A community guide to creative events in the Waikato region
13 EVENTS
14 EVENTS
4 EVENTS
7 EVENTS
3 EVENTS
27 EVENTS
5 OPPORTUNITIES
Experience Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery after hours and see the Museum in a whole new light.
26 AugHamilton
Hear Browsers Bookshop owner Rachel Pope talk about what makes books valuable and collectible. Bring along a book for her to assess.
Gala opening of The New Zealand International Film Festival
27 AugHamilton
Learn the principles of kōwhaiwhai, their purākau and how to draw them in a small rōpū.
Year 5 & 6 and year 7 & 8 teams across the Waikato gather to compete for the hotly contested title of 2026 Waikato Book Battle Champions.
28 AugHamilton
Pulse of Life bursts with the thrill of discovery, bringing together world and New Zealand premieres alongside beloved classics.
29 AugHamilton
Come along to our annual combined showcase featuring the young musicians of the Waikato.
Explore poetry’s power to address life’s issues in this practical workshop.
Tāhei Toi, Muka, and now Pīkau have officially been added to the whānau.
A children’s concert inspired by wizards, fairy tales, and folk stories from around the world.
30 AugHamilton
WAIPRINT is an annual exhibition of works by Waikato Society of Arts printmakers.
Aug 8 – 30Hamilton
A wonderful exhibition of experimental printmaking.
Penny returns home to discover that the town’s annual potato race has separate prizes for men and women with $1,000 for men, and only $200 for women.
22 Aug – 5 SepCambridge
An exhibition by Lisa Benson
21 Aug – 5 SepHamilton
New Zealand International Film festival
27 Aug – 9 SepHamilton
$3,000 commission to paint a utility box mural at an affordable housing development in Cambridge, Waikato.
29 Jul – 28 Aug
Create your own hand-crafted book using a range of mixed media techniques in a supportive studio environment.
23 Jul – 27 AugHamilton
The Art Room Project is a creative wellbeing programme in Hamilton for girls aged 14–17.
4 Aug – 8 SepHamilton
GLOtron!, Hamilton’s world-exclusive glow-in-the-dark storyscape experience launches in less than a month!
20 Jul – 30 AugHamilton
HaHaHamilton’s monthly Comedy Lounge gig is back with another stellar lineup.
2 SepHamilton
Queen Forever at the BNZ Theatre.
5 SepHamilton
Capture the beauty of Spring in watercolour with Sandra Morris.
5 SepTauwhare
Forget about creating the perfect likeness. This is a relaxed three-hour portrait workshop in Hamilton exploring faces through mixed media!
Cambridge Art Society Annual Members’ Exhibition. Join us to celebrate our local talent!
Sep 3 – 6Cambridge
Spend a day immersed in our unique arboretum environment capturing the essence of Spring.
6 SepTauwhare
Explore the exciting effects of Pop Riveting and create your own sculpture.
12 SepTauwhare
Join us for CCMF 2026 and immerse yourself in a weekend of exceptional chamber music.
Sep 11 – 13Cambridge
Don’t Look Back In Anger – The concert movie you can’t Miss
Sep 10 – 13Hamilton
Build creative confidence, learn new techniques, and develop your own artistic toolkit.
20 Jul – 7 SepHamilton
Be inspired by flowers, gardens, trees and landscapes as you explore a range of creative techniques
Kids Art Hamilton | Creative Play Class for Homeschoolers 🎨
Starts Tuesday 21 July – 8 Sept or Friday 24 July – 11 Sept
21 Jul – 8 SepHamilton
A creative art workshop designed to support wellbeing through art-making in a calm, welcoming studio environment.
22 Jul – 9 SepHamilton
A fun, relaxed after school art club where children can explore creativity, make art and build confidence through guided projects
Ready to take the next step in your creative practice?
Exploring bold, expressive art-making through print, texture, collage, layering and mixed media techniques.
23 Jul – 10 SepHamilton
Take time for yourself, meet other women, and enjoy making art in a relaxed and supportive environment.
A hands-on, exploratory art workshop where you’ll experiment with both 2D and 3D techniques.
