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- ๐ Atomic!, Film Fest & Newtown Record Fair
๐ Atomic!, Film Fest & Newtown Record Fair
Plus Fashion Fest at Shed 6, A Garden Fiesta, Elvistraganza, and Burger Welly still on. Plan your weekend ๐
Kirstie and Steve
August 13, 2026
WellyBuzz ๐
Your Wellington Weekend Sorted
Atomic!, Film Fest & Newtown Record Fair
Film Fest sessions all weekend, Atomic! at the Opera House, Fashion Fest at Shed 6, the Newtown Record Fair and Burger Welly still on. Plan your weekend ๐
๐ Welcome
Kia ora Wellington! โ๏ธ
What a line-up this one is. The Film Festival is in full swing at the Embassy, the Light House and the Roxy, and on Friday Atomic! brings Julia Deans, Boh Runga and Vera Ellen to the Opera House for a night of Blondie, Kate Bush and Patti Smith. Then Saturday goes properly big: Shed 6 fills with thrift vendors for Fashion Fest, the Newtown Record Fair hauls out the crates for its annual dig, and Titahi Bay Mall turns into an all-day Elvis carnival, free entry and all ages. Burger Welly is still running too, so there's no excuse to eat badly. Friday is the driest of the three, so get the weather-sensitive plans in early. Let's get buzzing! ๐
๐ฅ Quick Picks
๐ Lions v North Harbour (Tonight) - Midweek NPC blockbuster at Hnry Stadium and kids under 16 go free.
๐ป NZSO Radiance (Fri) - Wagner at full noise, with heldentenor Simon O'Neill at the MFC.
๐ธ Atomic! (Fri) - Julia Deans, Boh Runga and Vera Ellen do Blondie to Kate Bush.
๐ฑ Wairarapa Garden Fiesta (Sat) - Free gardening festival: plants, produce, demos and food trucks.
๐ถ Elvistraganza (Sat) - Titahi Bay Mall goes full Elvis all day. Free entry and all ages.
๐ Fashion Fest Wellington (Sat) - NZ's best thrift vendors take over Shed 6. Five bucks in.
๐ฟ Newtown Record Fair (Sat) - The annual crate dig is back. Records, CDs, tapes, the lot.
๐ธ Ash Grunwald (Fri-Sat) - Carterton on Friday with Daniel Champagne, then Upper Hutt on Saturday.
๐ Signature High Tea by steam train (Sun) - A 111-year-old locomotive, scones and the Kฤpiti coast. Waitlist only.
๐ช On All Weekend
๐ฌ Whฤnau Mฤrama: NZ International Film Festival (to Sun 23 Aug) - Dozens of sessions a day at the Embassy, Light House and the Roxy. Picks: Lomu + Q&A (Sat 5.45pm, selling fast), the Surprise Screening (Sat 8.45pm) and Kiri and Lou (Sat 10am). Book ahead.
๐ Visa Wellington On a Plate (to Mon 31 Aug) - Burger Wellington runs to Sun 23 Aug, priced by each venue. Cocktail Wellington is on pause for 2026.
๐ฐ๏ธ Welly's Time Machine
๐ท Snow in Wellington, 15 August 2011. Photo: Phillip Capper / Flickr. CC BY 2.0. View source
This weekend marks 15 years since the August 2011 polar blast brought snow down to sea level in Wellington for the first time since 1976. Schools closed, flights were disrupted and public transport was cancelled.
๐ฝ๏ธ Food & Drink
Conscious Kai is bringing fresh, nourishing lunches to the city, upstairs at the much-loved Bhakti Lounge on Vivian Street.
A Power Plate is $12 for curry of the day, rice, salad and pudding. The Mega Plate is $15, vegan pies and samosas $6 each, plus cinnamon rolls, cookies and mango lassi. Nothing on the menu is over $15.
Bhakti Lounge has been feeding Wellington with dinners, events and good company for over 20 years, and now the doors are open at lunchtime too. Fresh food, good value and a warm welcome.
Level 1, 175 Vivian Street, Te Aro. Mon-Fri, 12pm-2pm. @bhaktiloungewellington
๐ Events - What's On This Weekend
๐
Thursday 13 August - Tonight
๐ค What's Up Welly!
A brand new free weekly series where three interesting locals take the comfy chair for a chat about what they do and what's next. No stage lights, no keynote pressure. First up is Eddie Rakanui, who hitchhiked in over 700 cars around NZ.
