Exhibition AUG 29 - NOV 9, 2026 The Adam Portraiture Awards 2026 Free VENUE: Whakaari The Adam Portraiture Award is Aotearoa New Zealand's premier award for painted portraiture. Presented biennially by the New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata, the award has become one of the country's most significant and anticipated art prizes.
Exhibition SEP 24 - OCT 21, 2026 Mīharo: Legends of Our Lands – Our People, Our Places, Our Stories Free VENUE: Manaaki Nui Presented as part of Mīharo’s annual art awards and exhibition, Legends of Our Lands – Our People, Our Places, Our Stories brings together artworks by tamariki and rangatahi from Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary education, alongside artists in Mīharo’s open 18–25-year-old category. The opening for the show and awards will be presented on Wednesday 23 September at 5.30pm - all are welcome to join.
Tamariki (kids) SEP 28 - OCT 9, 2026 September – October Holiday Programme 2026 $32 (Half day) $64 (Full day) VENUE: Mahi Tahi Our September-October Arts Holiday Programme is back with two weeks of hands-on creative adventures for tamariki aged 5–7 and 8–13. With classes running from Monday 28 September - Friday 9 October from 9am - Extended hours available.
Drop-in Sessions OCT 3, 2026 Saturday Arts Social Free VENUE: Puāwai Saturday Arts Social is a multi-arts programme and morning tea designed for our 60+ community. We gather every Saturday morning for a broad programme of events including concerts, art workshops, dance/movement classes and artist talks. Next event: Saturday 3 October, 10:30am.
Performance OCT 4, 2026 Extra Lives – The Interactive Video Game Concert $25 adult, $15 concession VENUE: Puāwai Fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe, Extra Lives is a live interactive adventure where your choices shape the story and you are the main character. Runs for 60 minutes.
Performance OCT 5, 2026 AWE+ Scholars Showcase VENUE: Whakaari Celebrate the arrival of AWE 2026 into Tāhuna Queenstown with a free performance from the 2026 AWE Pettman Scholars Christine Jeon (cello) and Matthew Seinafo (piano) for this 45 minute showcase.
Performance OCT 5, 2026 Strung $70 adult, $25 student VENUE: Whakaari Welcoming internationally renowned pianist David Fung to the AWE stage for the first time, Strung traces connections across generations, where musical lines are passed, reshaped, and renewed. Part of the At the World's Edge Festival of Chamber music, this performance runs from 7:30 - 9pm.
Drop-in Sessions OCT 6, 2026 Community Sing Free VENUE: Puāwai Community Sing is an open, drop-in choir for everyone in the community. It's free and open to all! No registration required. Our next session will take place on Tuesday 6 October, 7pm-8pm.
Wellbeing OCT 7, 2026 Prenatal Yoga (From 13 Weeks) $18 per class, $75 for 5 classes VENUE: Kapa Rua Join Nadi Wellness founder Sandi Murphy for this gentle yet strengthening yoga series which combines mindful movement, functional preparation for birth, breathwork and relaxation.
Performance OCT 7, 2026 AWE+ Open Rehearsals VENUE: Te Atamira Join us at our open rehearsals anytime between 10am - 6:30pm, and experience the sights and sounds of our At the World's Edge Festival Artists deep within their performance preparation. Free to attend, no bookings required.
Wellbeing OCT 7, 2026 Mums & Bubs Yoga (6 Weeks to Crawling) $18 per class, $75 for 5 classes VENUE: Kapa Rua Designed for mothers and babies from 6 weeks until crawling, these classes combine gentle postnatal yoga, breathwork and relaxation to rebuild strength, restore confidence and support emotional wellbeing.
Performance OCT 9, 2026 AWE+ Emerging Artist Showcase VENUE: Whakaari An AWE+ Free Performance showcasing our 2026 Emerging Artists and composer, this programme traces lines of friendship, place and musical inheritance. This free showcase runs from 4:45 - 5:30pm.
Talks OCT 9, 2026 Winterstellar: At the Edge of the Universe VENUE: Whakaari An AWE+ Free Talk from Emeritus Professor Brian J Boyle exploring why Otago is such a special place on the planet for astronomy. Experience the majesty of our night skies, with a little bit of astrophysics and cosmology thrown in. This talk runs from 6:30 - 7pm and is free to attend.
Performance OCT 9, 2026 Radiance $70 adult, $25 student VENUE: Whakaari Radiance explores music drawn along the threshold between presence and distance, memory and vastness. From the incomprehensible scale of deep space to the intimacy of nocturnal reflection, musical lines drift, suspend, and hover between what is present and what is remembered, what is near and what lies beyond the reach of human scale. Part of the At the World's Edge Festival of Chamber music, this performance runs from 7:30 - 9pm.
Workshops OCT 10, 2026 The Art of Words – a writing workshop $49 VENUE: Whakaari From Keats’ ‘Ode to a Grecian Urn’ to Girl with a Pearl Earring starring Scarlett Johansson, art has long inspired screenwriters, poets and writers. Join poet, songwriter and editor Laura Williamson for a session set among, and inspired by, the finalists for The Adam Portraiture Award 2026. Workshop runs 1-4pm.
