Things to do this Auckland Anniversary Weekend: Regatta, exhibits, concerts and more

When: Nightly until February 14.

Where: Outdoor Amphitheatre, Pumphouse, Killarney Park, Takapuna.

Price: Tickets $27-$30 + booking fees from pumphouse.co.nz.

2) Arias on the green

A selection of rising stars will be taking the stage to perform opera classics.

Tonight is the first of two Opera in the Park events in which the talents of NZ Opera will be on full and free display.

Held at Vellenoweth Green in St Heliers this weekend and the Botanic Gardens next weekend, a selection of rising classical stars including Michaela Cadwgan (soprano), Katherine Winitana (soprano), Ipu Laga’aia (tenor) and Joel Amosa (baritone) will be taking the stage to perform opera classics. Pack a picnic, bring the whole whānau and enjoy some of Aotearoa’s most powerful voices live outdoors.

When and where: Tonight, 5-7pm, Vellenoweth Green, St Heliers.

When and where: January 31, 5-7pm, Auckland Botanic Gardens, Manurewa.

Price: Free.

3) Iggy Pop’s in town

Rolling into the Taupō Amphitheatre are international icons Iggy Pop, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Hoodoo Gurus and New Zealand’s own Zed. Photo / 2022 Jimmy Fontaine

If you’re lucky enough to be in or around Taupō this weekend, then get some last-minute tickets to The Greenstone Summer Concert Tour. Rolling into the Taupō Amphitheatre are international icons Iggy Pop, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Hoodoo Gurus and New Zealand’s own Zed. It’s the first stop on the New Zealand tour which will see them playing Thursday at Spark Arena (without Hoodoo Gurus) and next Saturday in Wānaka. Don’t be fooled by the ages on their passports, these formidable rock stars know how to get the crowd going. Prepare to see a high energy show and probably Iggy’s nipples.

When and where: Tonight, from 6.30pm, Taupō Amphitheatre, Taupō.

When and where: January 29, from 5.30pm, Spark Arena, Auckland.

When and where: January 31, 10am. Three Parks Outdoor Arena, Wānaka.

Price: More information and tickets from greenstoneentertainment.co.nz.

4) Waterworld tour

Keep an eye out for the mobile inflatable water park Waterworld that’s touring beaches in Auckland and further afield over the summer.

Anyone with young people to entertain or an adventurous spirit should keep an eye out for the mobile inflatable water park Waterworld that’s touring beaches in Auckland and further afield over the summer. This weekend it’s at Mairangi Bay and next week, for those who haven’t returned to school yet, it’ll be on the ocean at Browns Bay. Over the Waitangi long weekend you’ll find it at Lake Tikitapu (south of Rotorua), Worser Bay in Wellington and Browns Bay. It’s not suitable for preschoolers but it’s free for over 70s so bring your wily grannies.

When: Throughout the summer.

Where: Various locations throughout the North Island.

Price: Visit wipeout.co.nz for the full schedule and tickets.

5) Imagined worlds

Three excellent and entirely different exhibitions are on display now at Te Uru Gallery. Photo / Bill Hammond

Now is a great time to visit Te Uru gallery in Titirangi as there are three excellent and entirely different exhibitions on display. The annual Portage Ceramic Awards celebrates innovation, creativity and craftsmanship within the local ceramics community. Bill Hammond: Serenading Imagined Worlds is a major survey of the painter’s four decades of work. An important figure in New Zealand’s art landscape, Hammond’s most recognisable works are the bird-human hybrids which are on display alongside some of his never seen before early wooden toys. The third exhibition is Assemblies by Jack Hadley, a collection of aluminium sculptures which the artist will be walking-through this afternoon at 2pm with Assistant Curator Hōhua Thompson.

When: On now until February 22 (Portage Ceramic Awards closes February 8).

Where: Te Uru Gallery, 420 Titirangi Rd, Titirangi.

Price: Free entry.

6) The hopes of young performers

Mixit’s annual performances are intimate, mixed-ability shows that provide a unique insight into the hearts and minds of Aotearoa’s young people.

This weekend, Mixit – an organisation that works with young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds – presents Hope: Standing on the Edge – Eying Up Our Future. Together, the group of primarily 15 to 25-year-olds has spent much of the year devising this performance which explores their ideas, concerns and dreams about their futures, with a focus on what the world and their lives might look like in the year 2050. Mixit works across performance mediums including dance, drama and music. This year’s cohort includes performers from Afghanistan, Congo, India, Myanmar, Turkey, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan as well as Aotearoa. Mixit’s annual performances are intimate, mixed-ability shows that always provide a unique insight into the hearts and minds of Aotearoa’s young people.

When: Today 1pm and 5pm, tomorrow 5pm.

Where: Pitt St Theatre, 78 Pitt St, Auckland Central.

Price: $10-$30 or Pay What You Can by emailing info@mixit.co.nz.

