Proud Centres

We’re committed to supporting Auckland Pride Festival by transforming our arts, community and events venues into Proud Centres and hosting a series of diverse, inclusive and FREE events across Tāmaki Makaurau. Everything from sporting events, rainbow storytime, drag competitions, plus a series of educational thought-provoking talks make up some of the many FREE activities focusing on education, acceptance and celebration of our Rainbow communities.

Stand Up Stand Out

Stand Up Stand Out (SUSO) is one of Auckland’s premier secondary school music and dance competition. From RnB, reggae, folk, rock to jazz ballet, contemporary to hip hop, Stand Up Stand Out is your chance to shine and be in to win some amazing prizes! Share your talent, and gain experience and exposure in a supportive environment. Participants have the opportunity to perform in front of judges selected from the New Zealand music and performing arts industry. There are also opportunities for music mentoring, and recording studio experience at the legendary Ōtara Music Arts Centre (aka OMAC) in the Ōtara Town Centre – along with performance offers at upcoming events, such as at Auckland Council’s Music in Parks and Auckland Live’s Summer in the Square.

Matariki Festival

Matariki Festival is New Zealand’s premier Māori New Year festival, which heralds the Māori New Year in Tāmaki Makaurau and provides a window into te ao Māori through stories, entertainment, discussions, performance, food and art. Matariki is a season specific, umbrella festival that makes Māori arts and culture accessible to all communities, activating public spaces across the Auckland region. Demonstrating Auckland Council’s commitment to Māori responsiveness this festival contributes to the vision for Auckland to become a world class city.

Auckland UNESCO City of Music

Auckland is one of the most diverse cities in the world: its 1.5 million residents span more than 220 ethnic groups, and four in ten Aucklanders were born overseas. It is also home to a large Pacific population and 60 per cent of Māori live in Auckland and surrounding regions. With music and language intrinsically linked in Māori and Pacific culture, these communities add a richness and a unique sound to the city’s cultural fabric: Māori waiata (songs) and moteatea (laments) serve a particularly important function, capturing otherwise untold histories and expressing our city’s stories of love, fear, anger and loss. Auckland has a coterie of artists and musicians who contribute to the diversity of the city and our communities. As a city, Auckland values its music sector – the music-makers, the heroes, as well as the specialists – working across a wide range of genre and roles.

Auckland Heritage Festival 2020

Uncover some of the secrets and stories of Tāmaki Makaurau! See Aotea Square in its former glory using a new augmented reality app bringing the 1800s to 2020; hear why women weren’t expected to respond to the call of nature in public places until 1910; and prepare to be intrigued by unexpected artefacts found in the rubble of recent city works. These are just some of the stories Auckland Heritage Festival is weaving into words, walks, pictures, parks, talks, poetry and songs as Auckland Council prepares to pack well over 150 free and low-cost events into two weeks from 26 September to 11 October 2020. Choose from a range of events to attend in person or online.

Wesley Market

This beloved fresh food and treasure market runs every Tuesday and Friday throughout the year. It is Auckland's largest, original mid-week market and has been operating from the Wesley Community Centre since 1994. The market is rich with the diversity of the local area and attracts a large variety of stalls including fresh produce, hot food, artists, new and used goods and much, much more. Come along and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the market, you will be glad you did! To register a stall for the market visit our Facebook page, contact the Market Coordinator or visit the Wesley Community Centre for more information.