con
📍 Tākina | 🕒 All day | 🎟️ Tickets

Saturday 21 June:

🎲 Wellycon 2025 – Day two of dice and board game glory
📍 Tākina | 🕒 All day | 🎟️ Tickets

🎨 Star Glaze 2025 Mid Winter Ceramics Festival – Celebrating community and ceramics in the heart of Ōtaki.
📍 Ōtaki Racing Club | 🕒 From 10:00am | 🎟️ Adults $5, Children Free

🎆 Matariki Ahi Kā – Wellington Waterfront lights up with fire, kai and whānau-friendly performances.
📍 Wellington Waterfront | 🕒 6:00pm | 🎟️ Free

🛍️ Waikanae Matariki Market – Food trucks, crafts and community vibes in the heart of Waikanae.
📍 Waikanae Park, Park Ave, Waikanae | 🕒 8:00am–12:00pm | 🎟️ Free entry

🎶 Matariki Saturday Evening Gig – The Unsung Heroes House Concert
Folk tales of Aotearoa villains, vagabonds, and heroines with Chris Priestley, Peter Elliott, Cameron Bennett, Sonia Wilson, and Nigel Gavin.
📍 Hilltop, Kelburn | 🕖 From 7:00pm | 🎟️ Suggested donation $40

🚂 The Main Trunk Steam Spectacular – Double-headed steam train journey through the Rangitikei – a rare heritage railway experience.
📍 Departs Paekakariki Station | 🕒 6:25am–7:40pm | 🎟️ $199 adult / $149 child

🎭 The Tīwhas: A Matariki Spectacular – A glamorous cabaret tribute to Māori showbands of the 1950s and 60s.
📍 Circa Theatre | 🕒 8:00pm | 🎟️ $85-$95

🎪 Circus of the Night – Burlesque meets circus in this dark and dazzling Fringe Bar showcase.
📍 The Fringe Bar | 🕒 7:30pm | 🎟️ From $33.30

🎸 Rain & the Urban Bohemians – Winter Solstice Party – Petone’s abandoned taproom comes alive with bluesy folk and midwinter warmth.
📍 Abandoned Taproom, Petone | 🕒 8:00pm | 🎟️ $10

🌌 Mana Moana Pōneke – A luminous celebration of Pacific storytelling over the lagoon.
📍 Whairepo Lagoon | 🕒 From 6:00pm (Sat) | 🎟️ Free

🛍️ Ōtaki College Matariki Night Market – Food trucks, artisan stalls, and local flair.
📍 Ōtaki College | 🕒 From 5:00pm (Sat) | 🎟️ Entry by koha

🛍️ Matariki Māori Business Showcase – Kai, culture, and creativity in the Te Papa foyer.
📍 Te Papa | 🕒 From 9:00am (Sat) | 🎟️ Free

🎨 Matariki Star Crafts – Kids create cosmic crafts at Space Place’s celestial workshop.
📍 Space Place | 🕒 10:00am (Sat) | 🎟️ Ticketed

🎭 The Sexy Ghost of Xmas Present – Christmas camp meets Matariki mischief.
📍 BATS Theatre | 🕒 7:30pm (Sat) | 🎟️ From $20

🎷 Kelburn Jugband Live – A foot-stomping blend of folk, jazz, and storytelling.
📍 The Undercurrent | 🕒 7:30pm (Sat) | 🎟️ $20

🎉 Dark Night: Love Party – Dress up, dance hard, and celebrate winter solstice your way.
📍 Dom Polski | 🕒 7:30pm (Sat) | 🎟️ $27

🕺 Dance Therapy – Session 7 – A night of techno, trance, house & breaks for your mind, body and soul. Featuring Cybernet (AUS), local legends, and epic live visuals.
📍 San Fran | 🎟️ Ticketed

🎶 For-tunes x Little Monsters DJ Party – Day-to-night dance takeover with Wellington & Christchurch's best in house, techno, and feel-good vibes.
📍 13 Pirie St, Mt Vic | 🕒 3:00pm -1:00am | 🎟️ Ticketed

🍛 Sambhojana Utsav 2025 – Indian Street Food Fair – A festive day of authentic Indian flavours, music, and culture in Petone.
📍 Indian Cultural Hall, Petone | 🕒 10:00am–4:00pm | 🎟️ Discounted tickets online

🎤 Elvis Under the Stars – Dinner, drinks, and an unforgettable Matariki night with Elvis tribute artist Che Orton.
📍 Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua | 🕒 6:30pm | 🎟️ $69 (includes dinner)

📜 Stories of Paekākāriki – Talks & Tales – Māori history, archaeology, and poetry take centre stage in this rich afternoon of local storytelling.
📍 St Peter’s Village Hall, Paekākāriki | 🎟️ Free

🚗 Strictly Nissan Matariki Meet – Car lovers unite! A Nissan-only gathering with merch, snacks, and a photo-filled cruise.
📍 1 Gregory St, Lower Hutt | 🕒 11:00am | 🎟️ Free, Nissan-only