7) Artland continues to spark creativity

Artland: An Installation by Do Ho Suh and children at Auckland Art Gallery. Photo / Prudence Cuming

If you haven’t been in to see Artland: An Installation by Do Ho Suh and children at Auckland Art Gallery yet, you don’t know what you’re missing. It opened in September and has been mesmerising children and their adults since. It’s a collaborative hands-on installation where visitors are given colourful air-dry clay to create their own imaginative sculpture that then becomes part of the installation. It might have been created with children in mind but we can attest to the fact that getting playful with clay is just as fun, and quietly therapeutic for adults.

When: On now until July 19.

Where: Te Aka Matua The Creative Learning Centre, Auckland Art Gallery, cnr Kitchener and Wellesley Streets, Auckland Central.

Price: Free.

8) Yacht spotting

We can boast the biggest one-day regatta in the world with loads of high-action locations around the harbour. Photo / Suellen Hurling, Live Sail Die

There are more than just yachts taking to the water on Auckland Anniversary Day, it’s a day jam-packed with water-based action. There are dragon boat races, tugboat races, waka ama, launches, keelboats, yachts, dinghies, skiffs and more. We can boast the biggest one-day regatta in the world with loads of high-action locations around the harbour. If you head into the city, you can see the dragon boats take off from the Viaduct. Westhaven Marina and Ōrākei Wharf are going to see lots of activity with tug boats, radio-controlled yachts, waka ama and more. Takapuna will host the foiling classes and dinghy sailors will race at clubs all around Auckland. Fingers-crossed, Mother Nature gets on board and gives us a cracker day.

When: Monday.

Where: Various locations around Auckland’s harbour. See regatta.org.nz for the full schedule and the best viewing spots.

9) Plan ahead: Ideas and Kōrero in Wānaka

Engage in rich conversations with authors, politicians, musicians, journalists, theatremakers and thinkers from all over the country at the Festival of Ideas and Kōrero.

Just when the end of summer blues start to set in, send yourself off to Wānaka for Aspiring Conversations – Festival of Ideas and Kōrero. Not only will you spend time in arguably the most beautiful part of the country, you’ll be engaging in rich and important conversations with authors, politicians, musicians, journalists, theatre-makers and thinkers from all over the country. Topics on the table include climate change, healthcare, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, trickle-down economics and more. The programme, which has just been launched this week, features Chlöe Swarbrick, Guyon Espiner, Miriama Kamo and Te Radar among others. It’s all part of Wānaka’s Festival of Colour, which has a sweeping programme of arts and cultural events taking place across three short days in March.

When: March 27-29.

Where: Various locations in Wānaka.

Price: Visit festivalofcolour.co.nz for the full programme and tickets.

Coming up

National Youth Brass Band: Today, 2pm, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Parnell, Auckland.Sophie Ellis-Bextor: February 3, Waikato Regional Theatre, Hamilton.Murder on the Orient Express [return season]: February 7 – 15, 2026, ASB Waterfront Theatre, Auckland.Annual Dahlia Show: February 7, Western Springs Garden Community Hall, Auckland.Kelmarna Community Farm Dinners: February 11 – 21, Kelmarna Community Farm, Auckland.ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix: February 14 – 15, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland.Potluck (drag show by Haute Dish) February 17 – 21, Basement Theatre, Auckland.ASB Classic, Centre Court Sounds: February 21, Manuka Doctor Arena.An Evening with Yotam Ottolenghi: February 21, Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Auckland.Splore 2026: February 20 – 22, Tāpapakanga Regional Park, Auckland.BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival: February 26 – March 1, Manukau Sports Bowl, Auckland. Moana Auckland Ocean’s Festival: February 28 – March 15, Auckland’s Waterfront.NZ Theatre Company presents Prima Facie: February 27, ASB Waterfront Theatre, Auckland.The Rocky Horror Picture Show (West End touring cast): February 26 – March 8, The Civic, Auckland.Art Day for Gender Equality: March 1, Monte Cecilia Park, Auckland.Wet: March 5 – 15, Te Pou Theatre, Auckland.Little Kai Festival: March 8, Kelmarna Community Farm, Auckland.Menopause the Musical: March 10 – 23, nationwide.The Wooden Boat Festival: March 13 – 15, Jellicoe Harbour, Auckland.Pasifika Festival: March 14-15, Western Springs, Auckland.Warbirds on Parade: March 15, Ardmore, Auckland.Linkin Park: March 18, Spark Arena, Auckland.Mānuka Phuel Synthony Festival: March 21, Auckland Domain.Equinox Festival: March 21, Kelmarna Community Farm, Auckland.EcoFest: March 22 – April 22, various locations, Auckland.Aspiring Conversations, Festival of Ideas and Kōrero: March 27 – 29, Wānaka.

Email canvas@nzherald.co.nz with brief details of your upcoming event, including dates/times, location and website.