Events

Thursday, 12th February, 11:00 am - Saturday, 21st February, 2:00 pm

Presence, Vibrance, Resonance

An exhibition in the NCG by Kana Sakai

Presence, Vibrance, Resonance is a portrait series that brings together oil paintings, each representing individuals from the artist’s world. Executed in a classical oil painting style, the works are characterised by nuanced flesh tones, subtle colour harmonies, and timelessness.

This exhibition explores the expressive potential of traditional portraiture in our daily life context. Each painting captures more than a likeness—it conveys the person’s presence, and vibrance of their inner worlds. Together, the portraits form a resonance of human individuality, and quiet warmness of human network.

‍

The Nancy Caiger Gallery is open 11am-2pm from Wednesday to Saturday. If you’d like to visit this exhibition outside of these opening hours, please email kiaora@themeteor.co.nz

‍

Cheeky Events New Zealand host Hamilton Speed Dating - Find your perfect match in a friendly relaxed social environment.

7 - 9pm Biddy's Back Bar

Award-winning and electrifying theatre experience UPU celebrates Pacific voices on stage. Fresh from its sold-out Sydney Opera House season, UPU returns home as the first-ever Mana Moana work at BNZ Theatre. Be immersed in the heart of the Pacific with a powerful celebration of our ocean, our people, and our stories.

Poems as broad and deep as the Pacific Ocean itself.

UPU - meaning ‘word’ in many languages of the Pacific, is a collection of voices from our people who

live on a sea of islands connected by the vast Pacific Ocean, Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.

Featuring works by celebrated poets including Maualaivao Albert Wendt, Selina Tusitala Marsh,

Hone Tuwhare, Tusiata Avia, and Ben Brown, alongside emerging voices from across the region,

UPU weaves a rich tapestry of stories, experiences and perspectives from our peoples of Te

Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. These poems reflect on cultural identity, history and the challenges faced by our

Pacific communities from Hawaiians debating Captain Cook’s legacy, to the joys of SPAM in Guam

and other Americanised islands, to the Marshall Islands’ struggle against rising seas.

Poetry is powerful on the page - but on stage, it’s pure magic.

Performed by an extraordinary ensemble of Mana Moana artists including Miriama McDowell, Jarod

Rawiri and Nicola Kāwana, and enhanced by evocative lighting, projections and an original

multi-layered soundscape design, UPU is an intimate and unforgettable celebration of our ocean, our

people and our stories.

All poems are performed in English.

Join Richard O’Brien and Hamilton Mayor Tim Macinoe as they re-unveil the Riff Raff Statue in
the rebooted Embassy Park, on the evening of Valentines Day, Saturday 14 February.
ALSO CELEBRATING 21 YEARS OF THE RIFF RAFF STATUE AND 50 YEARS OF THE ROCKY HORROR
PICTURE SHOW!

‍
When: 7.30pm-11.00pm, Valentines Day, Saturday 14 February 2026.
▪ 7.30pm One Man Hit Squad plays a few tunes to warm us up.
▪ 8.00pm Sambatron brings the carnival.
▪ 8.30pm RICHARD O’BRIEN arrives, and with Mayor Tim Macindoe re-unveils the Riff Raff
Statue, and we all DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN!
▪ 9.00pm The Rocky Horror Picture Show screens, with performance by the Hot and
Flustered shadow cast.

‍
Where: Embassy Park, now the plaza for the new BNZ Theatre, south end of Victoria Street, The
Tron-Kirikiriroa-Hamilton.

WHY IS RIFF RAFF RETURNING, WHERE HAS HE BEEN?
The Riff Raff Statue left Embassy Park when it closed in October 2021 to allow the building of the new
Waikato Regional Theatre next door (now the BNZ Theatre). He was outside the Waikato Museum from
March 2022 to July 2024, but has been in hiding since then.
Riff Raff was uncovered and returned to the public space last week, in time for the opening of the Theatre
- it was not possible to keep him under cover from then until our celebration, but we all knows what he
looks like anyway.
‍
Return of Riff event hosted by The Riff Raff Public Art Trust with the support of Love the Centre, Trek N
Travel and Hamilton City Council.
Riff Raff Cam and new website hosted by The Riff Raff Public Art Trust and supported by BluTui, Central
Communications, Divoli and Foster Group.
Embassy Park 3.0 rebuild designed and built by Hamilton City Council, Jasmax, Foster Group, and the
Embassy Park Working Group of The Riff Raff Public Art Trust.

