April Events Guide 2026

Hamilton, get ready to party with BJÖRN AGAIN!
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The only ABBA-endorsed tribute show hits the stage for one spectacular night that is bound to be a Super Trouper celebration of ABBA’s timeless discography.
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This internationally acclaimed show brings the glitter, the glam, and all the greatest hits with dazzling energy, spot-on vocals, and outrageous costumes. It’s a full-blown ABBA revival where audiences of all ages can sing, dance, and party like it’s 1979.
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Expect all the classics —SOS, Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen, Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! —plus ballads like The Winner Takes It All, Fernando, and Knowing Me, Knowing You, performed with incredible musicianship, a cheeky sense of humour, and that signature Björn Again magic.
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With performances in over 120 countries, including The Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Stadium, the Sydney Opera House, and Glastonbury Festival, BJÖRN AGAIN is a global sensation.
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Praised by rock royalty and media worldwide —Metalica, Nirvana, Sir Tom Jones, and ABBA themselves – the show has earned glowing reviews:

“Fans better make the most out of Björn Again because that’s the closest they are going to get to seeing ABBA. ABBA will never reform!” – Benny Andersson, ABBA

“One of the most entertaining live shows in the world today.” – Time Out New York

“Fabulously flawless!” – Rolling Stone
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Tell your mum, tell your grumpy teenager, tell Fernando – tickets won’t last!

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An audience-observed coaching session with international drag artist Kween Kong.

The Royal Ascent invites you into the room for something rare, intimate, and genuinely powerful.

WQAF is extremely proud to present an audience-observed coaching session led by an incomparable, internationally renowned drag artist.

Six selected participants will be guided live through moments of creative growth, challenge, clarity, and breakthrough. You’ll witness as they refine ideas, unpack blocks, sharpen instincts, and step more fully into who they are, with the audience invited to observe, learn, and be moved by the journey.

As an audience member, you’ll witness the process, the conversations behind the confidence, the choices behind the performance, and the leadership behind the presence.

What to expect:

Real time, professional coaching

Six participants working in real time

Insight into confidence, storytelling, performance, and leadership

Honest feedback, generous mentorship, and real transformation

A respectful, supportive, and inspiring room

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The Royal Ascent offers a front-row seat to mentorship, vulnerability, and growth. The kind of learning that resonates whether you’re a performer, creative, leader, or simply someone who loves seeing people rise.

This is an observational experience, not a showcase. Audiences are asked to engage with care and respect, honouring the courage of those being coached and the integrity of the process.

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Who should attend?

Anyone who wants to witness something real, generous, and human

Drag and performance fans

Creatives and artists of all disciplines

Community leaders and educators

Anyone curious about confidence, presence, and personal growth

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Accessibility & Care

WQAF is committed to maintaining a respectful, professional, and inclusive audience experience. If you have accessibility needs or questions about the event, feel free to get in touch ahead of time.

waikatoqueerartsfestival@gmail.com

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Presented by Patty Smack

Get ready for a night of delicious debauchery as disco witch and utterly demented showgirl Patty Smack returns to Aotearoa for a late-night cabaret of weird & sexy chaos.

Joined by a crazy cast of wickedly delicious local burlesque, circus, pole, and dance artists serving acts to make your jaw drop, grind and gape for a taste. Hot, steamy, dripping in sauce, and hosted by a fabulously fierce MC (line-up to be announced).

In collaboration with WQAF and Last Place, festival-goers can also indulge in a limited-edition Patty Smack burger meal deal available throughout the festival — because no saucy show is complete without a side of something satisfying.

Content Warning: This is a strictly R18 event and may include nudity, explicit themes, and food/mess play.

Come hungry. Leave well-served.
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Accessibility & Care

LOUD Creative and Patty Smack are committed to maintaining a respectful, professional, and inclusive audience experience. If you have accessibility needs or questions about the performance, feel free to get in touch ahead of time.

the@pattysmack.com

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Patty Smack’s Super Saucy Meal Deal is proudly presented as part of the Waikato Queer Arts Festival.

Ticket information:

Restricted 18+

$55

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Shortlisted for the 2026 Adam NZ Play Award, The Terrifyingly Adorable Possibility… is a sharp, heartfelt romantic comedy asking the question: What happens when the girl who once declared her love for you on Myspace walks back into your life twenty years later?

Harriet met Winter in 2005. “Met” is a loose term. They “met” on Myspace. Don’t pretend you don’t remember the horror… The birth of carefully curated selfies, HTML-coding for profile pages, jet-black hair (and nails, and souls), Top 8 friend rankings, and everyone’s first Myspace friend, Tom. They were dramatic, idealistic, eyeliner-heavy teenagers who started something they had no idea they were never going to be able to finish.
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Set against the vibrant absurdity of the Armageddon Expo, The Terrifyingly Adorable Possibility… features seven actors, across 20-something characters, in a queer, Kiwi comedy about timing, reinvention, and the terrifyingly adorable possibility that some connections don’t fade.

This play focuses on the importance of writing our own stories even when the universe insists that someone else hold the pen. And celebrates the families we’re born into, the families we create along the way, and the weird breadcrumb trail our younger selves leave behind.
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This play contains:

Discussions of sexuality, queer relationships, and polyamory

References to online communication, nostalgia, and teenage emotional intensity

Mild sexual references and adult language

Themes of jealousy, emotional vulnerability, and relationship uncertainty

Depictions of past emotional confusion and coming-out experiences

While the tone is comedic and warm, the play explores honest emotional stakes around love, identity, and navigating relationships outside traditional norms.

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