Arts & Culture

Local musician Mark Wilson is inviting everyone to refamiliarise and be re-energised by the world we live in.

Venice Qin produces a fusion of electronic pop music with strong vocals. The 22-year-old originally hails from Auckland but now spends her time in Sydney – on a recent trip to Queenstown for the Chamber of Commerce Women in Business event she recorded four songs for her upcoming LP at Te Atamira.

"Just like cooking with friends" – that’s how Happiness House’s Coordinator Steph Burbidge describes their free bi-weekly Cook Around the World classes.

Some 90 works from Queenstown Art Society’s members will be on display at Te Atamira for the next five weeks, and they're all available for purchase.

The reappearance of the Matariki stars in night sky brings the past year to a close as the new year begins in the maramataka – the Māori lunar calendar. On Friday, the annual Matariki Arrowtown Kā-Muriwai event will take place, but this year will have a slightly different focus and be double the size.

NZ Mountain Film and Book Festival returns from Friday. The programme will run across Wānaka and Queenstown, and will bring something for everyone, hoping to inspire, entertain and move you, through the films and speakers. Most importantly they want to inspire you to pursue your own adventures.

Arrowtown-raised Holly Arrowsmith is making waves in the country music world. She recently picked up her second APRA Best Country Music Song award, re-establishing her in the ranks of past winners Tami Neilson, Reb Fountain and Jenny Mitchell.

Make it, sew it, bake it, grow it. That’s the motto for the newly-formed Makers Market at Country Lane. They are providing a creative hub for all things handmade and showcase some of the great artisans in our region. On every second Sunday in winter, you’re sure to find some treasures.

The Wao Queenstown Film Festival will come to Te Atamira next week. It will feature award-winning films and documentaries with the aim to inspire a deep connection with the natural world. It will also showcase a series of Queenstown-based short films dedicated to local sustainable business efforts.

Queenstown’s multi-purpose community, arts and cultural space celebrated their second birthday on 15 May. The milestone was celebrated in the best way possible – with coffee and cake– as Te Atamira continues to organise amazing programmes for the region.

Showbiz Queenstown is bringing Monty Python’s Spamalot from Broadway to the Memorial Centre stage this week. The show is known as a “musical lovingly ripped off from the motion picture, Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” Opening night for the company’s annual production is this Thursday with nine shows running until Saturday 25 May.

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.

For Kahli Scott, storytelling is everything. As the manager of Film Queenstown Lakes, (the in-house film office for Queenstown Lakes District Council), as well as co-manager of Film Otago Southland, the wonderful world of shared stories is what she knows best - both in front of the screen, and what goes on behind it.

First Thursdays Quarterly is a free and fun event that celebrates the diversity of arts and culture in our region.

Thursday marks the start of the annual Arrowtown Autumn Festival. This year’s programme will feature much-loved classics and some exciting new things, with something for everyone. There’s over 40 events across the four days with many community groups involved.

The Wao Film Festival is back, promising an unparalleled cinematic experience that celebrates the marvels of the natural world while shedding light on pressing environmental issues. Taking place from Thursday, 9 May to Sunday, 12 May, the festival invites audiences to immerse themselves in captivating films that inspire a deeper connection with nature.

Award-winning folk artist Amiria Grenell is coming to Queenstown in support of her new album, The Winter Light.

Christchurch-based group the River City Jazzmen will be heading to Wānaka this weekend.

Award-winning Belgium-based pianist and composer, Daniel Verstappen, is coming to Queenstown for a one-off performance.

Born in Korea, raised in the United States, and now residing in Aotearoa New Zealand, Sumi Hahn is a writer with many interesting life-chapters to draw from.