Dates & Tickets
For 18 days in March, join us in theatres, on dance floors, at live music concerts, outdoors in public spaces, and around all the creativity and kōrero that puts the festival into Auckland Arts Festival. Have a look below at just a few of the events on offer during this wonderful celebration of culture and arts!
STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
Blanche DuBois. Stella and Stanley Kowalski. Tennessee Williams. You may know their names, but you won’t truly know Streetcar until you’ve seen it as a ballet. Injecting dance and live music into the beating heart of this iconic play, Scottish Ballet has come up with something special — a vital, achingly intense tribute to the eternally misunderstood Blanche, who struggles to live her personal truth amid family turmoil in 1940s New Orleans. So moved were AAF by the depth of feeling and storytelling, that they just had to bring this exceptional production and dance company to Aotearoa.
SMASHED: THE NIGHTCAP
Thirsty for a fabulous night out? Let the hottest cabaret troupe out of Australia take care of that for you. For the most intoxicating Spiegeltent season yet, we’re pinching ourselves that AAF lured the queen of late-night variety, Victoria Falconer — award-winning performer, musician, MC and one of the most in-demand artists on the scene — across the ditch for a late summer of fast-and-frisky, saucy-as-hell, anything-goes circus-style cabaret. She’s joined by her specially curated dream team of drag, burlesque, aerial and acrobatic stars, including some handpicked guests from our own backyard, and a rock ‘n’ roll live band to help you tear up the night!
WHIUA KI TE AO - A CELEBRATION OF WAIATA REO MĀORI
Singalongs, guitar parties, karaoke and jam sessions are an inherent part of the culture of Aotearoa. Featuring the stunning vocals of Maisey Rika and a collective of acclaimed and talented songsters, join us as we take a musical journey through a selection of waiata that you grew up with. Get your vocal chords warmed up and primed for a good old-fashioned sing-song to waiata that have been heard in halls and marae all over this country throughout the years. From classics like ‘Pōkarekare Ana’ and ‘Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi’ to newer waiata from Maisey’s own collection, you will be captivated from the get-go!
MAYA PIATA
With a musical style inspired by her New Orleans Creole heritage, Ngāti Tūwharetoa whakapapa, African American, and Native American roots, Maya Piata will delight audiences with her unparalleled effervescence and vitality. For the Festival, she performs a mixture of original and well-loved songs in Aotearoa for the first time. Growing up in “The Big Easy” amidst a vibrant live music culture has impacted her career thus far and we can’t wait to share that energy and dynamism with Tāmaki Makaurau.
KULAIWI & KAUMAKAIWA
This talented collective of award winning, talented performers, singers, songwriters, composers and cultural leaders was formed to connect kānaka (Native Hawaiians) to ‘āina (land) through mele (songs), the thread that binds the continuum of cultural knowledge. Soaring vocals, island harmonies, a folk vibe, and fun ‘talk story’ have won Kulāiwi four Hawaiian Grammys including Group of the Year, for their first album, Native Lands. Award-winning singer and riveting performer Kaumakaiwa, from the renowned Kanakaʻole family, seamlessly melds Hawaiian culture and modern sensibilities in deeply powerful music and chant. A modern Hawaiian, she is a vibrant keeper of culture, and at the same time, an authentic innovator.
TAMI NIELSON: THE F WORD
Our award-winning country queen Tami Neilson and her hot rocking band not only perform a stonking setlist of country classics for your listening pleasure, but answer the burning question why songs of feminism were banned from country radio. With the help of Dr Jada Watson, this tongue-in-cheek exposé of gender inequality in country champions the female artists, from Dolly Parton to Patsy Cline to Loretta Lynn to The (Dixie) Chicks, who smashed stereotypes and soared to #1 despite the barriers. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate International Women’s Day than riding in boots-up and lassos-out for Tami’s barnburner of a concert.
HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr
Did you know that a woman invented the tech behind WiFi? And that she was one of the biggest movie stars of her time? A crackerjack of a one-woman theatre show, HEDY! is the rollicking true yarn of Hedy Lamarr, whose bombshell looks — dubbed “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World” by Hollywood’s publicity machine — overshadowed her scientific genius. Creator Heather Massie not only embodies Hedy and a cast of (36!) Tinseltown greats with real spunk, but it’s also her drive to inspire the next gen — especially women in STEM — that got us excited about bringing her message and Hedy’s story to young Aucklanders.
And there's so much more! Be a part of the cultural event of the year and grab your tickets now.
TICKET LINK HERE:
What’s on at Auckland Art Festival
DATES: 6-23 March 2025
