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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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  • botanical illustration

    Botanical Illustration and Art: Author Talk

    Join Te Papa Press for this free event that will deep dive into the history, significant figures and contemporary developments in botanical art and illustration.

    This event is at Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui | Wellington’s Central Library.

    Tue 26 May 2026, 5.30pm to 6.30pm

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • Mānawatia a Matariki

    Celebrate Matariki – the beginning of the New Year in Aotearoa New Zealand, marked by the rising of the Matariki star cluster.

    Open now

    23 Apr - 19 Jul 2026

    Exhibition Ngā whakaaturanga

  • A room with coloured lighting and colourful carving behind the stage. On the stage are nine lights in x shapes.

    Matariki 2026 at Te Papa

    Matariki Herenga Waka, the theme of this year’s celebrations, acknowledges the stories, traditions, and mātauranga​​ (knowledge)‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌​​‌‍​‌​‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍​​‍​‍​​‌​​‌​​​​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‍​​‌​​​‍​​​‍​‍‌​​​​​‍​‌​​​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‌ carried by ​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌​​‌‍​‌​‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍​‌‌​​‍​​​‌​​​‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌​‌​‍‌​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍‌‌​‌​‍​​‌‍​​‍‌​‍‌‌​‍‌​​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‍​​​​‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍​‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌​​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍​‍‍​​‍​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍​‍‌‌waka (canoes)​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌​​‌‍​‌​‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍​​‍​‍​​‌​​‌​​​​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‍​​‌​‌​​​‍​​​​​​‌‍​​‌​‍​​​‍​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‌, and the voyages that bring people together.

  • An adult is reading a book about Matariki to a child.

    Matariki Tamariki Time

    A free, interactive drop-in session for tamariki aged 5 and under. This month learn about Matariki and waka navigation.

    Fri 19 Jun 2026, 10am to 12pm

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • A person is standing on a colourful stage with a display screen behind him. He is talking to an audience.

    Wānanga Matariki: Matariki Herenga Waka

    Ka wānanga ngā kaumoana o Ngahiraka-Mai-Tawhiti mō te whakatere waka – te nehe, te nāianei, me te anamata.

    The Ngahiraka-Mai-Tawhiti crew kōrero (talk) about waka (canoe) voyaging – past, present, and future.

    This kōrero will be mainly in te reo Māori with some English.  

    Wed 24 Jun 2026, 6.30pm to 8.30pm

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • People standing or sitting in a dark room with a purple lighting with their backs to the camera watching a performance on a low stage.

    Matariki After Dark: Leading from the front

    An adults-only celebration of the stories, traditions, and mātauranga (knowledge) shared between Aotearoa New Zealand and Te Moananui-a-Kiwa, the wider Pacific. 

    Thu 2 Jul 2026, 7.30pm to 11pm

    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.  

    Daily sessions at 10:30am, 11am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2pm, and 2:30pm. 

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

  • A stylised figure in black is standing under a stylised white thumbprint.

    Friends Event: Caravaggio

    Experienced guide at Tate Britain, Tate Modern, the Royal Academy and Greenwich, Rosalind Whyte will introduce you to the drama of the life and the art of the famous Italian painter of his time, Caravaggio.

    Sun 17 May, 4pm–5pm

  • 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 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

  • A person in fishnet stockings and a suit jacket is on a dark stage under a spotlight.

    BOHM Presents: Eddie Izzard performs Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Hamlet

    The King of Denmark is dead, and Prince Hamlet is determined to take revenge, initiating a cascade of events that will destroy both family and state. Eddie Izzard will be portraying men, women, ghosts, scholars, tyrants, courtiers, lovers, and fools.

    Tue 21 Jul 2026, 7pm

    Wed 22 Jul 2026, 7pm

    Thu 23 Jul 2026, 7.30pm

    Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

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