Things to do in Auckland this weekend

Nikau St will be turned into a festival space all day today during the Branch Out Uptown Spring Festival.
Looking for something to keep you entertained this weekend? We’ve got you covered.
Tāmaki Makaurau is full of festivals this weekend, including the Tempo Dance Festival, the final days of the Auckland Heritage Festival, the Show Me Shorts Film Festival and the Branch Out Uptown Spring Festival. There are also two art exhibitions raising money for worthy causes, a farewell for Auckland animal lovers to make and two must-see music events in the week ahead.
The Tempo Dance Festival kicked off this week and, along with a full and varied programme of ticketed performances, there’s a whole category of free events courtesy of Auckland Council. The Hōtaka Tūmatanui Public Programme features a range of wellbeing and dance workshops, being held at the Strand Arcade in the city. There are morning yoga sessions with Taane Mete (Sat) and Caroline Binden (Sun) and hip-hop classes with Richie Cesan. Plus, there are massage clinics, rongōa (traditional Māori healing) clinics, contact care clinics, a Pacific dance workshop and more. There are few better paths to wellbeing than through movement, dance and physical touch and the public programme is giving Aucklanders the opportunity to explore all of those things this weekend.
When: October 11-16.
Where: Strand Arcade, Auckland City.
Price: Visit www.tempodancefestival.co.nz/hotaka-tumatanui for the full schedule of events.
For the quaintest wee market experience of the year, head down to Alberton on Sunday for its sixth Vintage Market Day. Live out your time-travel fantasies and peruse the vintage and collectable items on offer in the ballroom and on the verandah of the grand historic house. Some of the treasures you’ll find here include fine china, clothing, textiles, Crown Lynn, crystal, silver, kitchen and tableware, decor, jewellery, accessories, retro knick-knacks and more. Plus, there will be crepes, coffee, gelato and traditional homemade baked goods. Built in 1863 and open to the public for the past 50 years, Alberton is a significant piece of Auckland’s history and an idyllic place to host a vintage market on the final weekend of the Auckland Heritage Festival.
When: October 13, 11am-3pm.
Where: Alberton, 100 Mt Albert Rd, Mt Albert.
Price: Free entry to market; $10 per adult, free for children, to explore the house.
For the final weekend of the school holidays, why not take the kids down to the Sustainable Coastline headquarters in Wynyard Quarter to see an important new exhibition, The Trash Species of Aotearoa New Zealand. Sustainable Coastlines has joined forces with Kiwi wildlife artist Erin Forsyth and creative agency Augusto to recreate the iconic fish poster that you’ll recognise from fish and chip shops across the country, but with a somewhat distressing and eye-opening twist. The 21 watercolour fish depict “new species” of the litter sea, such as the Quarter Flounder and the Snapperloc Bag, each representing the most common items of rubbish found in our waterways and inviting the public to rethink their use and disposal of those items. There are 22 original art pieces on display, with prints available for purchase. They’re clever and thought-provoking pieces that carry an important message about protecting our oceans and the many creatures who live in them.
When: Now until October 24, 9am-5pm.
Where: Sustainable Coastline headquarters, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland Central.
Price: Free.
Hopefully you’re already aware that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There are lots of ways you can support the 3500 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer annually in Aotearoa and one of them is to visit Allpress Studio, where local underwear brand OHEN is hosting an exhibition and art auction to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Foundation New Zealand. Given they’re in the business of making literal breast support, it makes sense that OHEN would get involved in this cause and they’re joined by 20 New Zealand artists and gallerists who have donated work. There’s a wide collection of pieces from jewellery and glass works to prints and photography, some of which can be bought immediately and others that will be auctioned on October 23. Take a friend or family member along, contemplate the art, buy something or donate if you can and, most importantly, get your breasts checked.
When: Now until October 24, 7am-2pm, auction on October 23.
Where: Allpress Studio, 8 Drake St, Auckland City.
