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Te Papa Tongarewa

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EventsNgā kaupapa motuhake

Our exciting programme of ngā kaupapa motuhake runs all year. Watch song and dance performances, join in with kids activities and cultural days, hear from our experts, and much more.

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  • Plates of food on a table. Two are savoury dishes, one is sliced bread, and one is a bowl of dessert.

    Kai Māori special menu

    Join us at Te Papa Café this November for a kai Māori (Māori food) special menu. Each dish celebrates Māori traditions and springtime produce.

    1 - 30 Nov 2025, 9.00am to 3.00pm

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • An image of an orange-red table with tea and teapots along with three-tierd plates with small cakes.

    Eat Your Art Out

    A high tea to delight your eyes and taste buds.  

    From 28 June, daily sessions at 10:30am, 11am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2pm, and 2:30pm. 

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • A person is talking to two other people about an artwork on the wall that is brightly coloured string on a black wall.

    Lucky Dip Art Tours

    Zoom in on the artworks and stories in Toi Art, with a 15-minute tour guided by Te Papa’s knowledgeable hosts. 

    Wednesdays and Sundays, 11 to 11.15am

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • Two children are creating a tower out of cards.

    Tamariki Time: Cardboard Creations

    A free interactive drop-in session for tamariki (children) aged 5 and under. This month, learn about shape, size, and building inspired by Yona Lee’s artwork, Kit-set In-Transit.

    Fri 21 Nov 2025, 10am – 12 midday

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • Two people are standing in front of a painting in an art storeroom and looking thoughtfully at it.

    Toi Art Saturdays: Guided Slow Looking

    Take a closer look. Join free, student-led sessions that invite slow looking, reflection, and thoughtful conversation around art.

    Sat 22 Nov 2025, 11am to 3pm

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • Three head-and-shoulders photos of three women smiling at the camera.

    Toi Art×Verb: Home Weirds

    Two picture-book authors discuss domestic life’s strange twists and turns, inspired by Yona Lee’s artwork Kit-set In-transit. 

    Sat 22 Nov 2025, 1pm to 2pm

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • Two adults and two children are walking along a beach. There are some houses perched on a hill in the background.

    Island Bay Event: Wild Wellington Nature Walk with Michael Szabo

    Wild Wellington Ngā Taonga Taiao author, Michael Szabo is hosting another Wild Wellington nature walk in Island Bay on Sunday 23 November.  
    This event is at Shoreland Park, Reef Street entrance, Island Bay.

    Sun 23 Nov 2025, 9.30–10.30am

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • A piece of a plant on a black background. The plant has two flowering stalks with white flowers.

    Unity Books Event: Groundwork – An author talk

    Hear authors Michele Leggott and Catherine Field-Dodgson discuss their research into Emily Cumming Harris, the subject of their book Groundwork, and one of Aotearoa's most significant botanical artists of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. 

    This event is at Unity Books Wellington.

    Wed 26 Nov 2025, 6pm to 7.30pm

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • A head and shoulders photo of a woman with blonde hair and glasses smiling at someone off screen.

    Gordon H Brown Lecture: Dr Maia Nuku

    Dr Maia Nuku, Curator for Oceanic Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, delivers the annual Gordon H. Brown Lecture, hosted by Te Papa and Victoria University.

    Thu 4 Dec 2025, 6.30pm to 8pm

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • A composite photo of three heads on top of each others. There are lots of dots covering them.

    First Breath: Opening Party

    Be among the first to explore Breathe | Mauri Ora at a special opening party that includes late-night exhibition access and live entertainment.

    Sat 13 Dec 2025, 7.00pm–11.30pm

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • A woman is using her hands to say sign language and smiling at the camera.

    New Zealand Sign Language Awards Night

    Join us for a powerful evening of celebration, storytelling, and connection as we mark 20 years of New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) as an official language in Aotearoa New Zealand.

    Sat 9 May 2026, 7pm to 11pm

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake