Inside The Spinoff Event Guide frame is a photo of two actors on stage, dancing. The stage is washed in pink light.
Acclaimed theatre show Heartbreak Hotel opens at Circa Theatre in Wellington this week.

Pop CultureOctober 9, 2025

Stitching for solidarity, Bookshop Day and Heartbreak Hotel: The Spinoff event guide

Books editor
Inside The Spinoff Event Guide frame is a photo of two actors on stage, dancing. The stage is washed in pink light.
Acclaimed theatre show Heartbreak Hotel opens at Circa Theatre in Wellington this week.

The Spinoff’s top pick of events from around the motu. Here’s the best for the week October 9-16.

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.

Aotearoa-wide

On the left is the logo for Show Me Shorts Film Festival which is stacked lettering in bright magenta. On the right is a poster for Bookshop Day in Aotearoa which is an illustration of the outside of a bookshop.
Show Me Shorts Film Festival and Bookshop Day are both on this month.

October sees the Show Me Shorts Film Festival delivering 126 screenings of 83 short films at 40 cinema venues across Aotearoa. See the full programme online for information on what’s on, how much and where. October also plays host to Bookshop Day! On Saturday October 11 make sure you visit your local bookshop for events for all ages – and to scoop up some books and take them to a good home. 

Tāmaki Makaurau

A promotional image for Stitching Solidarity Aotearoa which has text in hand written font and a red background.

Art Activism: Stitching Solidarity Aotearoa: Artists for Palestine Quilt Project

Samoa House Library
10am – 7pm Fri, October 10
Free

Contribute a fabric panel to the quilt created by Artists for Palestine Quilt Project.

Festival: Whau Arts Festival

A promotional banner for Whau Arts Festival which is a rich ochre colour with red detail at the top and bottom. The centre has the words 'Whau Arts Festival' in black.

Archibald Park (and other locations)
9–24 October
Free

A beautiful community-based festival of free events including poetry readings, car boot sales, live music, art battles and more.

Te Matau-a-Māui

A promotional banner for a Hawek's Bay Readers & Writers Festival event featuring Ali Mau and Diana Wichtel in an event called 'Media Memoirs'. The banner has the covers of those books with the festival's logo beside them.

Literature: Hawke’s Bay Readers & Writers Festival

Multiple venues
Fri 10 – Sun 12
$0 – $15

A selection of well-crafted lit events with Aotearoa authors including Ali Mau, Ruth Shaw and Dr Jessica Hutchings.

Te Whanganui-a-Tara

A photograph of the actors in Heartbreak Hotel (a theatre show) on stage which is lit with pink. they are holding hands and are in active poses almost as if they are dancing.

Theatre: Heartbreak Hotel

Circa Theatre
14–25 October (various times)
$15–$49

This show, written by Karin McCracken and created by EBKM, is simply one of the best theatre shows I’ve seen, ever. Don’t be foolish and miss it.

Whakatū

The actor Tom Sainsbury is in the middle of the frame wearing a chicken (fake) on his head.

Comedy: Tom Sainsbury – Lessons Not Learnt

Theatre Royal
7.30pm Sat, October 11
$39.90

Tom Sainsbury (Stake Out!, Wellington Paranormal, social media) is back with a new show full of his particular take on small-town drama and small town characters.

Ōtautahi

The cover of a book called Money; and its author. The author is a middle aged man in a suit.

Literature: David McWilliams On Money

The Piano
7.30pm Tues, October 14
$20–$30

Renowned economist David McWilliams demystifies economics and chats the history of money with RNZ’s Anan Zaki.

Tāhuna

Storytelling: Neighbourhood Story Slam

A man is standing on a stage which has one mic on a stand. He is reading from a piece of paper. The room is dark but looks full. There are words on top including the word 'Goosebumps' in the same font as the popular book series.

Sherwood Hotel
7pm Thurs, October 16
$20 

A Moth-style story-off where people share five-minute stories on a theme. Naturally, October’s theme is ‘Goosebumps’.

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