🕺 Latin Salsa Party – Monthly Social – Free beginner lesson then a full night of dancing, vibes, and Latin beats.
📍 Two Right Feet Studio, 175 Vivian St | 🕒 8:45pm lesson, party from 9:30pm | 🎟️ $15 door or bank transfer

Sunday, 22 June:

🚂 The Celebrations Express – Vintage Rail & Grand Cavalcade – Five locomotives, historic carriages, steam workshops, and a nostalgic day of train travel.
📍 Paekākāriki Railway Station | 🕒 6:50am–7:40pm | 🎟️ From $79

🛍️ Stallkeepers Greytown Market – Handmade Goods & Boutique Finds – A cosy Greytown makers market with artisan crafts, treats, and fashion.
📍 Greytown Town Centre (Library) | 🕒 9:30am–3:00pm | 🎟️ Free

🎶 Matariki Sunday Afternoon Gig – The Unsung Heroes House Concert - Folk Tales of Aotearoa Villains, Vagabonds, and Heroines with Chris Priestley, Peter Elliott, Cameron Bennett, Sonia Wilson, and Nigel Gavin.
📍 Hilltop, Kelburn | 🕒 From 4:00pm | 🎟️ Suggested donation $40

🎷 Sunday Jazz – Nick Tipping’s Tiptet
Ease into Sunday evening with funky, soulful jazz from bassist Nick Tipping and his all-star Tiptet. It’s cool, it’s free, and the beer’s cold.
📍 Rogue & Vagabond, Te Aro | 🕔 5:00pm–7:00pm | 🎟️ Free (koha encouraged)

🌱 Matariki at Kaicycle Urban Farm
Gather, harvest, and share kai at this community-focused Matariki celebration. Reflect, connect, and look forward to the year ahead in the lush māra of Kaicycle.
📍 5 Hospital Rd, Newtown | 🕚 11:00am–2:30pm | 🎟️ Free (bring food to share if you can)

🚂 Mountain Thunder – A full-day heritage rail adventure from Paekākāriki to Taumarunui and back, with epic viaducts, mountain views, and optional Sky Waka gondola add-on.
📍 Paekākāriki Railway Station | 🕕 6:25am–9:20pm

🎷 Sunday Jazz Club at Parrotdog
Ease into your Sunday with smooth sounds from a rotating lineup of top local jazz talent. Laid-back vibes, great beer, and zero cover charge.
📍 Parrotdog Bar, Lyall Bay | 🕒 3:00pm–5:00pm | 🎟️ Free Entry

🧺 Ōtaki Craft Market
A colourful Sunday market full of handmade treasures, native plants, vintage finds, kai trucks, and live tunes from a local busker. Come for the finds, stay for the flavour.
📍 Ōtaki Market, Main Hwy | 🕙 10:00am–2:00pm | 🎟️ Free Entry

🎲 Wellycon Day 3 – Final session, quickfire games
📍 Tākina | 🕒 9am–3pm | 🎟️ Tickets

🎇 Matariki Ahi Kā Closing Night
📍 Waterfront | 🕒 6–9pm | 🎟️ Free

🌊 Mana Moana Finale
📍 Whairepo Lagoon | 🕒 6–9pm | 🎟️ Free

💍 Weddings by Foxglove 2025 Open Day – Tour, Tastings & Vendor Deals – Explore the venue, sip Cloudy Bay, and meet 30+ local wedding pros (plus a shot at winning your big day!).
📍 Foxglove Ballroom | 🕒 11:00am–4:00pm | 🎟️ Free Entry

🌱 Coming Up Next Week…

🌏 Aurora Climate Lab Summit
Thursday 26 June, Michael Fowler Centre - 2pm-5pm
What if the answers to climate change were already being built in Wellington? This one-day summit is your chance to meet 15 epic teams creating real, scalable solutions to Aotearoa’s climate and energy challenges. Expect inspiring ideas, serious innovation, and a room full of clever people doing cool things. Register here.

⛅ Welly Weather Watch

⛅ Friday: Fine. Fresh northwesterlies, easing. High 15°C, low 8°C
⛅ Saturday: Fine. Southerlies developing. High 12°C, low 6°C
⛅ Sunday: Partly cloudy. Northwesterlies, becoming fresh. High 14°C, low 8°C

💕 Extra Sprinkles – Charity of the Week

Predator Free Wellington – A world-first community project to rid the city of rats, possums, stoats and weasels, giving native birds a fighting chance. Thousands of volunteers are joining forces to trap pests in backyards and bush reserves. Want to help? Check out predatorfreewellington.org.nz and sign up to “Get Trapping” in your neighborhood – it’s a fun Kiwi outdoorsy thing to do, and our tui will thank you!

Enjoy your weekend adventures, Wellington! We hope these events keep you cozy and entertained – whether you’re catching the Matariki lights or just staying in with hot chocolate. Stay warm, stay safe, and keep that Wellington buzz going.

Ngā mihi nui,
Kirstie & Steve 🐝

Know someone who'd love WellyBuzz? Forward it on, or send them to wellybuzz.co.nz to join the hive 🐝