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- π Welly On a Plate Kicks Off & a Free Entry Brewery Party
π Welly On a Plate Kicks Off & a Free Entry Brewery Party
Plus Saints playoff basketball TONIGHT in Porirua, the Lions' season opener, greyhound cuddles in Upper Hutt, and Sunday finally comes right π
Kirstie and Steve
July 30, 2026
WellyBuzz π
Your Wellington Weekend Sorted
Welly On a Plate Kicks Off & a Free Entry Brewery Party in Lyall Bay
Plus Saints playoff basketball TONIGHT in Porirua, the Lions' season opener, greyhound cuddles in Upper Hutt, and Sunday is the pick of the three π
π Welcome
Kia ora Wellington! βοΈ The Wellington Saints host a National Basketball League quarter-final in Porirua tonight, Visa Wellington On a Plate kicks off on Saturday, 27 metal bands take over Valhalla across four nights, and the Wellington Lions open their National Provincial Championship (NPC) season against Hawke's Bay on Sunday. Wrap up warm, it's a cold one, but Sunday's the pick of the three. Let's get buzzing! π
π₯ Quick Picks
π Wellington Saints Quarter Final (Thu) - Beat the Otago Nuggets in Porirua tonight and the Saints are into the semis.
π₯ Riki Pirihi - Master Drummer (Fri) - The drummer behind TrinityRoots and Fat Freddy's Drop, improvising over two nights at Pyramid Club.
π Visa Wellington On a Plate (Sat) - The country's biggest food festival opens, with free-entry events all over town.
πΊ Parrotdog: Fifteen Years in Flight (Sat) - Free entry, five bands and a 15th birthday beer at the Lyall Bay brewery.
πΊ Bed By 10 (Sat) - Club classics for the over-30s, and you're home and in bed by 10pm.
π 1841 Bar 15th Birthday (Sat) - Live music in Johnsonville, plus a trip to Fiji up for grabs on the night.
π Pat & Chat Extravaganza - Upper Hutt (Sun) - Meet retired racing greyhounds in Upper Hutt, with a TV crew filming on the day.
βͺ Futuna Chapel Open Day (Sun) - One of Wellington's architectural treasures, open free to everyone. Koha appreciated.
π Wellington Lions v Hawke's Bay Magpies (Sun) - NPC season opener at Hnry Stadium. Kids under 16 go free, so dig out the retro jersey.
π°οΈ Welly's Time Machine
π· Illustrated London News, 9 April 1859, via NZHistory (ManatΕ« Taonga - Ministry for Culture and Heritage) - view source
Exactly 183 years ago this Friday, on 31 July 1843, the foundation stone went down on Manners Street for the Royal Victoria Theatre, New Zealand's first purpose-built theatre. The Ship Hotel's proprietor John Fuller built it out the back, it opened that September lit by whale oil gas (an innovation for Wellington), and by 1845 a rival on Willis Street, the Britannia Saloon, had forced it out of business.
π½οΈ Food & Drink
Apapacho is a Mexican fonda on the corner of Ghuznee and Victoria Streets, run by brothers from Guadalajara, and it's open exactly when you want it this weekend: breakfast and lunch, Thursday to Monday, 8am to 3pm.
Joshua Arias is owner and chef, brother Kevin manages the floor. The house hot sauce is built on their mother's chile de Γ‘rbol salsa, which tells you most of what you need to know about the place.
Order the suadero taco (confit brisket), the birriaquiles, the chilaquiles or the huevos rancheros. Tacos are $9 to $10, chilaquiles $22, birriaquiles $26 or $31 for full birria, huevos rancheros $20, so most people land in the $20 to $30 range. It's sitting on 4.9 on Google from 100 reviews.
Find them at 89 Ghuznee Street, Te Aro. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. instagram.com/apapacho.nz
π Events - What's On This Weekend
π
Tonight - Thursday 30 July
Playoff basketball in Porirua. The Mills Albert Wellington Saints host the Otago Nuggets, and a win puts them into the National Basketball League semi-finals. The courtside Baseline seats have sold out.
π Te Rauparaha Arena, 17 Parumoana Street, Porirua | π Thu 6pm to 9:35pm, tip-off 7pm | π° Adult $25.70, student or senior $20.30, child $17.80 (incl. service fee) | π All ages
π
Friday 31 July
Riki Pirihi (NgΔti Wai, Patuharakeke, NgΔti MΔhanga) has drummed for TrinityRoots, Fat Freddy's Drop, Crowded House and Ladi6. Two nights of improvised sets, plus a Conduction workshop at 2:30pm on Saturday.
π Pyramid Club, 272 Taranaki Street, Te Aro | π Fri and Sat 8pm doors, 8:30pm start | π° General admission $20 plus booking fee, or $30 with donation | π R18
Lauren Strpko has run these free community classes since 2020. Flow-style, all levels and beginners welcome, with options and breaks throughout. Bring a mat or borrow one of her spares. Also 7am Tuesdays and Thursdays.
