EventsNgā kaupapa motuhake

Matariki Māori business showcase

Celebrate Matariki at Te Papa with a vibrant Māori artist and business showcase. Connect with talented makers, share stories, and explore unique Māori creations. 

Taikura Kapa Haka 2025

Experience over 600 kaumātua (elders) from around the motu (country) performing at Taikura Kapa Haka 2025.

Matariki 2025 at Te Papa

Mānawatia a Matariki! Come celebrate Matariki at Te Papa with a series of whakangahau (concerts), kōrero (conversations), and whānau-friendly activities that allow you to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future.

Toi Art: New season talks

Join us for a day of free talks in the Toi Art galleries to celebrate our new season of exhibitions.

Eat Your Art Out

A high tea to delight your eyes and taste buds.  

School Holiday Kids’ Activities

Jump into the fun at Te Papa these school holidays with our activities. These whānau-friendly events are for children and teens.

Sat 28 Jun to Sun 13 Jul

Public History Talk: Central Otago couture: The Eden Hore collection

Curator and writer Claire Regnault presents an illustrated talk on a unique fashion collection that was amassed in the 1970s by Eden Hore, a Central Otago farmer with an unusual vision.

This event is at the National Library, and via Zoom. 

Unity Books event: Author talk – Towards Modernism

Unity Books event: Join Justine Olsen and Walter Cook in conversation next Wednesday to delve deeper into the latest book from Te Papa Press, Towards Modernism: The Walter Cook Collection at Te Papa.

This event is at Unity Books Wellington.

The Ballet Zoo with The Royal New Zealand Ballet

Step into the magical world of The Ballet Zoo – a delightful new ballet experience for children these school holidays! 

Dance Workshops: The Ballet Zoo with The Royal New Zealand Ballet

These Royal New Zealand Ballet Dance Workshops are a unique opportunity for children to learn ballet from RNZB Dance Educators. 

Scott’s Discovery Hut VR Experience

Antarctic Heritage Trust and Te Papa invites you to explore Antarctica and visit Scott's Discovery Hut through our latest virtual reality experience.

Writers on Mondays series

The International Institute of Modern Letters presents a series of events highlighting the very latest work of Aotearoa New Zealand writers. A lively and stimulating way to begin the week.

From Mon 7 July

Writers on Mondays – On the road: Gina Butson and Michelle Rahurahu

The International Institute of Modern Letters presents a series of events highlighting the very latest work of Aotearoa New Zealand writers. A lively and stimulating way to begin the week.

Two debut novelists discuss their road-trip stories that explore running away and finding yourself in the world.

Autism NZ and LEGO whānau fun day

Check out the creativity of LEGO® art by autistic tamariki on display in association with Autism New Zealand. Then join the fun day event for LEGO build activities and the chance to win some great LEGO prizes! 

Writers on Mondays – Stories that define us: Michelle Duff and Saraid de Silva

The International Institute of Modern Letters presents a series of events highlighting the very latest work of Aotearoa New Zealand writers. A lively and stimulating way to begin the week.

Two writers explore women's lives across generations and cultures in conversation about the stories that shape us.

Friends event: Dutch 17c Painting: Johannes Vermeer 1632–75

Only 36 paintings are attributed to Johannes Vermeer, but they are among the most revered in the history of art. Join Oxford University lecturer Alice Foster as we take a closer look at these celebrated works of art.

Sunday 20 July, 4.00–5.00pm

Writers on Mondays – Sand and Sugarcane: Nafanua Purcell Kersel and Mikaela Nyman

The International Institute of Modern Letters presents a series of events highlighting the very latest work of Aotearoa New Zealand writers. A lively and stimulating way to begin the week.

Two poets discuss climate change, resilience, and political poetry from Pacific and Nordic perspectives in urgent contemporary voices.

Writers on Mondays – Making and Mending: Chris Tse, Cadence Chung, Gregory Kan, Jiaqiao Liu, and Nina Mingya Powles

The International Institute of Modern Letters presents a series of events highlighting the very latest work of Aotearoa New Zealand writers. A lively and stimulating way to begin the week.

Four innovative poets discuss how their creative pursuits outside poetry shape and reinvent their latest collections with the New Zealand Poet Laureate.

Writers on Mondays – Delirious: Damien Wilkins

The International Institute of Modern Letters presents a series of events highlighting the very latest work of Aotearoa New Zealand writers. A lively and stimulating way to begin the week.

Acorn Prize winner Damien Wilkins discusses his acclaimed novel about loss, ageing, and second chances with writer Emily Perkins.

Writers on Mondays – High Tide: Jennifer Trevelyan and Jenny Pattrick

The International Institute of Modern Letters presents a series of events highlighting the very latest work of Aotearoa New Zealand writers. A lively and stimulating way to begin the week.

A seasoned novelist and debut author discuss coastal communities under pressure in their latest works about change and survival.

Writers on Mondays – Ōrongohau: Best New Zealand Poems 2024

The International Institute of Modern Letters presents a series of events highlighting the very latest work of Aotearoa New Zealand writers. A lively and stimulating way to begin the week.

Editor Nick Ascroft introduces a selection of excellent New Zealand poets to read their work in a warm-up for National Poetry Day.

Writers on Mondays – Writing off the Map: Anna Jackson and Rachel O'Neill

The International Institute of Modern Letters presents a series of events highlighting the very latest work of Aotearoa New Zealand writers. A lively and stimulating way to begin the week.

Two adventurous writers discuss their genre-defying works that blend poetry, essays, music, and queer joy in uncharted literary territory.

Writers on Mondays – The Conditions of Rapture: Amy Marguerite, Sophie van Waardenberg, and Emma Barnes

The International Institute of Modern Letters presents a series of events highlighting the very latest work of Aotearoa New Zealand writers. A lively and stimulating way to begin the week.

Three poets discuss their extraordinary new collections, whim brim over with feeling and are taut with intellectual curiosity.

Te Papa Foundation Gala

Find out about the Annual Gala that Te Papa Foundation hosts at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Writers on Mondays – The Satire We Deserve: Brannavan Gnanalingam and Duncan Sarkies

The International Institute of Modern Letters presents a series of events highlighting the very latest work of Aotearoa New Zealand writers. A lively and stimulating way to begin the week.

Two satirical novelists diagnose life in Aotearoa through hilarious and dangerous fiction that prods our political and social wounds.