๐ Level 6, Equinox House, 222 Lambton Quay, Wellington Central | ๐ Thu, doors 5pm, speakers 5.30-6.30pm | ๐ฐ Free | ๐ Only 30 seats
Round 3 of the NPC opens with a midweek blockbuster. Be gold, be black, be there.
๐ Hnry Stadium, 105 Waterloo Quay, Pipitea | ๐ Thu, gates from 6pm, kick-off 7.10pm | ๐ฐ Adult $20, Student $10, kids under 16 free, Family Pass $40
๐
Friday 14 August
๐ป NZSO Radiance
An all-Wagner night from the NZSO: Tannhรคuser and Parsifal, with Kiwi heldentenor Simon O'Neill on the big moments.
๐ Michael Fowler Centre, 111 Wakefield Street, Te Aro | ๐ Fri 6.30pm-8.30pm | ๐ฐ Adult from $40.78, Child from $24.47 (incl. fees)
BYO mat for a casual flow class that's genuinely free. Spaces limited.
๐ Thistle Hall, Upstairs Hall, 293 Cuba Street, Te Aro | ๐ Fri 7am-8am | ๐ฐ Free, book ahead
A weekly daytime sing about wellbeing, not performance.
๐ Aro Valley Community Centre, 48 Aro Street, Aro Valley | ๐ Fri from 10.20am | ๐ฐ $15 casual, $60 for five, $100 a term
A giant Eastbourne Lions book sale, themed around books for kids. Daily to Sunday.
๐ San Antonio School, 78 Oroua Street, Eastbourne, Lower Hutt | ๐ Daily to Sun 16 Aug, 10am-4pm | ๐ฐ Free entry
A relaxed catch-up at the bar downstairs from the Embassy.
๐ The Black Sparrow, 10a Majoribanks Street, Mount Victoria | ๐ Fri from 5.30pm | ๐ฐ Free
Wine, platters and astrophotography under the Dark Sky Reserve.
๐ Parehua Country Estate, New York Street West, Martinborough | ๐ Fri 5.30pm-9pm | ๐ฐ $85.30 (incl. fees) | ๐ Adults only
๐ธ Atomic!
A femme rock supergroup led by Julia Deans, with Boh Runga, Dianne Swann and Vera Ellen doing Blondie, the Pretenders, Eurythmics and Kate Bush. Down to the last few seats.
๐ The Opera House, 111-113 Manners Street, Te Aro | ๐ Fri 7.30pm | ๐ฐ $79-$112.63 (+ handling fee) | ๐ 12+, under 14s with a caregiver
The Australian Blues & Roots Road Show hits Carterton. A separate show from Saturday's.
๐ Wairarapa Events Centre, 50 Holloway Street, Carterton | ๐ Fri 7.30pm | ๐ฐ Adult $61.50, Under 18 $31.50 (incl. fee), under 2s free
A full drag king cast doing mansplaining, manspreading and moustaches.
๐ The Fringe Bar, 26 Allen Street, Te Aro | ๐ Fri 8pm-10pm, doors 7pm | ๐ฐ $34.05 (incl. fees), the cheaper tiers have gone, $35 cash at the door | ๐ R18
๐ค Scratch Night
Ten minutes each for Pลneke creatives to test unfinished work.
๐ BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Terrace, Mount Victoria | ๐ Fri 8.30pm-9.30pm | ๐ฐ GA $15, Extra Aroha $40 (+ fees)
๐บ The Klezmer Rebs
Fresh off headlining the Wellington Folk Festival, the Rebs play their first ever show at the Rogue, with tracks from their new live album Back to Futuna. Free in, koha for the band.
๐ The Rogue and Vagabond, 18 Garrett Street, Te Aro | ๐ Fri, music from 9.30pm | ๐ฐ Free, koha appreciated | ๐ R18
Fall Out Boy, MCR, Paramore and blink-182 till late.
๐ San Fran, 171 Cuba Street, Te Aro | ๐ Fri, doors 9pm | ๐ฐ $21.62 + $1.95 transaction fee | ๐ R18, ID required
๐
Saturday 15 August
My Walk in Wardrobe turns Shed 6 into a sustainable fashion market with NZ's best thrift vendors, plus tattooists, barbers and piercers.
๐ Shed 6, Queens Wharf, Wellington Central | ๐ Sat sittings 11.30am-4.30pm | ๐ฐ $5 entry at the door
๐ Winterman 2026
A half-ironman-style day around the harbour, or pick your own distances. Own risk.
