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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See our Friends of Te Papa events (non-members can still attend these events, but members get a discounted price).

A woman has a child on her knee who is holding a tube of gluestick. They are making something on the table in front of them.

Tamariki Time: Matariki

Learn about karetao (Māori puppets), and create a mini kākahu (cloak/clothing).

Thu 19 Jun 2025, 10.30am–12.30pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

Whānau Day: Matariki

A day for you and your whānau (family) to come and celebrate Matariki.

NZSL programme available.

Fri 20 Jun 2025, 10.00am–2.00pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

A person's arms and hands using a knife and fork to eat a meal on a table with plants and wine glasses.

Join us for Matariki Pātaka Kai – a vibrant dinner with seasonal kai (food) and shared moments under the winter sky. Gather in the spirit of this year’s theme – Matariki mā Puanga, which is all about inclusion and diversity, and celebrating together.

Sat 21 Jun 2025, 6:30–10:30pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

A display of coloured jewellery on a stall table

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.

31 May–29 June, 9.00am to 6.00pm daily

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

Rēwena bread bug creation workshop with Natura Aura

Join Natura Aura for a free, hands-on workshop exploring the cultural, scientific, and nourishing world of traditional Māori rēwena bread and its living sourdough bug.

Wed 25 Jun, 11.00am–12.00pm and 1:30–2:30pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

Men and women singing and performing on a stage.

Taikura Kapa Haka 2025

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

Sat 28 Jun 2025, 10.20am to 5.30pm

Sun 29 Jun 2025, 10.20am to 5.30pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

View of the Matariki star cluster at sunrise in a dark night sky

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.

Two plates with two types of desserts arranged in three on each plate. The dessert in the foreground are three blue swirls with gold leaf on the top.

Matariki specials at Te Papa Cafe

Experience Matariki with our star-inspired café specials, featuring seasonal dishes that reflect kai Māori and celebrate ingredients sourced from the land, sea, and sky.

16 to 22 Jun, 9.00am to 3.00pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

Eight ape-like figurines are standing or kneeling in a group on a white surface.

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.

Sat 28 Jun 2025, 10.30–3.00pm

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, 11:00am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:00pm, and 2:30pm.

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

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!

Sat 4 and Sun 5 Jul, check for times

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

The backs of several children sitting on the ground with their arms in the air in a ballet pose. There is someone on the stage in the background showing them what to do.

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.

Sat 4 and Sun 5 Jul, check for times

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

Illustration of a desk with colourful swirly images 'growing' off it.

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

Two head and shoulders photos of two people looking at the camera.

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

Victoria University Press 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.

Mon 7 Jul 2025, 12.15–1.15pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

Two photos of two people looking at the camera in a posed and serious way.

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

Victoria University Press 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.

Mon 14 Jul 2025, 12.15–1.15pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

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

Two headshots of two people looking at the camera.

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

Victoria University Press 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.

Mon 21 Jul 2025, 12.15–1.15pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

Head and shoulders photos of four people. One is looking offscreen, three are looking at the camera, one is reading into a microphone from a book.

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

Victoria University Press 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.

Mon 28 Jul 2025, 12.15–1.15pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

A man is standing three-quarters on in front of a bookshelf, looking at the camera.

Writers on Mondays – Delirious: Damien Wilkins

Victoria University Press 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.

Mon 4 Aug 2025, 12.15–1.15pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

Two headshots of two women both smiling at the camera.

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

Victoria University Press 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.

Mon 11 Aug 2025, 12.15–1.15pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

Eight headshots of people all looking at the camera.

Writers on Mondays – Ōrongohau: Best New Zealand Poems 2024

Victoria University Press 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.

Mon 18 Aug 2025, 12.15–1.15pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

Two people sitting in green bushes. the person on the right has a speckled hen pecking at the ground next to them.

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

Victoria University Press 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.

Mon 25 Aug 2025, 12.15–1.15pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

Three portrait images of three people all looking at the camera.

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

Victoria University Press 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.

Mon 1 Sep 2025, 12.15–1.15pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

A large group of people at a party in a large foyer with a round window at the back.

Te Papa Foundation Gala

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

Sat 6 Sep 2025

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake

Two head and shoulders photos of two men. One black man with no hair in a tshirt against a cream wall, and one white man with a beard in a cap and glasses against a wall with postcards on it.

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

Victoria University Press 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.

Mon 8 Sep 2025, 12.15–1.15pm

Event Ngā kaupapa motuhake