24 Jul – 11 SepHamilton
Learn to draw step by step in a supportive and relaxed studio environment.
With 2026 marking our 80th Anniversary, we bring you a celebratory concert- Tiakina Te Reo Waiata- Keeping the Song Alive.
19 SepCambridge
Although there have been many paintings of the Waikato river, a focused review has yet to be compiled. Until now.
28 Aug – 16 OctHamilton
30 SepHamilton
9 local artists, architects, designers and developers share bold ideas for our streetscapes — bringing creativity, connection and possibility.
The works invite attention to the movement of light, the traces of time, and the relationships between bodies and their surroundings.
2 Sep – 2 OctHamilton
An exhibition of finely-crafted S70 mini huts by Kemi & Niko
12 Sep – 3 OctHamilton
A curated art and design week celebrating the creative energy of local and international talents.
25 Sep – 4 OctHamilton
Join Martin to explore watercolour techniques capturing the beauty of light in the landscape.
3 OctTauwhare
A Sunday afternoon workshop away with the fairies. Come with your daydreams & leave with a Vision Zine.
4 OctHamilton
Your opportunity to explore traditional whatu techniques with contemporary mediums with Julz @ tiaki rAranga in collaboration with Whare Hau Tutū
6 OctHamilton
8 OctHamilton
Fletch, Vaughan and Hayley at the BNZ Theatre.
10 OctHamilton
Come visit our official Raglan Arts Weekend Preview Exhibition and secure a special artwork at a fraction of its value.
Oct 2 – 26Raglan
Björn Again at the BNZ Theatre.
16 OctHamilton
artbeat music & arts festival is a 2 day event – 10am – 4pm 17/18th October – to showcase the amazing creatives we have in the Ōtorohanga District!
Oct 17 – 18Otorohanga
The 16th Raglan Arts Weekend this October is set to impress with over 70 participating artists, plus installations, public art murals, demos & music.
Oct 24 – 26Raglan
Youth Filmmakers Workshops in Hamilton and Cambridge
6 Jul – 8 Nov
28 OctHamilton
The date is decided. The venue is booked. And the planning starts now. Its about to get unreal really quick. The last ever Miss Cadaver for real.
31 Oct
Gather your friends, dress up, and dance the night away this Halloween with a Silent Disco at the Museum.
31 OctHamilton
Kick off Halloween with a spooky silent disco designed for young people aged 8+
We are looking for Artists to participate in this years Festival.
25 Jun – 1 Nov
Life drawing of human figure every Friday afternoon at the Cathedral
12 Sep – 18 DecHamilton
The Arts for Health Annual New Zealand Art Competition and Exhibition is open to artists from across New Zealand.
29 Oct – 21 NovHamilton
A festival for independent, NZ-made films
Nov 6 – 8Te Awamutu
Floral artists come together to create visual displays captivating audiences of all ages
Nov 11 – 14Matamata
Learn the principles of kōwhaiwhai, their purākau and how to draw them in a small rōpū. 4 Evening Wānanga Available – Check out our website for dates
30 Apr – 8 OctHamilton
Courtney Barnett at the BNZ Theatre in November.
18 NovHamilton
Aldous Harding at the BNZ Theatre in November.
25 NovHamilton
A wānanga where participants learn and practice earth-based pigment making and deepen their relationship with natural materials.
28 NovHamilton
The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s 2026 Season is a year of drama, beauty and imagination – where timeless stories and bold new visions collide.
Nov 27 – 29Hamilton
And they lived happily ever after! Well…not exactly.
27 Nov – 12 DecHamilton
A sumptuous programme of music by the late-Baroque Italian genius Giovanni Pergolesi and French-Baroque master Jean-Philippe Rameau.
11 DecHamilton
Join us for the annual 10-day arts festival celebrating beautiful Cambridge in Autumn!
Mar 12 – 21, 2027
Australia/NZ’s first Poetry Therapy certification: Harness poetry’s healing power for community workshops and personal transformation.
1 Sep, 2025 – 1 Sep, 2027
The free weekly directory for 100+ creative grants, residencies, prizes, and commissions across NZ, Australia, and internationally.
1 Apr, 2026 – 1 Apr, 2028
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