‍

Riff Raff Cam will be re-activated in time for the event, for the first time since Embassy Park closed in 2021,
keep an eye on www.riffraffstatue.org.
‍

Contact: Mark Servian, The Riff Raff Public Art Trust, mark@mcgillicuddy.org.nz, 021 888 469.

DANNY BHOY

DEAR WORLD…

The sequel to Danny's favourite ever show, the 2015 hit ‘Dear Epson…’ DEAR WORLD is a hybrid of stand up and theatre, but really that just means Danny gets to sit down for bits of it.

“Unsurpassed storytelling” The Age

“One of the most sparkling wits in the world” The Montreal Gazette

‍

NRL Harvey Norman All Stars returns to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2026.

Celebrate culture and pride as the best Māori and Indigenous talent unite for an unforgettable showcase!

‍

Experience an event like no other on Sunday 15 February at FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton. With Men’s, Women’s, plus a mixed touch football match taking place, there is no better way to kickstart the NRL season.

Tickets are now on sale for NRL Harvey Norman All Stars.

‍

Tickets on sale now: http://spr.ly/6183CBljU

‍

Event Day Timings

Touch Football
⌚ 2:25pm NZT / 12:25pm AEDT
Māori All Stars vs Indigenous All Stars

Harvey Norman Women's All Stars
⌚ 3:30pm NZT / 1:30pm AEDT
Aotearoa New Zealand Māori Wahine Toa All Stars vs Australian Indigenous Women’s All Stars

Harvey Norman All Stars
⌚ 5:45pm NZT / 3:45pm AEDT
Aotearoa New Zealand Māori Tane All Stars vs Australian Indigenous Men’s All Stars

After racking up over a million followers online and making audiences across the globe laugh until they cry, Blake Pavey is hitting New Zealand with his brand new hour of stand-up! Fresh off two national tours and a YouTube comedy special, Blake’s bringing plenty of cheeky stories, sharp punchlines, and his signature charm across the ditch!

“Pavey’s stand-up delicately weaves elements of darkness and light, moving the audience to the brink of tears, before landing a hefty punchline that leaves them in (metaphorical) stitches.” – The Age

Get your tickets and come see why he’s more than just “that guy off TikTok!”.

Running time: 70 mins

Content warning: 18+, adult themes, coarse language

Saturday, 21st February, 7:00 pm - Sunday, 22nd February, 4:00 pm

ADHD – it’s so hot right now! Pōneke’s creative powerhouse Jo Randerson (ONZM) unpacks their diagnosis, neurodivergent parenting, sad songs, men taking their time, and so much more in this highly lauded “funny as hell” theatre extravaganza. This incredible mahi is so much more than a performance – it’s a revelation.

Jo Randerson has a brain that never stops and a fountain of restless energy fuelling their fiercely funny artistic voice. Who knew?! that this fountain was fed by something they had diagnosed in their 40s alongside their son: ADHD.

Jo has always lived life at high voltage. A true arts polymath, they have accumulated achievements, accolades, and acclaim as a PerformerComedianWriterActivistDirectorCuratorTheatremakerFilmmakerWitchClown, recently receiving the 2023 Topp Prize for comedy.

In Speed is Emotional Jo bares their soul, sharing the exhilaration, exhaustion, joy, and absurdity of living and parenting with neurodivergence. Jo weaves their punk poetic magic into a beautiful comedy about transcending labels and living with a voltage so high it’s going to blow the mains.

If anyone in your life likes to do things at 4x speed, do not miss this transformative comedy theatre event.

