Arts & Culture

A much-loved fixture on the lakefront is Queenstown Market. Stalls are full of goodies – hand crafted and made with love – it’s a vibrant celebration of creativity where visual and performing arts come alive for locals and visitors alike.

Lisa Walker’s stitched, padded, beaded and intuitively assembled (not quite) heads will be on display at Te Atamira until April. The works by one of Aotearoa’s most influential contemporary jewellers, begin life in the recognisable shape of the human head before shifting into something familiar, but uniquely unsettled.

Now in its 24th year, NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival will return this week and next. It features 63 awe-inspiring films – including 18 NZ-made productions and 17 world premieres – and 11 speakers. It kicks off this Friday in Wānaka before heading to Queenstown.

The rising young musicians of our region are amping up for the regional finals of Smokefreerockquest. This Saturday Queenstown Memorial Centre will be taken over by the phenomenal musical talent coming out of local schools.

Social Animal started its life as a comedy sketch about a dog. It’s now evolved into a stage show that follows a down-on-his-luck actor who is followed home one evening by a stray, neurotic ex-racing greyhound.

Hāwea Flat-based artist Robyn Bardas’ exhibition, Bone is Bone, is currently on display at Te Atamira. It’s all about connection – between ourselves and other species, stretching from human to horse, and the way we communicate with each other.

Sean Kelly will bring his show of Irish music played to the backdrop of Super 8 films from his father’s collection.

Showbiz Queenstown are bringing 9 to 5 the Musical to the Memorial Centre this week. The show features music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and is based on the seminal 1980 hit movie.

The Big Bike Film Night celebrates cycling in all its different shapes and forms. The programme aims to inspire, featuring a great mix of short films designed for two-wheel enthusiasts.

Remarkables Theatre will bring their Pint-Sized Plays to the Crown next week.

Funny woman Harriet Moir will bring her bold and brave new solo comedy show, Just Eat the Damn Sausage, to Sherwood in May.

Te Atamira will host Whakapapa by Jolt Dance next week. The performance shares the stories of six dancers with intellectual disabilities, exploring identity, culture and ancestral connection through dance, text and films.

Rock Tenors will bring their new show to Queenstown next week, performing a celebration of some of the greatest rock hits.

Belgian international pianist and composer Daniel Verstappen returns in April. He will perform at Te Atamira and create music inspired by his travels, at Sublime Studio in the Waitaki Valley.

Artist Kasia Hebda will present a two-day immersive weekend workshop to give your creativity strong technical foundations.

Proud to be celebrating the 40th year of community spirit, Arrowtown Autumn Festival will bring amazing food, wine, arts, music, sporting events and more to town in April.

The Aotearoa Surf Film Festival (ASFF) will be in Queenstown and Wānaka this week. It’s the 14th year for the touring surf film festival, which is held annually at the end of summer.

The Royan New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) is coming to Queenstown at the start of April with a show for the kids.

Theatre show SELENE, a story about the goddess and the dark side of the moon, is coming to town. A radical explosion of ancient myth, it’s about how we grow up defined by our bodies, the light (and dark) sides of us, and all the wild stuff inside of us.

In 2023, scientist turned stand-up comedian Ben Miller was the artist in residence at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park – the first stand-up comedian ever selected for the programme.