As we find ourselves eagerly awaiting warmer and lighter days, a calendar packed with cultural events is keeping us excited for the final month of winter. From exceptional exhibitions and captivating performances to live comedy and more, here we present our August Culture Guide, sure to satiate your creative cravings.
Mary: The Birth of Frankenstein
When & Where: Tuesday 19th August — Wednesday 17th September, ASB Waterfront Theatre
Step inside the storm-soaked night that birthed a legend. From playwright Jess Sayer and director Oliver Driver comes Mary: The Birth of Frankenstein — a blood-soaked, fever-dream reimagining of Mary Shelley’s infamous creation. Gothic horror collides with raw ambition and creative obsession in this unflinching and unmissable world premiere.
New Zealand Fashion Week
When & Where: Monday 25th — Sunday 30th August, Shed 10
New Zealand Fashion Week returns this August at Auckland’s Shed 10, transforming the iconic waterfront venue into a hub of style and creativity. Celebrating Aotearoa’s most exciting designers — from industry icons to rising stars — the week-long event will captivate local and international audiences with runway shows, installations, and unforgettable fashion moments.
Molly Timmins — Moon Sown
When & Where: Now until Sunday 17th August, Sanderson Contemporary
Sanderson presents Moon Sown this month, a new solo exhibition by Molly Timmins (Ngāpuhi, Pākehā). Exploring nocturnal gardens alive under te marama (the moon), Timmins’ works blend textured brushwork, wild gestures, and sewn thread to reflect on ancestral ties, colonial landscapes, and evolving connections to whenua.
Diva
When & Where: Now until Sunday 19th October, Auckland Museum
Direct from London’s V&A and showing exclusively at Auckland Museum, DIVA is a glittering tribute to the performers who’ve defined — and defied — culture. With over 280 iconic pieces spanning fashion, film, music and more, this landmark exhibition showcases the ambition, power, and legacy of stars from Maria Callas to Madonna, Cher to Rihanna. An unmissable celebration of the diva in all her forms — flamboyant, fabulous, and forever fascinating.
Workmates
When & Where: Friday 1st August, The Civic
What if coming of age happens in your 30s? Set in Tāmaki Makaurau’s beloved Basement Theatre, Workmates is a romantic dramedy from real-life duo Sophie Henderson and Curtis Vowell. Henderson stars as Lucy, a chaotic co-manager of a crumbling theatre, emotionally entangled with her long-time colleague Tom (Matt Whelan). Brimming with wit, longing, and charm, this NZIFF gem is a late bloomer’s love story—and a heartfelt ode to the city’s vibrant, precarious arts scene.
World Press Photo Exhibition
When & Where: Now until Sunday 24th August, 131 Queen Street, Auckland
Powerful, poignant, and unflinchingly real — the World Press Photo Exhibition returns to Auckland, spotlighting the year’s most compelling photojournalism from across the globe. From conflict zones to climate protests, the images on display offer a striking lens on the world we live in, asking viewers to pause, reflect, and look closer.
Bloc Party
When & Where: Tuesday 12th August, Spark Arena
Bloc Party return for a special 20th‑anniversary celebration, performing their iconic debut Silent Alarm alongside their greatest hits. This alternative‑indie rock live show features special guests Young The Giant. Expect an electrifying night that honours two decades of one of Britain’s most influential guitar bands.
Home, Land and Sea
When & Where: Now until Saturday 9th August, various locations country-wide
Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Home, Land and Sea unites three evocative ballets exploring connection and identity. Featuring works by Moss Te Ururangi Patterson, Shaun James Kelly, and Stephen Baynes, the programme reflects on heritage, transformation, and what it means to find home through movement and storytelling.
A Century of Modern Art
When & Where: Now until Sunday 28th September, Auckland Art Gallery Toi O Tāmaki
A landmark exhibition of visionary painting, A Century of Modern Art arrived exclusively in Auckland in June. On loan from the internationally-renowned Toledo Museum of Art, the exhibition features 57 masterworks by 53 groundbreaking artists — including Monet, van Gogh, Cezanne, Picasso, and Frankenthaler — charting the evolution of modern art from Impressionism to Abstract Expressionism.
By the Fire at Viaduct Harbour
When & Where: 1st — 31st August, Viaduct Harbour
This August, Viaduct Harbour is turning up the heat with By the Fire — a month-long celebration of the season across the waterfront precinct. Anchored by an immersive installation by artist Angus Muir, the event encompasses everything from flame-kissed menus and specialty cocktails to winter-inspired wellness experiences, spa packages, and soul-soothing staycations. At the centre of Muir’s precinct-wide installation is a sculptural bonfire in Market Square, animated by ambient light, drifting smoke, and the soothing sounds of a crackling fire — setting the tone for the month ahead.
Every Saturday morning, leading holistic fitness studio Sala steps in with free outdoor wellness sessions at Market Place — from HIIT pilates to dynamic yoga and run clubs — designed to get bodies moving. Yoga and Pilates participants will receive a complimentary gift bag full of wellness goodies. Elsewhere, Sofitel Viaduct Harbour is offering a transformative warming spa ritual, and QT Auckland is going all-out with a bespoke wellness-centric winter escape. Forget the winter blues, and make for Viaduct Harbour where the best of the season awaits.
See the full list of By the Fire offers at viaduct.co.nz
The Ballet International Gala VI
When & Where: Friday 29th August, The Civic
Ballet’s brightest stars take the stage for one night only as the Ballet International Gala makes its New Zealand debut. This unmissable event features world-renowned dancers from the Mariinsky, Royal Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin and more — performing beloved classics and contemporary works in a breathtaking evening of global ballet excellence.
