Competition: Get your art displayed at Te Papa
Create your very own museum masterpiece, enter our competition and you could see your artwork displayed at Te Papa these school holidays!
28 Sep - 8 Oct 2026
Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake
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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Eat Your Art Out
A high tea to delight your eyes and taste buds – with new menu inspired by Slow Burn: Women and Photography.
WOW offer: Get 50% off an Art Narratives Tour when booked with Eat Your Art Out. Use code WOW26
Daily sessions at 10:30am, 11:00am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, and 2:30pm.
Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake
World Day of Friends of Museums 2026
World Day of Friends of Museums invites our community to celebrate the passion and global connection shared by Friends groups and museum supporters around the world. At Te Papa, visitors can enjoy back‑of‑house tours, a vibrant photography competition and friendly conversations in the foyer, an uplifting day to connect and join in the spirit of museum friendship.
This link will take you to the Friends of Te Papa website.
Sun 11 Oct, 9am–5pm
Lucky Dip Art Talks
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
Aperture and Attitude: Writing through the lens
Join poet Helen Rickerby for a writing workshop in response to the exhibition Slow Burn: Women and Photography | Ahi Tāmau: Māreikura Whakaahua. Ticket includes Eat Your Art Out high tea.
Sat 17 Oct 2026, 10.00am–12.00pm
Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake
Urban Nature Activities at Te Papa
Come along to Te Papa for lots of fun nature activities designed for the city with author Rachel Haydon (The Urban Activity Book).
Sun 25 Oct 2026, 10am–1pm
Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake
Professor James Belich: Museums, history, and the stories we tell
Professor James Belich, ONZM, one of Aotearoa’s most influential historians, joins Friends of Te Papa in association with the Heritage Festival, for a special talk exploring how museums shape national identity, historical understanding, and our place in the world.
This link will take you to the Friends of Te Papa website.
Sat 24 Oct, 12.00pm–1.00pm
Wild Wellington Ngā Taonga Taiao waterfront walk
Discover the nature encounters you can expect at this time of year on a waterfront guided walk with Michael Szabo, wildlife expert and author of Wild Wellington Ngā Taonga Taiao: A guide to the wildlife and wild places of Te Upoko-o-te-Ika.
Mon 26 Oct 2026, 11am–12pm
Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake
Asian histories in Aotearoa collection highlights at Te Papa
Get behind the scenes at Te Papa for this kōrero about taonga from the recent publication Between Dreams: Resistance and Representation in Asian Aotearoa.
Wed 28 Oct 2026, 1–2.30pm
Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake
Mātātupu Mātauranga: Future Thinkers
Join us for a day of tours, workshops, and talks by rangatahi (youth), for rangatahi. This event celebrates young people and their role as the future kaitiaki (caretakers) of te taiao (nature).
Sat 31 Oct 2026, 10am–2pm
Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake
Te Papa Foundation Gala
Save the date for Wellington’s premier black-tie fundraising evening, the Te Papa Foundation Gala.
Sat 14 Nov 2026, 6.30pm to 11.30pm
Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake
