9 things to do in Auckland this weekend: Prins, Bluey, Iliza Shlesinger and more
2) Prins
If you haven't yet had a chance to check out the artist touted as New Zealand's 'next global pop star', this weekend is the perfect time to see her in the intimate surroundings of the Tuning Fork for her Heaven or Hell tour. You could have the opportunity to become one of those annoying people who say, 'I saw her before she was famous'. 'Famous' is a relative term, of course, especially when applied to someone who last year toured and played many of the world's great cities, including Los Angeles, Stockholm and London. Her music has already accumulated millions of streams, and she's logged collaborations with some of the biggest names in music. Saturday's show might just be the last time you can get same-day tickets to a Prins gig.
When: Saturday, April 26, 7pm.
3) Bluey
If you don't have children, don't know any children and don't watch TV, we might forgive you for not yet having booked tickets to the stage show version of the pop cultural phenomenon that is Bluey. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't go. This Australian animated television delight is perfect, with its hilarious characters and storylines, distinctly non-saccharine messaging and all-round creative genius. The stage show is a guaranteed good time for young and old alike, based on a new story written by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, and contains music by Bluey composer Joff Bush. Since its debut in Bluey 's hometown of Brisbane, the show has played to more than one million people across the world, including performances at iconic venues including Madison Square Garden in New York and the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
When: April 26 and 27, 10am, 1pm and 4pm.
Price: Tickets $34-$142 from livenation.co.nz.
4) Mary Poppins
Most parents are probably wishing that Mary Poppins floated in on her umbrella two weeks ago to manage the children for the holidays, but instead, she's arriving on Saturday at the Harlequin Musical Theatre, not your place. It's a magical story with some beloved earworms like Spoonful of Sugar, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and Let's Go Fly a Kite that you and your little people will be humming all the way home and potentially for weeks to come. The Disney classic is having a two-week season with a relaxed performance on Sunday, May 4, for people for whom a live theatre experience might be more challenging, including those with sensory needs, on the autism spectrum, or young children.
When: April 26-May 10.
5) Iliza Shlesinger
The NZ International Comedy Festival proper doesn't officially start until Friday, May 2, but on Saturday, you can catch one of the biggest international performers of the festival at Bruce Mason Centre. Iliza Shlesinger is a pretty big deal. She's starred in numerous movies, hosted television shows, released six Netflix specials, and has just released a new special on Amazon Prime. She's made a name for herself making people laugh with what she calls 'digestible feminism' and has a popular podcast called AIA (Ask Iliza Anything) where she offers listeners her unique and often blunt advice. It's a head-scratcher that her show The Get Ready Tour isn't already sold out, but that means you still have a chance to have a hilariously entertaining Saturday night.
When: April 26, 7pm.
6) Overload
A group of dedicated anime enthusiasts spend all year organising Overload, a two-day convention celebrating anime and manga artists at The Cloud. Even if you're not deep in the fandom, there's so much to admire and enjoy about this festival. There's a large artists' market where you can meet some of the artists and purchase their work, an arts and craft area, a daily cosplay parade, an Overload anime art competition, anime exhibitions, anime trivia, Q&As with notable anime artists, and more. The Maid Cafe, where you get served by 'cat-inspired' maids, is particularly intriguing, as is the Itasha zone full of creatively painted vehicles. The event started in 2006 with just 30 artists and 150 visitors, and has been steadily growing to the massive two-day festival it is now.
When: April 26, 10am-6pm and April 27, 10am-5pm.
Where: Shed 10 and The Cloud, 89 Quay St, Auckland Central.
Price: Tickets start at $17.50 if you buy them online or from $20 on the door. Visit overload.co.nz for the full programme and tickets.
7) Plan ahead: Public Record at Silo 6
In the lead-up to Aotearoa Art Fair next week, there are several adjunct exhibitions opening up around the city, including this standout by contemporary art gallery Public Record. Opening on Wednesday, Public Record at Silo 6 showcases the work of nine local and international artists installed in the specific and unique setting of Silo 6 in Wynyard Quarter. Among the artists are two Japanese ceramicists, Namika Nakai and Hitoshi Marimoto, local textile artist Rachel Long, and flax weaver Kiriana O'Connell. On Friday evening, there will be a live performance or 'immersive experience' combining sound, fashion, and dance, directed by the gallery's own Eve and Yuka O'Shannessy. The exhibition is free to attend, but you'll need to book a ticket for Hau, the live performance, as space is limited.
When: Public Record at Silo 6: April 30-May 4. Hau, May 2, 7pm.
Where: Silo 6, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland Central.
Price: Tickets $34.50 from humanitix.com.
