This year Auckland Live brings the much-loved Christmas Pavilion (‘The Pav’) & the Illuminating Light Forest to Aotea Square which will fill the space with an array of free and whānau-friendly activities, artists and performers to enjoy the Christmas spirit in full swing!
From Brass Moments with Maamaloa Brass Band to festive carols with the GALS – Rainbow Choir and Christmas classics with National Youth Theatre, there’s so much to put a smile on everyone’s face! But wait, that’s not all… Grab some popcorn and enjoy a screening of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, impress the whānau with your awesome Ukelele skills, and watch artists face off in the Art Battle Takeover!
The weekly performance schedule can be found below and is subject to change. If the weather is too wet, sessions may be cancelled.
Week one & two performance schedules:
Friday, 29 November
6pm- 7pm: Modern Māori Quartet fills The Pav for its opening night! These musicians are sure to crack you up and serenade you into the festive season. Expect hearty sing-a-longs, Christmas classics and just the right amount of dad jokes.
Saturday, 30 November
12pm-2pm: Grab a Ukulele and join The Nukes in this, family-friendly performance and workshop just in time to impress the whānau at Christmas time. Learn your favourite tune on the Ukulele and a cheeky waiata to go along, followed by a performance by The Nukes themselves. If you don’t play a Ukulele, don’t worry The Nukes can teach anyone to play! However, they can only supply a limited amount of Ukuleles so please bring along your own if you have one.
6pm-7:30pm: Black Creatives Aotearoa presents Jingle In The Square! Let six of New Zealand’s finest Afro-heritage performers serenade you with a special collection of beloved Christmas songs arranged and performed with a distinctive African flair. Enjoy vocal stylings of Jane Benney, Josh Adelowo and Busi Mmanga alongside a festive band comprising of Jay Moyo (Bass), Gabriel Mugadza (Keyboard) and Mavs Agdebite (African Drums) this show guarantees to get you in the holiday spirit, African style so... get ready to groove to all your favourites including Santa Baby, Joy to the World, Little Drummer Boy and many more!
Friday, 6 December
6pm-7pm: celebrate the holiday season with V7 Unplugged: A Christmas Special. Join this Māori and Pasifika orchestra for an enchanting evening featuring the likes of Anne Filimoehala, Harrison Chau, Kalo Filimoehala, Anga Uasike, Sam Uatahausi, Winiata Walker, and Robertanna Moa, bringing festive magic to the heart of Auckland with soulful holiday classics and original tunes. Perfect for jazz lovers and holiday revellers alike, this is one not to miss!
Saturday, 7 December
11am-5pm: Christmas goes to the circus! The Dust Palace acrobats will take over The Pav for the entire day with workshops, “give things a try” and performances including trapeze, dynamic trio, aerial spiral, chair stacking and more. All to help Santa resolve his delivery issue! If you want to catch The Elves are AWOL performance to help Santa, be sure to be there at 12:30pm or 3:30pm.
Sunday, 8 December
10am-5pm: See live art in the square all day! The day gets started with Meet the Artists from 10am-2pm, where you can chat to a diverse group of artists as they create in the holiday spirit! If you fall in love with a piece of art, you'll even be able to place a bid on it. From 2pm-5pm the artists face off in an energetic Art Battle Taster, if you feel brave you can even join in! There will also be a Playcentre Creativity Zone for the little ones, giveaways and a spot prize $250 Resene voucher for one lucky visitor.
It's easy to get in, out and around
Getting around the city centre is easier, and cheaper than some may think! Here are some parking and transport hacks to remember when you're coming in.
- Kids ride free on public transport on weekends and public holidays.
- $2 per hour on weekends (max of $10) at Victoria Street car park.
- $2 per hour on weekends (max of $15) at the Downtown car park.
$2 per hour to a max of $12 on weekends and a $12 flat rate for weekday evenings at The Civic car park. Find out more.