From the artistic voice behind Soft ‘n’ Hard and Banging Cymbal, Clanging Gong.

‍

Sat 21 Feb, 7pm

Sun 22 Feb, 4pm – this show is NZSL interpreted

Running time: 75 mins

Content warning: The show briefly addresses mental distress.

All performances are relaxed, and audiences may enter or leave at any time.

Suitable for all ages.

Movies at The Meteor is here!

Gather the whānau together, BYO blankets or bean bags and get comfy!

Door sales will be available on the night for individual movies:

Sione’s Wedding: $10pp

Eagle vs Shark: $10pp

Or, click ‘book now’ below to buy a general admission ticket to see both films for $18pp!

‍

SIONE’S WEDDING

FROM 6:30PM

Meet best friends Michael, Albert, Stanley and Sefa; the ladies’ man, the good boy, the weird one and the party boy. They’re staring down the barrel of their thirtieth birthdays, but still act as if they’re sixteen; they get drunk, they chase the wrong women and they have a remarkable record of misbehaving and causing chaos at every wedding they attend. But now Michael’s younger brother Sione is getting married, and everything is about to change. Sione is their boy, the kid they used to look after, who grew up while they were still partying. And to ensure his big day isn’t spoiled by his boys and their idiot antics, Sione has issued an ultimatum; the guys all have to bring dates to the wedding. And not just any dates; real girlfriends, someone they’ve made a commitment to. They have one month. So just how hard can it be to get a date for your best boy’s wedding?

Year: 2006
Director: Chris Graham
Runtime: 97 min

Rating: M

‍

EAGLE VS SHARK

FROM 8:15PM

Love blossoms for Lily over double Meaty Boy burgers at mid-day when uber-computer nerd Jarrod comes in and leaves with free extra large fries. After gatecrashing Jarrod’s party and proving her skills on the game console, Lily goes down to Jarrod’s home town with him so he can settle an old score with a past school bully.

Year: 2007
Director: Taika Waititi
Runtime: 86 min

Rating: M

Movies at The Meteor is here!

Gather the whānau together, BYO blankets or bean bags and get comfy!

SHREK

FROM 6PM

It ain’t easy bein’ green — especially if you’re a likable (albeit smelly) ogre named Shrek. On a mission to retrieve a gorgeous princess from the clutches of a fire-breathing dragon, Shrek teams up with an unlikely compatriot — a wisecracking donkey.

Director: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson
Runtime: 90 min

Rating: PG

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

FROM 8PM

Sweethearts Brad and Janet, stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite scientist. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker and a creepy butler. Through elaborate dances and rock songs, Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest creation: a muscular man named ‘Rocky’.

Year: 1975
Runtime: 98 min

Rating: M

Movies at The Meteor is here!

Gather the whānau together, BYO blankets or bean bags and get comfy!

Door sales will be available on the night for individual movies:

The Fellowship of the Ring: $10pp

The Two Towers: $10pp

The Return of the King: $10pp

Or, click ‘book now’ below to buy a general admission ticket to see all three films for $25pp!

‍

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

FROM 1PM

Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ringbearer and make sure that the ring arrives at its final destination: Mt. Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed.

Year: 2001
Director: Peter Jackson
Runtime: 178 min

Rating: M

‍

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS

FROM 4PM

While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron’s new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.

Year: 2002
Director: Peter Jackson
Runtime: 179 min

Rating: M

‍

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING

FROM 7:15PM

Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron’s army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.

Year: 2003
Director: Peter Jackson
Runtime: 201 min

Rating: M

Join us for a fantastic evening celebrating Chinese New Year with a Dragon & Lion Dance, Magic Show, Chinese Martial Arts, Live Cultural Performances & Food Stalls.

Saturday 28th February 2026
Event from 6pm with food stalls from 4pm
Garden Place
Free Event‍

Brought to you by Waikato Chinese Cultural and Art Centre, Love the Centre and SkyCity Hamilton.

If you would like to enquire about having a food stall at the event, please email info@waikatoweekly.co.nz