8) Plan ahead: Opera in the Strand
Auckland Council is kicking off its New Zealand Music Month slate of events with Opera in the Strand on Thursday. If you work in the city, it's an absolute no-brainer to stick around after work and head to the Strand Arcade to listen to some of Aotearoa's most exciting young opera singers selected by the New Zealand Opera School. There's a lot of development happening in Midtown, especially with the building of the new Waihoritiu Station, but the Strand Arcade remains an important and beloved piece of Auckland's history and an ideal setting for a public opera performance. The inaugural Opera in the Strand was an enormous success last year, and hopefully, this year will cement the event in Auckland's New Zealand Music Month calendar. You'll need to bus, train to downtown, Uber, or drive this year, but next year you'll be able to hop on the City Rail Link and be delivered to the doorstep of Midtown.
When: May 1, 6pm.
Where: The Strand Arcade, Queen St, Auckland Central.
Price: Free.
9) Plan ahead: Emma Bass, Floratopia
It's unlikely the first adjective that comes to mind when you think of Britomart is 'floratopia,' but next week Emma Bass is changing that. She's holding a pop-up exhibition that opens on Tuesday on Tyler St, with her signature floral still life works. If you haven't seen Bass's stunning images before, they're a blooming delight. Floratopia features a selection of prints along with a printed wool/silk scarf that she's selling to raise money for Breast Cancer Cure. If you've got the kind of mother who fancies floral, then this could be the perfect pre-Mother's Day stop.
When: April 29-May 4, 10am-5pm.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Spinoff
a day ago
- The Spinoff
The Spinoff guide to life: How to perform a hongi
Our prime minister might not be able to get it right but don't fear, The Spinoff is here to help you master the art of our indigenous way of greeting. There is a handful of things that belong to New Zealand that our neighbours across the ditch love to lay claim to: Phar Lap, pavlova and Stan Walker to name a few. While we love to gloat at how much the Wallabies suck compared to the All Blacks, there were undoubtedly a few Australians scoffing at our prime minister completely butchering a hongi with his Australian counterpart over the weekend. God forbid they start to claim their supreme leader can perform a hongi better than ours. The moment came during a pōwhiri held by local iwi Ngāi Tahu in Queenstown, the unofficial tourism capital of New Zealand. Anthony Albanese effortlessly exchanged hongi with two members of the iwi, including Tipene O'Reagan, before approaching Luxon to do the same. However, when leaning in to press noses with our country's leader, Albanese found himself being offered a hug instead. The encounter saw the duo narrowly avoid kissing, before awkwardly embracing each other in a hug that can only be described as desperate. To help you avoid ending up looking clueless when someone next offers you the traditional greeting, we've drafted a definitive guide on how to hongi. What is a hongi and why do we do it? The act of pressing noses and exchanging breath is the traditional way Māori greet each other. It is symbolic of an exchange of mauri, or essence of life. The act goes back to Tāne, who fashioned Hineahuone, the first woman, from clay. Once he was done, Tāne preseed noses with Hineahuone and exclaimed the words: 'Tihei Māori ora'. Tāne gave the breath of life to Hineahuone, who then came to life and eventually begat the rest of humanity. Today, we hongi as a symbolic reminder of the story of Tāne and Hineahuone and acknowledgment of the mauri of the person we are greeting. When are hongi carried out? The most common place you'll see a hongi is during a pōwhiri or whakatau. Following the whaikōrero or speeches, both parties will usually come together for what is called the harirū, or handshakes and hongi. However, it is not uncommon to see hongi being performed as part of everyday life. Hongi can be performed at the supermarket, beach, or even in the workplace. Anywhere you might offer a handshake, a hongi could just as easily take place too. So, how do I carry out the perfect hongi? The first part of a hongi is actually a handshake. Who you are offering a hongi to will dictate how you perform that handshake, but there are some general rules to follow here. The first step is to look the person in the eyes, smile and greet them with a 'kia ora' or 'tēnā koe' – the latter usually being reserved for when you are meeting people for the first time, or greeting an elder,or respected member of the community. The next step is figuring out if you are greeting a man or a woman: If you are a man greeting a man, you will be giving them a hongi; If you are a man greeting a woman, be prepared for a kiss on the cheek (explained further below); If you are a woman, you can usually dictate whether you want to exchange a kiss on the cheek or a hongi. If you are a kid, go with whatever the other person offers. If you are a man greeting a kid, feel free to offer them a high-five, fist-bump, hongi, or kiss depending on how they're reacting to you – some children would rather not participate in a hongi or kiss and that's fine – there's nothing worse than trying to force a kid to give you a hongi and accidentally headbutting them. When it comes to the act of the hongi itself, here are some top tips. Firstly, if you're wearing a hat (or even a beanie), take it off. Next, give early indication of what you intend to do. If it's a hongi, grab the other person's hand, slowly lean in with your head and lips tucked in (to avoid any possibility of a worst-case scenario kiss on the lips), and close your eyes when you're close to the other person's nose. Press your nose against the other person's, pause for a moment (the longer the pause, the more significant the greeting), breathe in our out (or both), before pulling away and offering another 'kia ora', 'tēnā koe', or even a 'ngā mihi'. What about kisses on the cheek? I noticed it is common for men and women to do this instead of a hongi? As Karaitiana Taiuru writes, the practice of kissing females on the cheek is a modern phenomenon that has only gained popularity since colonisation took place. 