π Thistle Hall upstairs hall, 293 Cuba Street, Te Aro (upstairs entrance is on the motorway side) | π Fri 7am to 8am | π° Free, book online as spaces are limited | π All ages
27 bands over four days at Valhalla, billed as NZ's largest underground metal fest. Each night stands alone and all proceeds go to the bands. Also Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
π Valhalla, 154 Vivian Street, Te Aro | π Thu to Sun from 5:30pm | π° $30 per night, fees may apply | π R18
32 breweries go head to head for the golden gumboot. West Coast goes West End this year, so expect theatre with your hops.
π The Malthouse, 76 Willis Street, Wellington Central | π Fri from 12pm | π° Refer to event link for details | π Licensed venue
Yeh, Nah Quizzes launch a new fortnightly quiz at the Grey Street bar. Round up a team, and there are prizes on the night. Running every second Friday from here.
π Two Grey, 2 Grey Street, Wellington Central | π Fri from 6pm | π° Refer to event link for details | π Licensed venue
π Local Library
Dave Armstrong's comedy about libraries, loneliness and the bloody city council, with Peter Hambleton and Jude Gibson. Runs to 22 August.
π Circa Theatre, 1 Taranaki Street, Te Aro | π’ Fri 7:30pm to 9pm | π° $25 to $60, fees may apply | π All ages
π Geriatric Drift
PopRox present an improvised 2000s epic full of cars, Werther's Originals and family. A Fast and Furious parody. Final two nights.
π BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Terrace, Mount Victoria | π Fri and Sat 8pm | π° Waged $25, unwaged $15, extra aroha $40 | π R16
Nicky by Nicky, once of Cut Off Your Hands, launches his album Image Search in his first Te Whanganui-a-Tara solo show. Co-headlining is Grayson Gilmour of So So Modern.
π Vogelmorn Upstairs, 93 Mornington Road, Brooklyn | π Fri doors 7pm, music 7:30pm | π° Unwaged $10, general admission $20, plus booking fee | π R18
Two drag performers, three rounds, one winner, and the crowd decides.
π Ivy Bar and Cabaret, 63 Cuba Street, Te Aro | π€ Fri 9:30pm to 11:45pm | π° $10.25 general admission, $5.12 for drag artists (incl. fees) | π R18
Ghost Connections NZ take small groups through the old Fever Hospital, now home to Wellington SPCA. Over half of each ticket goes to the SPCA. Just 12 spaces.
π Fever Hospital, 140 Alexandra Road, Newtown | π’ Fri 7:30pm | π° $80 per person, door sales only | π R16
New PΕneke project MANU blends jazz, noise rock and ambient. Their second gig, "Winter Star", is an ode to creativity in rest.
π The Rogue and Vagabond, 18 Garrett Street, Te Aro | π€ Fri 9:30pm to 11:30pm | π° Free entry, koha for the band encouraged | π R18
π
Saturday 1 August
New Zealand's largest food festival runs 1 to 31 August across 250-plus venues, with 99 Festival Events on the programme, some free, some ticketed. Burger Wellington follows 3 to 23 Aug.
π Venues across the Wellington region | π Sat 1 August to Mon 31 August | π° Free entry events plus ticketed events, see programme | π Varies by event
Aotearoa's longest running political satire is back at Circa to crash another election party. Preview night Friday, opening Saturday, then Sunday 4pm and on through August.
π Circa Theatre, 1 Taranaki Street, Te Aro | π Sat 7pm to 9pm | π° $25 to $60, $30 for under 30s, fees may apply | π Recommended 13+, strong language
Amina Edris and Pene Pati star in Massenet's belle Γ©poque masterpiece. It sold out so fast the season has been extended to Sunday 9 August, and Wellington Opera says a few final tickets and returns are available now.
π St James Theatre, 77-87 Courtenay Place, Te Aro | π’ Sat 7:30pm to 10:30pm | π° D reserve $62.16 up to premium $194.70, child $21.89 (incl. fees) | π All ages
Upper Hutt Brass Band, the Hutt Valley Singers, Jade Eru and cornet champion Jonty Zydenbos, with Jerusalem, Land of Hope and Glory and lots of flag waving. Two sessions, so pick your time.
π Whirinaki Whare Taonga, 836 Fergusson Drive, Upper Hutt | π Sat 2pm and 7pm, 2 hours | π° $5 to $25 plus booking fee | π All ages
π Waenga
Te RΔkau, Aotearoa's longest running MΔori theatre company, tell the story of a young wahine MΔori in a police holding cell.
