Tomorrow's Histories: photographs by Neil Penman marks significant moments in Porirua's history and honours the legacy of local photographer Neil Penman, who dedicated himself to documenting moments of urban transformation.

Working in black and white documentary style, Penman saw photography as a form of social history, preserving the stories of people and places for posterity. Among his photographs are the people who were there throughout it all, including portraits of Ngāti Toa kaumatua.

Tomorrow's Histories will be on display from the 8th of August until the 8th of November at Pātaka Gallery.

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Nau mai, haere mai, whakapiri mai, mo tetahi wiki whakahirahira ki te Whare Marama tēnei Mahuru!

Come celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori with us at Moon Bar this September.

Rāapa (Wednesday) 16th - Kenzie From Welly & Nameless & Brainless (hip-hop/soul)

Rāpara (Thursday) 17th - Hine & Flowback (indigenous folk/jazz/soul/singer-songwriter)

Rāmere (Friday) 18th - E Tū - So&So Sophmore EP release w/ ONEROOF, Hone, Vallé, Noé, Casual Healing, Vati & Skulli (hip-hop/rnb/dubstep)

Rāhoroi (Saturday) 19th - Toroa, Te Manu & Awa, powered by Further Sound (hiko/electronic/dub/taonga puoro)

16-19 Mahuru/September. Moon Bar, Newtown. Tickets via www.newtownmoon.co.nz

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Meet our costume artisans! At these exclusive events, step into our cinema in the heart of Wētā Workshop, as two of our costume technicians reveal how a hobby grew into a career and how the skills behind blockbuster films can begin at your own kitchen table.

10AM, Thursday 17, Saturday 19, Sunday 20, Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September @ Wētā Workshop Experiences in Miramar.

A treat for World of Wearable Art fans and makers alike. Sessions available across WOW festival. Secure your booking from wetaworkshop.com

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Ali Whitton is a New Zealand-born, Yorkshire-raised singer-songwriter whose music is deeply influenced by the landscapes of both countries. In April he released his debut album, 'Between the Forest and the Stars'. The album is characterised by its warm, woody sound and introspective lyrics that explore themes of longing, resilience, and the emotional connection to the Aotearoa natural environment.

On Friday September 18th at Vogelmorn Upstairs Ali will be performing his first show with a talented new band, the Lost Birds, comprising of some of Wellington's finest musicians. Featuring Sean Barker, Penelope Esplin, Dave Carter, and Beans Marie - expect beautiful harmonies, atmospheric folk/country, and a hella' lot of fun.

Tickets available at undertheradar.co.nz

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Following the release of their recent singles, “I Do Mine” and "Brand New Lovers", Wellington indie/alt rock band Debt Club have announced their first Aotearoa nationwide tour.

The tour will celebrate the release of their debut album “Foothold” which is out now; available for Vinyl and CD now on Bandcamp.

Debt Club's Wellington show is on September 18th at San Fran with support from First Reserve & Dillon Jo - tickets are on sale now at moshtix.co.nz  ...

Wellington's monthly residency of exploratory music is back at Cuba St Tavern's garden courtyard, with four musicians coming together to build something new in real time.

abey sparks (drums), Chris Beernink (bass), Dave Wilson (alto saxophone & bass clarinet) and Aslan (guitar) will spend the night uncovering grooves as they go - no setlist, just musicians listening and responding to each other live. Expect the unexpected: a set that shifts and shapes itself as it unfolds.

Grab a drink, settle into the courtyard, and let the night take you wherever it goes.

Thursday 24th September, 8pm - 10pm

$10 waged / $5 students / unwaged

Tickets available from humanitix.com

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Warning: contains monsters (and the young makers who create them).

Fangs. Claws. Scales, and a few too many eyes. These school holidays, kids can sculpt them all from a single lump of clay.

In this new workshop, they'll become a monster maker for an hour. Working with the same modelling clay used by our Wētā Workshop crew, they'll shape and sculpt their very own creature, then take it home... if they dare.