'Ignoring the customary practice of a hongi creates a number of issues including the loss of tikanga and the real possibility of discriminating against people in our community,' Taiuru argues. Despite a renaissance of offering women hongi, kissing them on the cheek instead is still widespread practice. If you are a female, feel free to offer a hongi to the person with whom you are exchanging a greeting. It can be an awkward process, given most will assume the proper practice is to kiss you on the cheek, but you can front foot this by making your wishes clear from the start. 'Haere mai ki te hongi' or 'hōmai he hongi' are two ways you can easily let the other person know a hongi is your preference. Another simple way is to lean forward with your eyes closed. What if I can't tell if it's a man or a woman? Trust me, I know it can be awkward trying to figure out if that's an uncle with great cheek bones or an aunty with more facial hair than you. This is where copying the person in front of you can pay dividends, if you are fortunate enough to not be first in the line for the harirū (in which case you would likely not need to be reading this article). How was the encounter before you? Did they hongi or kiss on the cheek? Is that person now blushing because uncle thought they were an aunty? Paying attention to what the person before you did can save a world of pain when it comes to your turn (see: Chris Luxon and Albanese). If you're greeting someone who is takatāpui, let them lead the way, or opt for the safe, gender-neutral hongi. Does everyone hongi the same? No. Māori from the East Coast are known for the 'double pump', preferring to press noses twice. It is said each pump is for either breathing out or breathing in. Of course, it can sometimes be difficult to know if someone is from the East Coast, so if you feel someone pulling you in for a second pressing of noses, relax and go with it. What if I don't want to offer a hongi? Just like opting to receive a blessing at mass instead of the blood and body of Christ, make it clear from the beginning of the interaction. You can politely tell the other person you haven't been feeling well while waving them away, hold your arms out for a hug instead, or keep your arm on their shoulder to literally keep them at arms distance. While Luxon attempted to go for a hug from the beginning, his Australian counterpart clearly had a preference for a hongi. What caused this fumble was, ironically, a clear lack of leadership from the outset. If you do find yourself in an awkward place between a kiss, hongi and handshake, try your best to laugh about it and move on quickly. Remember, it's as awkward as you make it.
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Luxon, Albanese make the most of Q'town
Enjoying the scenery above Queenstown yesterday are (from left) Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, his fiancee, Jodie Haydon, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his wife, Amanda. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's dance card was full to bursting in Queenstown over the weekend. Mr Albanese — who quipped he and his fiancee Jodie Haydon were "just a couple more Australians" visiting the resort on Saturday — spent about 24 hours in the Wakatipu, where he and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held their annual leaders' meeting, covered by a huge contingent of Australasian media. Mr Albanese was met at Queenstown Airport by a greeting party which included Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Glyn Lewers and Southland MP Joseph Mooney, before being whisked to Taramea, a private meeting house built by Queenstown entrepreneur Rod Drury — the leaders' meeting was the first event to be held there. The Australian contingent was welcomed with a pōwhiri by Ngāi Tahu, which Mr Albanese said was "very moving". Ngai Tahu representatives included Ta Tipene O'Regan and Te Rūnaka o Ōtākou upoko Edward Ellison, while New Zealand actor and producer Cliff Curtis was also present, as an invited guest of the iwi. Mr Albanese said it was his third trip to New Zealand as prime minister, but his first trip to Queenstown in the modern era. "The last time I was in Queenstown, I came with a backpack on last century — literally. "I came here as a traveller to this extraordinarily beautiful part of not just your nation, but the world. "If there is a better airport to land in, I have not been in it, and I've been in a few over the years." After closed-door talks, which traversed subjects such as trade and defence issues and opportunities, the war in Gaza and Australia's 501 deportation policy, the leaders told media underpinning all of it was the continued close relationship between Australia and New Zealand. Mr Albanese said the two countries were each other's biggest tourism market and the transtasman relationship was built on "deep understanding, genuine respect and true affection". "[It is] a relationship between peoples, not just a relationship between nations," Mr Albanese said. "In a time of global uncertainty, the certainty and strength of this bond has never been more important." Mr Luxon noted the pair knew each other before they entered politics and said their personal friendship was "emblematic