A photo of a young Pasifika boy dancing with fire, within a frame.
The Siva Afi Festival is on and free this weekend in Tāmaki.

Pop Cultureabout 12 hours ago

Writers festivals, a prayer for peace, Siva Afi and more: The Spinoff event guide

Books editor
A photo of a young Pasifika boy dancing with fire, within a frame.
The Siva Afi Festival is on and free this weekend in Tāmaki.

The Spinoff’s top pick of events from around the motu. Here’s the best for the week March 5–12.

Welcome to The Spinoff event guide, your weekly, curated selection of gigs, events and exhibitions happening across Aotearoa. If you want to pitch your event for future guides then please use this handy form.

Tāmaki Makaurau

A young Pasifika boy is dancing with fire on a festival stage.

Festival: Siva Afi Festival 2026

Māngere Arts Centre – Ngā Tohu o Uenuku
7pm–10pm, March 6–7
Free

A two-day festival of competition celebrating the art of Siva Afi – Samoan fire/knife dancing. Day one is the juniors and open women’s competition, and day two is the intermediate and open men’s competition.

Festival: Kelmarna community farm – Little kai festival

12 Hukanui Crescent, Ponsonby
11am–4pm Sun, March 8
Free

Ponsonby’s inner-city organic farm is having a festival! Bake sale, farm tours, coffee, talks. What a lovely way to spend a Sunday.

Te Whanganui-a-Tara

A grid of seven writers arranged in two rows.
Some of the writers appearing in the festival this weekend. From top left: Natasha Brown, Khadro Mohamed, Jenny Bornholdt, Henrietta Bollinger. From bottom right: Elizabeth Knox, Jessica Hutchings, Rachel Buchanan.

Literature: Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts’ Writers programme

Tāwhiri Warehouse
10am–5pm, March 7–8

Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts continues this week with a focus on the literary arts over the weekend. Writers include Natasha Brown (UK), Lili Wilkinson (AUS), Elizabeth Knox, Rachel Buchanan, Nadine Hura, Jenny Bornholdt and more. Full programme online here.

Ōtautahi

A photo of a man sitting by the ocean wearing warm clothes and hugging his knees. He has dreadlocks.

Music: Muroki – Amber Skies Tour

Assembly
8pm Sat, March 7
$42.72

“Muroki, one of Aotearoa’s most distinctive young voices, returns from Berlin with his debut album Amber Skies, written and recorded as he lived a nomadic lifestyle moving between Berlin’s creative underground, the hills of Raglan, the coastline of Portugal and a long overdue reunion with whānau in Kenya.” Have a pre-listen, here.

Ōtepoti

A photograph of two women working on a tapa cloth.

Film: A screening of Grace: A Prayer for Peace (with Q & A)

Dunedin Public Art Gallery
2pm Sun, March 8
Free

In celebration of International Women’s Day DPAG is screening Grace: A Prayer for Peace, a collaboration between filmmaker Dame Gaylene Preston and artist Dame Robin White (Ngāti Awa, pictured above). Following the screening there will be a Q&A with both Robin and Gaylene.

Akaroa

A photo of the writer Damien Wilkins standing in a book shop with a bench in front of him piled with his books.
Damien Wilkins signing books at the launch of Delirious. Photo supplied. Wilkins is appearing at RAWA this weekend.

Literature: RAWA (Readers & Writers Akaroa) Festival

Various venues
March 6–8
$125 (one-day pass); $205 (two-day pass)

A two-day writers festival in a stunning location, featuring Michael Bennett, Damien Wilkins, Tina Makereti, Gavin Bishop, Ariana Tikao, Ross Calman and more.

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