Studies for a Keepsake: Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore
29 May – 22 August 2026
Gus Fisher Gallery
Studies for a Keepsake is the first exhibition of pioneering artists Claude Cahun (1894-1954) and Marcel Moore (1892-1972) in Aotearoa. Visionary artists and activists associated with the French Surrealist movement, Cahun and Moore were lifelong partners and collaborators whose fearlessness in art was reflected wholeheartedly in life.
Simply Brill
25 & 26 June
Wintergarden, The Civic
As part of the Auckland Live Cabaret Festival, comes a celebration of the songs, the stories and the songwriters who shaped a generation. Step inside the legendary Brill Building, where the teenage songwriters behind the biggest hits of the 60s changed music forever. Packed with iconic songs, sharp storytelling and irresistible charm, Simply Brill is a joyful celebration of artists including Carole King, Burt Bacharach and Neil Sedaka.
Son's of Vao
18 June - 5 July
Auckland Theatre Company
ASB Waterfront Theatre
What does it mean to forgive? Spanning four decades, from village life in Niue in the 1970s to the suburbs of Ponsonby, this award-winning play follows the three brothers’ struggle to break free from their father. Vao is charming, handsome, ambitious. To his three sons, he is a god. But he carries rage in his fists and danger in his eyes. It’s an uplifting coming-of-age story, as Seki, To and Sau emerge into adulthood, each affected by their father in different ways.
Nova Paul: Puawānanga
11 June - 6 September
The Arts House Trust
Beginning with the possibility that every tree has, and is, a story, Puawānanga is Nova Paul’s latest 16mm film, made using plant-based hand processing to create a developer emulsion. Puawānanga is an aka, or clematis vine, that weaves its way through the ngahere and is the embodiment of the pua—the blossoming—of the wānanga.
Auckland Live Cabaret Festival
Wed 24 June - Sun 5 July
The Civic
A world within a world - your ticket to the extraordinary has arrived! Get ready to lose yourself because the most exciting time of the year is back! Escape the winter chill and join us inside the lush warmth of The Civic for the 2026 Auckland Live Cabaret Festival. Transforming Auckland's most iconic venue into a playground filled with music, comedy, theatre, circus, burlesque and some acts that simply can't be defined.
Selina Ershadi: The Blue Dome
25 April – 4 July 2026
Artspace Aotearoa
Free Entry
This exhibition presents new work by Iranian-born, Tāmaki Makaurau–based artist Selina Ershadi. Working with film, sound, and text developed during recent trips to Tehran and in Tāmaki Makaurau, she explores the politics of recording personal stories. These artworks, made with women in her family, challenge standard expectations of voice, vision, and home. By working with details often overlooked in official historical narratives, Ershadi questions whose stories are seen, remembered, and valued.
