A man on a unicycle wearing wings and a helmet is against a blue sky. There is bunting in the fore and backgrounds.
Cupa Dupa is on this weekend in Wellington. (Photo: Cuba Dupa 2025 gallery).

Pop Cultureabout 11 hours ago

Cuba Dupa, Aspiring Conversations and jazz: The Spinoff event guide

Books editor
A man on a unicycle wearing wings and a helmet is against a blue sky. There is bunting in the fore and backgrounds.
Cupa Dupa is on this weekend in Wellington. (Photo: Cuba Dupa 2025 gallery).

The Spinoff’s top pick of events from around the motu. Here’s the best for the week March 26 – April 2.

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 banner promoting a book called Wāhine Inside.

Literature: Wāhine Inside – book launch

Ellen Melville Centre,
7pm Fri, March 27
Free (or $35 to receive the book alongside your entry registration)

Te Kāhui Creative Writing launches their latest anthology – Wāhine Inside – of poetry and prose from women formerly or currently incarcerated.

Tauranga

A production photo from music performance Waypeople. Musicans are on a large stage with large set items in the background.
Jake Baxendale’s Waypeople is one of the many gigs in this year’s Port of Tauranga National Jazz Festival.

Music: National Jazz Festival

Multiple venues
March 27 – April 6
Various prices

Get jazzy in Tauranga for the 63rd National Jazz Festival which encompasses street festivities, seated/ticketed gigs and the youth jazz competitions.

Te Whanganui-a-Tara

A street performer shouts into the camera at Cuba Dupa in Wellington. The weather is fine and there are bubbles around.

Festival: Cuba Dupa

Wellington City
March 28 – 29
Free

Over 80,000 people will flood the CBD over the weekend to listen to live music, dance, eat, marvel at street artists and generally revel. See the timetable online, here.

Ōtautahi

A black and white photo of an outdoor monument - the figure of a man - showing the figure's head has been chopped off.
Mark Adams, 1988. Hori Korei. George Grey monument. Albert Park. Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, 1988 {printed 2024}, silver bromide print, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 2025.

Visual art: Mark Adams: A Survey | He Kohinga Whakaahua

Christchurch Art Gallery
On until July 26
Free

A survey of over 50 years of Mark Adams’ photography documenting elements of Aotearoa New Zealand. Stunning, and a lovely Autumnal visual art outing.

Wānaka

Four women are sitting on a two couches on a stage and are all laughing and smiling in front of a live audience.
A past panel event for Aspiring Conversations.

Literature: Aspiring Conversations

Lake Wānaka Centre
March 27 – 29
Various prices

A weekend of conversations with writers, politicians, economists and artists; including with The Spinoff’s own Toby Manhire (his session is sold out, sorry; but there’s plenty more).

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