๐ Meet at Freyberg Beach, Oriental Parade, Oriental Bay | ๐ Sat, meet 7.30am | ๐ฐ No entry fee
The 6th annual free gardening festival: plants, produce, demos, food trucks.
๐ Wairarapa A & P Society, 12 Chester Road, Carterton | ๐ Sat 8.30am-3pm | ๐ฐ Free admission
๐ฅฌ Gather Wairarapa
Grown here, gathered here. A Saturday market of local food and drink.
๐ Solway Showgrounds, Judds Road, Masterton | ๐ Sat 9am-1pm | ๐ฐ Free admission
The Beer Engine turns Titahi Bay Mall into an all-day Elvis carnival: lipsync comps, karaoke, a lip curl contest and an amateur impersonator tournament. Postponed from last weekend, so it runs Saturday.
๐ Titahi Bay Mall, Whitehouse Road, Tฤซtahi Bay, Porirua | ๐ Sat 10am-8.30pm | ๐ฐ Free entry, food and drinks to buy
๐ฐ Eat Your Art Out
Te Papa's high tea, built around the Slow Burn photography show. Bookings essential, no walk-ins.
๐ Espresso, Level 4, Te Papa, 55 Cable Street, Te Aro | ๐ Sat and Sun sittings from 10.30am (Friday is booked out) | ๐ฐ $32 per person
๐ง Ngaio Repair Cafe
Don't chuck it, fix it. Volunteers mend clothes, electricals and instruments.
๐ Ngaio Union Church, 3 Kenya Street (cnr Crofton Road), Ngaio | ๐ Sat 10am-1pm | ๐ฐ Free
Librarian Sue takes the fiddle through 100 years of Irish music.
๐ Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library, 158 Main Road, Tawa | ๐ Sat 11am-11.45am | ๐ฐ Refer to event link
Kerala's biggest celebration comes to Petone with an unlimited traditional Onam sadhya, sweet payasams, a pookkalam flower arrangement, a festive photo booth and cultural performances. Proceeds go to the church building fund.
๐ Indian Cultural Centre, 119/121 Nelson Street, Petone | ๐ Sat 11am-4pm | ๐ฐ Adults $28, children $18, under-5s free (+ fees), book a sitting
Remutaka host Dead End Derby and Bridge City for three games. A brilliant family day out.
๐ Whirinaki Whare Taonga, 836 Fergusson Drive, Upper Hutt | ๐ Sat, doors 11.30am, games 12pm, 2pm and 4pm | ๐ฐ Cash at the door: Adult $15, Child/Student $10, under 5s free
๐ฟ Newtown Record Fair
The annual crate dig returns to the Community Centre, with the regular vendors bringing quality records, CDs, tapes and more. Another belter.
๐ Newtown Community Centre, cnr Colombo & Rintoul Sts | ๐ Sat 1pm-5pm | ๐ฐ Refer to event link
An hour on how plants worldwide have adapted to fire. Book ahead.
๐ Meet at the Cable Car Entrance Lookout, Upland Rd, Kelburn | ๐ Sat 1.30pm-2.30pm | ๐ฐ $10.25 (incl. fees), free for Garden Friends, limited spots
Kapiti Concert Orchestra under Martin Riseley, with soloist Yuka Eguchi. Selling fast, mostly rear rows left.
๐ Te Raukura ki Kฤpiti, 34a Raumati Road, Paraparaumu | ๐ Sat 2.30pm-4.30pm | ๐ฐ $20.70-$36.08 (incl. fees)
Wellington's chamber choir take Lassus's chromatic masterwork up the coast.
๐ St Paul's Church, 1 Langdale Avenue, Paraparaumu | ๐ Sat 3pm-4.30pm | ๐ฐ $10.60-$36.35 (incl. fees), under 12s free
Lucha libre veteran Super Crazy wrestles in New Zealand for the first time.
๐ Te Rauparaha Arena, 17 Parumoana Street, Porirua | ๐ก Sat 6pm | ๐ฐ Grandstand Adult $17.80, Child $12.80 (incl. fees)
๐ฎ๐ณ India Day featuring Gurnam Bhullar
A celebration of Indian culture headlined by Gurnam Bhullar, with dance and seriously good food.
๐ Lower Hutt Town Hall, 30c Laings Road, Lower Hutt | ๐ก Sat from 6pm | ๐ฐ $28.92 balcony GA (incl. fees), ground passes are organiser holds
A 19-piece big band plus a beginner Lindy Hop workshop. Frock up.