π Te Raukura ki KΔpiti, Coastlands Theatre, 34a Raumati Road, Paraparaumu | π‘ Sat 6:30pm to 8:20pm | π° Adult $31.25, concession $21, ages 13 to 16 $10.75, ages 0 to 12 free with a paying adult (incl. fees) | π Recommended 12+, swearing and some violence, under 16s with a caregiver
Parrotdog turn 15 with a free music and beer festival in Lyall Bay. The Circling Sun, DARTZ, There's A Tuesday, Felix Bird and Last Light all play.
π Parrotdog Bar, 60-66 Kingsford Smith Street, Lyall Bay | π Sat 1pm to late, live bands from 6pm | π° Free entry | π All ages
Seven artists respond to the rooms of Wellington's first house museum, from an 1860s nursery to a 1970s kitchen. Open Sundays too.
π Nairn Street Cottage, 68 Nairn Street, Te Aro | π Sat and Sun 12pm to 4pm | π° Free admission | π All ages
Wellington choir Supertonic team up with Portland's Oregon Chorale for their first international collaboration in twelve years.
π St Andrew's on The Terrace, 30 The Terrace, Wellington Central | π Sat 7pm to 9pm | π° $30, concession $20, fees may apply | π All ages
π» The Creation Voyages
The New Zealand String Quartet reimagine Aotearoa's creation stories with live storytelling and Gavin Bishop imagery. Also Sunday at Te Matapihi.
π Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Library, 101 Kilbirnie Crescent, Kilbirnie | π Sat 1:30pm to 2:20pm | π° Free, registration required | π All ages
Forest and Bird bring the election conversation to Parliament's Banquet Hall, with experts and a political panel taking questions.
π Parliament Buildings, Banquet Hall, 1 Molesworth Street, Thorndon | π Sat afternoon session 1pm to 5pm, evening event 6pm to 9:15pm | π° Free admission | π All ages
The Wellington Bluegrass Society hosts this all-female quartet launching their first album since 2020.
π Abandoned Taproom Petone, 38 Fitzherbert Street, Petone | π Sat 8pm to 10:30pm | π° $34.05 general admission (incl. fees) | π All ages
A two hour showcase headlined by Manurewa's Heta Dawson, with Billy T nominee Opeti Vaka and Li'i Alaimoana.
π Abandoned Taproom Porirua, 20 Parumoana Street, Porirua | π’ Sat 7:30pm to 9:30pm | π° $23.25 concession to $34.05 (incl. fees) | π R18
The Johnsonville local turns 15 with Ainslie Allen, The Relatives and The Blueprint, plus a trip to Fiji up for grabs.
π 1841 Bar and Restaurant, 1 Disraeli Street, Johnsonville | π Sat from 5pm | π° Refer to event link for details | π Licensed venue
A brand new night spotlighting trans, lesbian and female performers redefining what Wellington drag looks like.
π Ivy Bar and Cabaret, 63 Cuba Street, Te Aro | π€ Sat 9:30pm to 11:55pm | π° General admission $25.30 (incl. fees) | π R18
Burlesque, pole and cabaret saluting the queens of pop from Debbie Harry to Britney.
π The Fringe Bar, 26 Allen Street, Te Aro | π Sat doors 7pm, show 8pm to 10pm | π° General admission $34.05 (incl. fees) | π R18
A 60 minute downhill walk from the Cable Car lookout to the Tree House, via the Australian, hydrangea, cacti and succulent gardens. Bookings required.
π Meet at the Cable Car Lookout entrance, Upland Road, Kelburn | π Sat 1:30pm to 2:30pm | π° $10.25, free for Friends of Wellington Botanic Garden (incl. fees) | π All ages
ποΈ PaekΔkΔriki Market Day
The monthly KΔpiti market: handmade homeware and crafts, vintage treasures, art, food and live music.
π St Peter's Village Hall, corner Beach Road and Ames Street, PaekΔkΔriki | π Sat 10am to 2pm | π° Free admission | π All ages
A new date added by demand. Club classics from the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, confetti and CO2 cannons, and you're in bed by 10pm.
π Eva Pub, 31-35 Dixon Street, Te Aro | π Sat 4pm to 9pm, last entry 5:30pm | π° Refer to event link | π Over-30s, friends 25+ welcome
π
Sunday 2 August
The National Provincial Championship season starts here, and it's Old Timers Day. Dig out the retro club, school or rep jersey.
π Hnry Stadium, 105 Waterloo Quay, Pipitea | π Sun gates 4:05pm, kick off 5:05pm | π° Adult $20, student $10, children 0 to 15 free (3 per paying adult), family pass $40 | π All ages
Doors open to everyone at John Scott's masterpiece. Hear about the architect, Jim Allen's Christ Figure and the light inside.
π Futuna Chapel, 67 Futuna Close (off Friend Street), Karori | π Sun 11am to 3pm | π° Free entry, koha appreciated | π All ages
Meet and cuddle retired racing greyhounds, with Karen O'Leary and the Paddy Gower Has Issues crew filming. Greyhounds as Pets are raising awareness for the 1,700 dogs needing homes as racing ends.
