Things to do  |  9 Jul 2021

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With Matariki celebrations in full swing and popular children’s festival KidsFest starting, it is going to be an activity-packed weekend in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

Matariki Fireworks Spectacular

Get the school holidays off to a dazzling start by heading to New Brighton on Saturday night for the Matariki Fireworks Spectacular.

This public fireworks display has been organised by Christchurch City Council and will begin at 5pm with food, music and other activities in New Brighton Mall

The fireworks will be set off from the end of New Brighton Pier, beginning at 7pm. The fireworks will be accompanied by a soundtrack of Kiwi classics from artists such as Dave Dobbyn, Stan Walker and the Patea Māori Club, which you can listen to by tuning into The Hits on frequency 97.7.

Find out more about the Matariki Fireworks Spectacular.

Matariki Night Mākete

On Friday and Saturday night from 5 to 9pm the Arts Centre is hosting a Matariki Night Mākete. Māori artists and craftspeople, as well the Arts Centre’s regular stallholders, will be showcasing their their beautiful arts and crafts. There will be a focus on traditional and contemporary Māori art, traditional Kiwi kai, performances from local singer songwriters, and entertainment and activities for tamariki.

Kapa Hapa Showcase

Bring the whole whanau along to the Great Hall of the Arts Centre on Sunday afternoon to enjoy a showcase of kapa hapa from local groups Ngā Manu a Tāne and Te Ahikaaroa. The Kapa Haka Showcase is on from 1 to 2pm and entry is by donation.

KidsFest

The popular children’s festival, KidsFest, gets under way this weekend. The two-week festival offers hundreds of exciting and interactive activities to keep the kids entertained. Lots of the events are free, however, some do have a charge. Check out the full programme at kidsfest.co.nz.

Disney’s Moana JR

Watch the world of Moana brought to life by young, local performers in The Court Theatre’s musical adaptation of the hit Disney film. Their production features all your favourite songs from the movie, including How Far I’ll go, Shiny and You’re welcome.

Admission costs $20 and there are performance each day for the next fortnight at 11am and 1pm.

Book tickets for Moana JR.

Winetopia

Discover some of New Zealand’s best drops at Christchurch’s first ever Winetopia.

More than 50 of the country’s best wineries are taking part in this event at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand which includes tastings and talks from leading wine experts.

The event is open from 5pm to 8pm Friday and Saturday night and is only for those aged 18 and over. 

Other events

You can find details of other events on in and around Christchurch on our What's on webpages.