๐ Vogelmorn Hall, 13 Vennell Street, Brooklyn | ๐ Sat doors 6.30pm, workshop 7pm, music 7.30pm-9.30pm | ๐ฐ $10-$25 (+ fees) | ๐ R18 supervised
๐ธ Ash Grunwald
Australia's premier bluesman is back after selling out in 2025. Stacks of guitars, family friendly.
๐ Whirinaki Whare Taonga, 836 Fergusson Drive, Upper Hutt | ๐ Sat 7.30pm | ๐ฐ Adult $50, Under 18 $25 (+ fee)
Comedy School alumni take the Fringe Bar stage for the Diversity Scholarship.
๐ The Fringe Bar, 26 Allen Street, Te Aro | ๐ Sat 8pm-9.30pm | ๐ฐ $16.58-$23.25 (incl. fees), $25 door | ๐ R18
The Australian prog-guitar star hits Cuba Street, with Delta Sleep and nightdive.
๐ San Fran, 171 Cuba Street, Te Aro | ๐ Sat 8pm | ๐ฐ $79.90 (incl. fees) + $3.95 transaction fee | ๐ Minors with a guardian
Three improv teams, one audience; the winner takes next month's headline slot. This edition is headlined by The Natural History Boy. Book early, it fills up.
๐ The Dome, BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Terrace, Mount Victoria | ๐ Sat 8.30pm-9.30pm | ๐ฐ Waged $25, Unwaged $15
๐ง Girls Torque
The first Girls Torque in Aotearoa, celebrating the wahine DJs of Pลneke.
๐ Valhalla, 154 Vivian Street, Te Aro | ๐ Sat 9pm-3am | ๐ฐ $20 (+ fees) | ๐ R18
๐ Nostalgia Bait!
A Y2K drag show at Ivy: dial-up, frosted tips, Furbies and boy bands.
๐ Ivy Bar and Cabaret, 63 Cuba Street, Te Aro | ๐ Sat 9.45pm-11.55pm | ๐ฐ $23.25, Drag Artist $10.25 (incl. fees) | ๐ R18
๐บ Frisky Rave Cave
Techno and underground electronic with DJ Zac and DJ Jimmy Fade.
๐ Afters.NZ, 38 Dixon Street, Te Aro | ๐ Sat 10pm-3am | ๐ฐ GA $37.58 (incl. fees) | ๐ R18
๐
Sunday 16 August
Climb aboard behind Ab 608 Passchendaele, a 111-year-old restored steam locomotive, and rattle north to Tatum for a proper high tea. The last departure of the season is fully booked, but there's a waitlist.
๐ Board at Paraparaumu or Waikanae (Steam Inc) | ๐ Sun 1.15pm-6.30pm | ๐ฐ $149pp, waitlist only
Last chance at the Eastbourne Lions book sale.
๐ San Antonio School, 78 Oroua Street, Eastbourne, Lower Hutt | ๐ Sun 10am-4pm | ๐ฐ Free entry
The quarterly coastline clean-up, all gear provided.
๐ Meet at Evans Bay Marina, cnr Evans Bay Pde & Cobham Drive | ๐ Sun 10.30am-12pm | ๐ฐ Free
Weeding and native replanting at your own pace, then afternoon tea.
๐ Khandallah Park, Woodmancote Road, Khandallah | ๐ Sun 1.30pm-3.30pm | ๐ฐ Free
The Rebs close Pฤtaka's winter series with an hour of Yiddish and European folk.
๐ Pฤtaka Art + Museum, cnr Parumoana & Norrie Streets, Porirua | ๐ Sun 2pm-3pm | ๐ฐ $10 door, free for Friends of Pฤtaka and kids (door only)
Chopin, Beethoven and Liszt. Note: replaces the advertised Duo Enharmonics.
๐ St Andrew's on The Terrace, 30 The Terrace, Wellington Central | ๐ Sun 3pm-5pm | ๐ฐ $44.30, Under-26 $10.25 (incl. fees)
Em Griffiths and friends play lively Irish tunes while you settle in with a cocktail. Third Sunday of the month, just turn up.
๐ Hanging Ditch, 14 Leeds Street, Te Aro (Hannah's Factory courtyard) | ๐ Sun 4pm-6pm | ๐ฐ Free
๐บ Emilia e os Amigos
A six-piece fusing jazz, blues, bossa and reggae into a one-hour set.
๐ The Undercurrent, 118 Tory Street, Te Aro | ๐ก Sun 5pm-6pm | ๐ฐ Price not stated, door sales only
๐ Kฤpiti Latin Lounge
Kizomba d'Alma bring their monthly Latin party to the coast: an open class first, then a social of salsa, bachata and kizomba. No experience or partner needed, and Sunday Cantina's Lamb Royale is in Burger Welly if you want dinner with it.