of the mateship between our two great countries". "It's an iron-clad bond, uniquely defined by our respective histories and things that we celebrate about ourselves — practicality, humility and a good sense of humour, for one." He said the conversation during the leaders' meeting highlighted both men shared the same assessment of the problems but were also "firm about the agency we have to navigate a complex world". "The close bonds between Australia and New Zealand provide us both with a bedrock of certainty, of predictability and quite frankly the knowledge that we have one another's backs. "For New Zealand, Australia is our only formal ally and family like no other country." Following the leaders' meeting, the two prime ministers travelled to Stoneridge Estate, overlooking Lake Hayes, for the Australia-New Zealand Leaders' Forum Meeting. There, they met representatives from a host of heavy-hitting businesses on either side of the Tasman, including CyberCX, Beca, Ampol, Qantas, Genesis Energy and ASB Bank, after which the prime ministers and their partners enjoyed a private dinner, which the Otago Daily Times understands took place at Arrowtown's Ayrburn hospitality precinct. Yesterday morning, they again braved freezing temperatures to lay wreaths at the Arrowtown Cenotaph, on Soldiers Hill, accompanied by Mr Lewers and Arrowtown Returned and Services' Association president Rosemary Chalmers. Speaking to reporters in Arrowtown, Mr Albanese brushed off calls to impose sanctions on Israel for blocking humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, calling the demands a "slogan". He also repeated his government's call for Israel to abandon its plan to occupy the entirety of the Gaza Strip. "We called for an immediate ceasefire. We called for the release of hostages and we called for the unimpeded entry of aid into Gaza. We have a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding there. And the idea that it can just be continued is completely unacceptable." But he refused to answer a question about whether Australia would impose further sanctions on Israel as demanded by the Greens and other pro-Palestinian campaigners. "What we need to do here is to have very clear statements and actions by the Australian government that make a difference, rather than respond to a slogan on a protest." Finally the leaders and their partners enjoyed a scenic helicopter flight and mountain landing with Over The Top Helicopters, where they dug in to a transtasman-themed pavlova, among other things, decorated with kiwifruit, strawberries and Tim Tams, before Mr Albanese and Ms Haydon left New Zealand.
Scoop
5 days ago
- Scoop
Screamfeeder Announce 25th Anniversary Rocks On The Soul Vinyl Reissue And Tour
It's kind of hard to believe, but another milestone has ticked over for Brisbane indie legends Screamfeeder – it's now 25 years since their landmark album Rocks On The Soul was released. And to celebrate, they're releasing it on double vinyl, and of course, going on tour. Because, well, that's what they do. Rocks On The Soul is available to pre-order on double coke-bottle-green transparent vinyl, with all 18 songs from both discs of the original cd release. Mastered specifically for vinyl - warm and with more dynamics. Officially out in October (as was the original), you can pre-order at a discount price from today. The bonus pack includes two posters, a new T-shirt, five original flyers, and more. It's been a long and strange journey from those humble beginnings in Brisbane in 1991, to the revered status that Screamfeeder now enjoys. The scrappy little three-piece has become an iconic symbol of the time in which Australian music came of age, became the soundtrack of a generation, and came to symbolise an unprecedented golden era. Recently, Screamfeeder has been celebrated with a full-length documentary, a book about their seminal 1996 album Kitten Licks, and an ongoing reassessment of their massive significance to the Brisbane music scene. None of which has changed anything for the band, who continue to chart their own course, navigating by some invisible stars. Rocks On The Soul represents both a high-water mark and an outlier for Screamfeeder – a sonic departure from their previous work, a resounding affirmation of the band's independent ethos, and a deliberate choice to create new sounds and songs to keep things interesting for themselves and their fans. The album arrived after a long four-year break, the regrettable result of a contractual wrangle with their US record label. With their freedom newly reinstated came an experimental sound (courtesy of producers The Pound System) and indelible songs like ' Above The Dove ' and ' Stopless ', songs which defined Screamfeeder for a new generation of fans. ' Whether you want the depravity of the post-punk noise, the sweetness of a soothing pop song, or something in between, on Rocks on the Soul they deliver. I'll give this an A-." In Music We Trust As Tim Steward notes, ' Hearing the record now, it's aged far less than some of our others from the '90s. There aren't too many cringe moments, and almost all the songs make us go 'We should play this one again!'. We're really happy to have it out in a double vinyl format, giving all the songs space to breathe, and including the bonus CD that came with the original release, with the Hi Cs and Triple Hook singles and B-sides included.' '… At the time, it sounded like it was too good for a band from Brisbane, which is never true — of anywhere — but that's how Screamfeeder made me feel. I was excited by it. It was probably the last time I felt truly shocked by what a Brisbane band was capable of. Now everyone knows.' Ian Rogers You can see them play, just like they have for three decades, later in the year…