Book on the Wētā website!

Price: $29, parents and caregivers go free.

Want to make a day of it? Add a tour with our Junior Combo for $49 per person: Monster Makers & Tour Combo | Wētā Workshop Experiences

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Hailing from the Wetlands of Otautahi Christchurch, Single Malt are bringing their unique groove and undeniable swag to Pōneke, marking their first North Island show yet!

“Wetlands” is a gig where all can come and boogie, sing, connect, and get a taste of the unique vibe born from the East of Christchurch.

Single Malt have teamed up with incredible local talent:
Nameless and Brainless - a 5 piece soul/hiphop band bringing high-energy Kiwi raps and an insane rhythm section.
Z.F.C and HAZ - Welly local DJs bringing a mix of soulful house and groovy dance music guaranteed to make ya move.

Hosted at the iconic Moon Bar in Newtown, “Wetlands” will embody the good vibes of Spring, goodbyes of Winter, and the great nights of memories.

Tickets from undertheradar.co.nz ...

After two decades Wellington has finally gifted us an appropriate venue from which Music Without Subtitles can host its first ever live-to-air radio show, It's all going down at Octo & Herbs this Saturday the 26th of September from 9-11pm!

Marking TV DiSKO's twenty-year stint with RadioActive.FM, the city's best little community radio station, Octo and Herb’s as the show’s sponsor have graciously allowed us to mark this auspicious anniversary with a live broadcast from their bar.

Join us in person and come on down to Octo & Herbs for this free event, and if you can't make it down you can tune in to 88.6FM to hear it all unfold over the airwaves! 

Octo & Herbs
26th September
Music Without Subtitles live
9-11pm
Free Entry ...

Music & The City at Cuba Street Tavern in collaboration with RadioActive.FM

Hosted by NZIA, NZILA, and SEGD, Music & the City is an event series designed to dive into a hot topic with city shaping voices.

The next iteration: Music & the City will explore the spaces where music happens—town halls, old churches, basements, parks, beaches, street corners, recording studios, record stores, radio stations—and asks how people make those spaces special, what architects, landscape architects, and experiential designers can add for the future of music and the city.

We’ll be marking the final weekend of Aotearoa Festival of Architecture 2026 at Cuba Street Tavern, with a live broadcast of the Late Late Breakfast show, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A about how we best design spaces for music in our city, and kick-ons with RadioActive DJs to see you deep into the night. 

Cuba Street Tavern Saturday 3rd October

1pm-1am Free Entry ...

40+ DJs - 3 Stages - 1 Fundraiser

RAVE  2 THE GRAVE an all-night celebration on Halloween, Saturday the 31st of October. With three unique dance spaces across different levels of The Grand, ravers can choose their vibe, from the more chill selections to heavy bass & high-energy tracks.

There will be more than 40 DJs behind the decks from all your favourite shows.

RadioActive.FM is a charitable organisation and we must continually raise funds to keep our doors open and our creative voices alive, ensuring that audiences can continue to enjoy bold, independent local broadcasting.

8PM-3AM

 This event is R18  

Tickets from www.radioactive.fm/ravetothegrave ...

Irish rap renegades KNEECAP have just announced their return to New Zealand for two dates in February 2027. Presented by us here at Active, it is a thrill to welcome back KNEECAP to New Zealand. Kicking off in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland on Tuesday 9 February 2027, followed by Pōneke/Wellington on Wednesday 10 February.

Kneecap redefine language, politics and put on a riotous live performance. Their last New Zealand appearances set a new bar for what a rap show could be and a sense that live music could still feel dangerous, joyful and necessary.

The absolute legend that is Lady Shaka will be joining Kneecap on this run of Aotearoa shows and $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to Manaaki Rangatahi Youth Homelessness Collective.

Tickets on sale now via mg.live/kneecap

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