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.

Road to Beervana is making a pit stop at Cuba Steet Tavern, and we aren't going to miss it.

We're putting your Thursday knock-off in Cassels' hands, leaving our kitchen to whip up the kai to match, and bringing everyone together for an after-work session with the people behind one of New Zealand's favourite independent breweries.

Four Cassels beers, four matched bites, $40.

Sounds pretty good already... but this isn't four beers lined up beside four snacks with everyone politely agreeing they work. Every pairing has been built to bring something different out of the beer beside it - whether that's cutting through richness, picking up a hop character, or making you reconsider a beer you thought you already knew.

The Cassels crew will be there to talk through the lineup, answer the nerdy questions and explain why each beer made the cut. Whether you've been drinking Cassels for years or you're simply looking for a better way to spend your Thursday knock-off, this one's for the beer lovers!

Thursday 20 August, 5:30pm-8:30pm

Cuba St Tavern, limited seats

Tickets from humanitix.com

The Sublet is on at BATS Theatre! A venue within a venue, The Sublet is a short & sharp season of shows from Pōneke's improv and improv-adjacent performers.

Running Thursday 13 August to Saturday 15 August, this month you can catch Theatresports, Ginge and Minge's Charact-Her, Best on Tap's Happy Hour, Scratch Night, Little Shop of Graduates and the long-running Late Night Knife Fight.

Shows at 7pm and 8:30pm, tickets from bats.co.nz

Brought to you by Locomotive and funded by BATS' curation funding programme, care of Wellington City Council.

XYZZY – the award-winning planetarium experience by Jess Johnson and Simon Ward - returns to Pōneke for one special night.

On Saturday 15 August, Space Place celebrates the release of the XYZZY soundtrack on vinyl with planetarium screenings, artist talks and live music from Stef Animal, Eyeliner and Lachlan Anderson. Book your tickets and secure your LP preorder at spaceplace.nz

Torque Sounds are back!

Presenting our first Girls Torque here in Aotearoa. Celebrating the wāhine DJs of Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Expect quality selectors playing on the classic Torque Sounds rig that you've heard all over Pōneke and beyond.

Girls Torque is the modern revival of a night that made its mark in London rave scene back in 2004 at the legendary venue; Fridge in Brixton. Two decades on, the scene has transformed. The talent is undeniable, the ranks are deep, and the dancefloor belongs to everyone. This is not a nostalgia trip. It's a resurrection: same name, same energy, new city, new era!

On the line up we have:
M.CAP
Fortuna
Malware
Claire-voyant
Fluffcore

Saturday August 15th at Valhalla 9pm-3am

Tickets available now via humanitix.com

Space Place presents Sci-Fi Sundays - a cinematic series of screenings in the impressive planetarium theatre. Coming up on Sunday 16 August is The Book Of Eli.

Set in a post-apocalyptic future, this action-packed thriller starring Denzel Washington follows a lone traveler protecting a mysterious book that could hold the key to humanities future.

Tickets include popcorn and a live star talk. Book now at spaceplace.co.nz

The Music Managers Forum Aotearoa (MMF) is proud to announce FOUNDATIONS, a refreshed evolution of its long running Back to Basics seminar series. Presented in collaboration with Ka Korokī Ka Maranga | Māori Music Industry Collective, FOUNDATIONS is a free two-hour workshop for artists and self-managers in the early stages of building a music career.

The workshop covers the building blocks every artist needs from day one, including the NZ music ecosystem and funding pathways, rights and royalties, finding and growing a real fanbase, releasing music with a team around you, understanding the business side of the industry, patience in building a career, and the financial realities of a life in music.

Each section is followed by open Q&A, giving attendees the chance to bring their own questions to experienced guests.

Join host Mikee Carpinter and special guest Aja for a free night of conversation. All welcome!

When: Tuesday 18 August

Time: 6pm – 8pm

Venue: The Cinema, Block 10 Tokomaru, Massey University

Former Dominion Museum, Wellington 6021 (Enter through Pukeahu Park Entrance D at the top of Tory St)

We are stoked to be hosting one of the stages for one of our favourite events in the city - Great Sounds Great.

In collaboration with Rogue and Vagabond, we offer you this lineup with some of the best live performers in the city - Bri Louise, Groove Council, Naakz and Babyzoot, and Tūī Band!

Great Sounds Great takes place in multiple venues around the CBD on the 5th of September.

Tickets and more information available via https://www.eyegum.co.nz/great-sounds-great

Eyegum Music Collective presents GREAT SOUNDS GREAT, a multi-venue music and arts festival taking over Pōneke's Te Aro precinct for one night only on Saturday 5 September 2026. Showcasing 40 of Aotearoa's best artists across 10 neighbouring venues, this is one big party you shouldn't miss.

The eclectic lineup includes national treasures like Bic Runga and Savage, heavy-hitting legends Beastwars, Kody Nielson’s enigmatic project Silicon, indie math rockers So So Modern, powerhouse party starter Mokotron, local hip hop sensation MĀ, and everything in between. Tonic Collective are back with an impeccably curated lineup for their travelling stage, which includes Pitch Black celebrating 30 years as Aotearoa electronica pioneers and award winning sonic explorer Amamelia. Festival partners RadioActive will also be showcasing a special lineup of local acts at Rogue and Vagabond.

Excitingly for 2026, we are adding a new venue, the incomparable Meow Nui, helping make this year's event bigger and better than ever. We are also throwing a warm-up party, THE NIGHT BEFORE, across three venues in Newtown village on Friday 4 September.

Limited tickets on sale now at eyegum.co.nz