The art of the short film is alive and well and being celebrated at the Show Me Shorts Film Festival taking place all across the country. These films may be small in size but they are mighty in what they achieve visually, narratively and emotionally. The festival is Aotearoa’s first Academy Award-accredited short film festival, which means these films could become Oscar contenders and, for the first time this year, Bafta contenders. One of the things Show Me Shorts excels at is grouping these films in cleverly themed sessions, which this year include names like Deeper Into Love, Dystopian Dreams, Finding Your True North, Whānau Friendly, Defy Expectations and more. Spend some time this weekend poring over the programme, then get yourself tickets to whichever session/s float your cinematic boat. If you can’t get to the theatre, the festival concludes with a three-day online festival over Labour Weekend.
When: October 10-28.
Where: Various locations in Tāmaki Makaurau and throughout the country.
Price: Visit showmeshorts.co.nz for the full programme and tickets starting at $11.
Outdoor festival season is upon us and getting in early is the free Branch Out Uptown Spring Festival on Nikau St. All day Saturday, the street is going to be buzzing with live music, performances and market stalls. Along with musical acts like Albi and the Wolves, Aro, Emily Bateman and DJ Russ B, there will be circus acts from Cirque du Solittle, street theatre by Insecurity Guards, a children’s zone with free arts and crafts, giant games, a chalk zone, comics, skateboard and kite demonstrations. There’s a pottery wheel to try your hand at and lots of vintage finds courtesy of Good Stuff. Of course, there’ll be food from local eateries to keep you fuelled for festival fun times as well. Celebrate the end of the school holidays and the beginning of the summer festival season.
When: October 12, 9am-3pm.
Where: Nikau St, Uptown, Auckland.
Price: Free.
If you haven’t visited the Auckland Zoo these holidays, get along this weekend or in the next couple of weeks. It’s a bittersweet time for the zoo, which is saying goodbye to Burma the elephant in November after a long and difficult process of finding her a new home. While it’s the right thing to do for Burma’s wellbeing, saying goodbye to such a beloved fixture at Auckland Zoo is not only heartbreaking for the zookeepers, but also for the many Aucklanders who have visited her over the 34 years she has called Auckland Zoo home. As part of the school holiday activities in The Domes, visitors can share their favourite Burma memories. If you head along this weekend, you’ll catch the last two days of the Keeper for a Day holiday experience, where kids can pick up a science of care activity booklet on arrival to learn all about the different care needs of the animals you can see around the zoo. Or, you can forget all the other animals and just spend some time at the elephant clearing, shedding a tear and saying your farewells to Burma.
When: Now until October 13 (Burma leaves for Monarto Safari Park, South Australia, in early November).
Where: Auckland Zoo, Motions Rd, Western Springs, Auckland.
Price: Usual entry fees apply.
Put some classical music into your week ahead and get tickets to see French pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet perform with the Auckland Philharmonia at Auckland Town Hall next Thursday. The evening’s programme is being led by guest conductor Shiyeon Sung and features Bavouzet performing Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 2, an energetic piece that has the pianist dancing vigorously all over the keys and is quite a spectacle to both watch and hear. Additionally, Auckland Philharmonia will play two pieces of music that are interpretations of visual art. The first is Martinů’s The Frescoes of Piero della Francesca, which reflects on murals of the Renaissance, and the second is Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (orch. Ravel), which interprets the works of his friend, artist and architect, Viktor Hartmann.
When: October 17, 7.30pm.
Where: Auckland Town Hall, Queen St, Auckland Central.
Price: Tickets start at $29 + booking fees from aucklandphil.nz/pictures-exhibition
Do not miss the opportunity to catch the unbelievably talented Tami Neilson, joined by her band and – in a special guest appearance – her brother Jay, on Friday at the Town Hall. The Canadian-turned-Kiwi country music icon is taking on the songbook of the legendary Willie Nelson, hence the title of the show and her latest album Neilson Sings Nelson. Tami has performed this show just once before and that was at Willie Nelson’s ranch in Texas, where he was all praise: “Tami’s the real deal and does my songs a great honour.” The album was recorded in Nelson’s studio in Texas and includes hits like Always on My Mind and Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain as well as her duet with Nelson Beyond the Stars, recorded during Covid. On Friday, Tami will sing some of her own classics and share tales of working with the now 91-year-old Nelson. It’s guaranteed to be an unforgettable night of iconic songs and musical prowess.
When: October 18, 7pm.
Where: Auckland Town Hall, Queen St, Auckland Central.
Price: Tickets start at $89 + booking fees from ticketmaster.co.nz