๐ Sunday Cantina, 31 Poplar Avenue, Raumati South | ๐ Sun class 5pm-6pm, social 6pm-9pm | ๐ฐ $10, includes social entry and free class
Moon's monthly songwriter night, headlined by George Young.
๐ Moon, 167 Riddiford Street, Newtown | ๐ Sun 7pm-9.30pm | ๐ฐ $16.58 (incl. fees), $15 door
Their collaborative EP hits the stage on a first headline tour.
๐ Valhalla, 154 Vivian Street, Te Aro | ๐ Sun doors 8pm, music 8.30pm | ๐ฐ $15 (+ fees) | ๐ R18
๐ Heads Up - Next Week
๐ช Winter's Saga opens at the Hannah Playhouse on Tuesday. Wellington Community Ballet Theatre bring Loki, Odin and Thor to life under Yggdrasil in contemporary dance and physical theatre, and there's a DJ in the Halfway Up bar from 6.30pm each evening. Their first show was nominated for most promising emerging company at Fringe, and this is their first full season.
๐ Hannah Playhouse, 12 Cambridge Terrace, Te Aro | ๐ Tue 18 - Sat 22 Aug 7.30pm, plus Sat 22 and Sun 23 Aug 1.30pm | ๐ฐ $32.25, Concession $22, Child $16.88, Groups $27.12 (incl. fees) | ๐ All ages. Contains flashing lights. Includes depictions of physical violence and death. Parent discretion is advised.
๐ Hannah Playhouse, 12 Cambridge Terrace, Te Aro | ๐ Tue 18 - Sat 22 Aug 7.30pm, plus Sat 22 and Sun 23 Aug 1.30pm | ๐ฐ $32.25, Concession $22, Child $16.88, Groups $27.12 (incl. fees) | ๐ All ages. Contains flashing lights. Includes depictions of physical violence and death. Parent discretion is advised.
๐ฆ๏ธ Welly Weather Watch
โ๏ธ Friday 14 Aug: Partly cloudy, with the chance of a shower from morning. Southeasterlies developing in the afternoon. High 14ยฐC, low 9ยฐC
๐ง๏ธ Saturday 15 Aug: Cloudy with occasional rain from the afternoon. Southerlies developing in the morning. High 12ยฐC, low 6ยฐC
๐ฆ๏ธ Sunday 16 Aug: Rain easing to the odd shower in the morning. Southerlies. High 9ยฐC, low 5ยฐC
Friday is the driest of the three, so front-load anything weather-sensitive. Saturday holds off until the afternoon and Sunday is properly cold at 9 degrees. Doing Winterman, the Evans Bay clean-up or the working bee? Layer up and check with the organiser before you head out. Source: MetService, issued Wed 12 Aug.
โจ Extra Sprinkles - Charity of the Week
Wellington Curtain Bank, run by Sustainability Trust, sorts, resizes and lines donated second-hand curtains, then delivers them free to eligible low-income households across Wellington, Porirua and Kฤpiti. Properly fitted, lined curtains can cut window heat loss by up to 60%.
Curtains going spare? Drop clean, mould-free ones at Te Aro Zero Waste, 2 Forresters Lane, Wed-Sat 10am-4pm. Handy with a sewing machine? Register on their site. Need curtains? You may be eligible with a Community Services Card or SuperGold ComboCard.
sustaintrust.org.nz/wellington-curtain-bank
Curtains going spare? Drop clean, mould-free ones at Te Aro Zero Waste, 2 Forresters Lane, Wed-Sat 10am-4pm. Handy with a sewing machine? Register on their site. Need curtains? You may be eligible with a Community Services Card or SuperGold ComboCard.
sustaintrust.org.nz/wellington-curtain-bank
Friday is the driest, Saturday turns wet from the afternoon and Sunday stays cold, so front-load the outdoor plans and save the warm rooms and the crate digging for the back half.
Whatever you get up to out there, we hope it's a cracker. And if you spot something brilliant we've missed, flick it our way - a good chunk of what ends up in here comes from you.
Ngฤ mihi nui,
Kirstie & Steve ๐
Whatever you get up to out there, we hope it's a cracker. And if you spot something brilliant we've missed, flick it our way - a good chunk of what ends up in here comes from you.
Ngฤ mihi nui,
Kirstie & Steve ๐
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