π Wild Kiwi Distillery, Unit 13/27 Blenheim Street, Maidstone, Upper Hutt | π Sun 11am to 3pm | π° Refer to event link
π» The Creation Voyages
The whΔnau-friendly retelling of Ranginui and PapatΕ«Δnuku, with Pokarekare Ana, Vivaldi and Holst woven through. Two free sessions at the central library.
π NgΔ Pou Ruahine, Level 2, Te Matapihi, 65 Victoria Street, Te Aro | π Sun 11am and 1pm, 50 minutes | π° Free, registration required | π All ages
π» Aroha String Quartet
A programme called Heart, from Haydn and Ross Carey to Barber's Adagio and Beethoven's Harp quartet. Going strong since 2004.
π St Andrew's on The Terrace, 30 The Terrace, Wellington Central | π Sun 3pm to 5pm | π° $44.30, under 26 $10.25 (incl. fees) | π All ages
Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, DvoΕΓ‘k's Slavonic Dances and Grieg's Peer Gynt, including In the Hall of the Mountain King.
π St James Church, 71 Woburn Road, Lower Hutt | π Sun 3pm to 4:30pm | π° Adult $23.25, senior $16.58, student $10.25, child free (incl. fees) | π All ages
Go big or go extinct. Giant robots versus sea monsters at Space Place, with popcorn and an optional star talk after.
π Space Place at Carter Observatory, 40 Salamanca Road, Kelburn | π Sun doors 5:30pm, film 6pm to 9pm | π° $25, fees may apply | π Rated M
Songwriter Anna McKean is back in Te Whanganui-a-Tara with Beni Rae and Choreboy! for a cosy evening of original music, upstairs at Vogelmorn.
π Vogelmorn Upstairs, 93 Mornington Road, Brooklyn | π Sun doors 5:30pm, music from 6pm | π° Unwaged $15, general admission $20, support the artist $30, plus booking fee | π R18 (supervised)
Not quite a concert. The Elouan Quartet weave talk and live playing together to open up Beethoven's string quartets from the inside.
π Martinborough Town Hall, 8 Texas Street, Martinborough | π Sun 3pm to 4:20pm | π° Adult $40, school age child $15, fees may apply | π All ages
π Heads up for next week:A Potter And A Painter, Across The Garden Fence opens at Thistle Hall, 293 Cuba Street, on Tuesday 4 August. Julie Harrington and Heather Campbell are neighbours either side of a garden fence, hence the botanical theme. To Sun 9 August, Tue to Sat 11am to 7pm, Sun 11am to 3pm.
π¦οΈ Welly Weather Watch
π§οΈ Friday 31 July: Showers, some heavy, easing for a time in the morning and afternoon. Northwesterlies, becoming strong in the morning. High 13Β°C, low 5Β°C
π¦οΈ Saturday 1 August: A few showers. Strong southerlies, easing in the afternoon. High 8Β°C, low 4Β°C
β
Sunday 2 August: Partly cloudy, with the chance of a shower until afternoon. Northwesterlies developing. High 11Β°C, low 6Β°C
A wet, blustery Friday, then it eases off: Saturday is down to a few showers and Sunday is the pick of the three. A Strong Wind Watch covers Wellington from 7pm Thursday to 2am Friday. MetService, issued 9:41pm Wed 29 July.
β¨ Extra Sprinkles - Charity of the Week
Youth Inspire in Taita, Lower Hutt helps rangatahi aged 15 to 24 into work, training and, via its Road Ready Rangatahi driving school, onto the road. Their own figures count 993 employment placements between 2014 and January 2025, and 845 learner licence passes since 2019.
They've lost more than $600,000 of public sector funding for the driving school, and their website today lists over 240 rangatahi on the waitlist. Their Pay It Forward appeal asks $100, enough to cover one learner licence test. Chief executive Zainab Ali put it plainly: "You need to be in a privileged position nowadays to get a driver's licence."
1199 High Street, Taita | 0800 759 037 | youthinspire.co.nz | Donate on Givealittle
They've lost more than $600,000 of public sector funding for the driving school, and their website today lists over 240 rangatahi on the waitlist. Their Pay It Forward appeal asks $100, enough to cover one learner licence test. Chief executive Zainab Ali put it plainly: "You need to be in a privileged position nowadays to get a driver's licence."
1199 High Street, Taita | 0800 759 037 | youthinspire.co.nz | Donate on Givealittle
Rug up for Friday, and if you do one thing this weekend make it a Welly On a Plate feed. Sunday's the one to get outside for. See you out there, PΕneke!
NgΔ mihi nui,
Kirstie & Steve π
NgΔ mihi nui,
Kirstie & Steve π
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