Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand
Open every day 10am-6pm
(except Christmas Day)
Free museum entry for New Zealanders and people living in New Zealand
The Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) comes to Te Papa for our annual day of fun for all ages.
Sat 20 Sep 2025, 10.00am–2.00pm
Soundings Theatre and Icon, Level 2,
Rangimarie rooms, Level 3 and
Te Huka a Tai (near Rongomaraeroa marae), Level 4.
Free event and ticketed workshops, with museum entry
$5 dance workshops
Under 10s and parents
You’ll have the chance to peek behind the scenes of our exciting production of The Nutcracker and enjoy an action-packed day of activities with your national ballet company.
Bring your friends and whānauand enjoy dance workshops for children (including sessions for pre-schoolers), experience the magic of story-time, get colourful with face paint and crafty with ballet-themed activities.
There will be something for everyone – see you there!
Rangimarie Room 1, Level 3
$5.00 Booking required
Registration required – book your slot here
Explore characters, steps and scenes based on The Nutcracker, and some simple ballet steps and positions. Pre-registration is required and there is a limit of 30 children per session.
10.15am–11am: Workshop one for 5– 7 year olds
11.15am–12pm: Workshop two for 5–7 year olds
12.30pm–1.15pm: Workshop three for 8–10 year olds
10am–2pm, Rangimarie Room 2, Level 3
Love to craft? Join us on Level 3 for some Nutcracker crafts and colouring.
10.00am–2.00pm Icon, Level 2
Get into the spirit of things with face painting and fun photobooth.
10.30–11am and 11.30–12pm, Icon Function Venue, Level 2
Especially for little ones, thirty minutes of movement and fun.
No registration required.
10.30am–11.00am, Soundings Theatre, Level 2
Watch the dancers of the Royal New Zealand Ballet in their daily warm-up, from stretches at the barre to complex jumps, turns and combinations.
11.15am–12.45pm and 1.00pm–2.00pm, Soundings Theatre, Level 2
Get a taste of the RNZB’s production of The Nutcracker, with this rare opportunity to watch the dancers in rehearsal with Artistic Staff.
12.30–1pm and 1.20–1.50pm, Icon Function Venue, Level 2
Be immersed in the fairytale of The Nutcracker, through our interactive and dance based story time. Explore characters, choreography and all while learning the story of the ballet. No registration required.
Soloist dancer Jemima Scott, July 2025. Photo by Ross Brown. RNZB
RNZB comes to Te Papa for our annual day of fun for all ages. You’ll have the chance to peek behind the scenes of our exciting production of The Nutcracker and enjoy an action-packed day of activities with your national ballet company.
Join us for a cultural demonstration from Rapa Nui Easter Island, one of the most isolated locations in the heart of the Pacific Ocean.
Thu 18 Sep 2025, 1.00pm–1.45pm
Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake
Watch your tamariki (children) marvel at moving models, then get hands-on building their own!
4 - 5 Oct 2025, 10.00am–5.00pm
Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake
