Hawke's Bay Arts Festival

08/09/2026

JUST ONE MONTH TO GO until we open the Hawke's Bay Arts Festival with an absolute bang.

Are you ready to feel something real? Plan and book your Festival now at hbaf.co.nz

04/09/2026

Do you feel like you're always starting the weekend looking for something entertaining AND educational to do with your kids?

You can book now to see The Valentina, a feel-good play for children and their adults, daring us to let our imaginations fly and reach to the depths of outer-space 🪐 (Plus, children's tickets are only $15!)

One of the stars of the play, actress and singer Bronwyn Turei, has sent us in Hawke's Bay a message as they get ready to land (you'll recognise her from Go Girls!)

The Valentina
11 October, Century Theatre Napier
Written by Anders Falstie-Jensen, The Rebel Alliance

Book now at Eventfinda or HBAF.co.nz
https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2026/the-valentina/napier

02/09/2026

You’ve been loving Machine de Cirque, so we’re adding another show!
With strong demand across the existing performances, a fourth and final Machine de Cirque performance has been added to the Hawke’s Bay Arts Festival:

🎪 Sunday 18 October, 6.00pm, Toitoi – Opera House

Bursting in from Québec, Canada, five internationally acclaimed contemporary circus performers are making their Australasian premiere right here in Hawke’s Bay.

This family-friendly show follows five quirky characters who find themselves alone in an uncertain world, trying to contact other survivors with the help of a strange machine. Along the way, expect breathtaking teeterboard, juggling, live music and a very inventive use of a bath towel...

Ridiculously funny, touching and wildly inventive, Machine de Cirque combines extraordinary circus skill with deeply human storytelling, in a show that dazzles, delights and brings plenty of laughs along the way.

Book now, to make sure you secure your seat at the circus everyone will be talking about!

https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2026/machine-de-cirque2/hastings

Hastings District Council - Te Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Heretaunga Toitoi - Hawke's Bay Arts & Events Centre Hawke's Bay Today The Hits - Hawke's Bay 89.5FM

Machine de Cirque, “Endlessly inventive, ridiculously ..., Toitoi - Opera House, Hastings, Hawke's Bay / Gisborne, 16 October 2026 - 17 October 2026,

02/09/2026

Five stars at Edinburgh Fringe!

Werewolf is an immersive horror-comedy theatre show inspired by the classic game of social deduction...

Three wardens, a safehouse and a circle of strangers. The lycanthropy outbreak has begun. You (yes you) have been summoned to the local shelter, along with other members of your community, to wait for the all-clear. The containment period is one week and the nights are pitch black, but your wardens are prepared for anything. Or are they?

Said to be as funny as Kiwi comedy-horror mocumentary "What we do in the shadows", Werewolf will have you on the edge of your seat this October.

A massive thanks to the sponsor of Werewolf, Brave.

Book now - Fri 9th and Sat 10th October at the Blyth Performing Arts Centre, Havelock North.

https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2026/werewolf/havelock-north

29/08/2026

We're jammin', jammin'
And I hope you like jammin' too...

“..The show is a masterclass in storytelling that weaves the history of Jamaica and the evolution of reggae into Forrest’s own journey of cultural reclamation.”

Canadian artist Duane Forrest is flying in from Canada and landing at Paisley Stage to take audiences on an uplifting, deeply human journey through the music and legacy of global phenomenon Bob Marley.

Two shows - Friday 16 and Saturday 17 October.
https://www.hbaf.co.nz/whats-on/2026-festival-programme/attend/211

27/08/2026

Indigenous curator Nigel Borell’s groundbreaking Māori art exhibition becomes both a cultural triumph and a battleground for power, captured with extraordinary behind the scenes access in Chelsea Winstanley’s directorial debut feature, TOITŪ: Visual Sovereignty.

TOITŪ: Visual Sovereignty, the debut directorial feature from Academy Award nominated producer Chelsea Winstanley, goes behind the scenes of the largest Māori art exhibition in Aotearoa New Zealand’s history. Following curator Nigel Borell’s vision for Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art, the film captures both its record-breaking success and the behind the scenes conflicts that arise when Indigenous sovereignty challenges institutional power.

Featuring rare access and the voices of celebrated artists such as Shane Cotton, Emily Karaka, Taika Waititi, Brett Graham, Ngahina Hohaia, the Mataaho Collective and Reuben Paterson, this is a powerful portrait of cultural resilience and authorship.

Join us for the Hawke’s Bay premiere of the film screening, and an in person Q&A with Nigel Borell and Chelsea Winstanley.

Toitoi Opera House, Sun Oct 11th at 4:30pm

Book tickets at https://www.hbaf.co.nz/whats-on/2026-festival-programme/attend/226

Toitoi - Hawke's Bay Arts & Events Centre Hastings NZ

23/08/2026

Step into a glowing world of light, colour and sound.

As darkness falls, twelve towering light columns surround you, pulsing with shifting colour and a mesmerising soundscape that moves through the circle, bringing the space to life.

At the centre, an interactive instrument invites you to play, transforming the artwork with every touch. Walk in, linger, experiment and become part of the experience.

CIRCA is a luminous gathering place where light, music and curiosity come together after dark.

8 - 18 October, at Civic Square, Hastings

21/08/2026

From Off-Broadway to a sell-out Edinburgh Fringe, award-winning artist Duane Forrest takes audiences on an uplifting, deeply human journey through the music and legacy of global phenomenon Bob Marley.

Part concert, part storytelling, this acclaimed solo show celebrates Marley's enduring legacy through iconic songs including One Love, Three Little Birds and No Woman, No Cry, alongside Duane's own personal story.

Warm, heartfelt and deeply moving, Bob Marley: How Reggae Changed The World is a celebration of music's extraordinary power to connect us, inspire us and remind us that every little thing is gonna be alright.

★★★★★ “Even if you are not a fan of Bob Marley, you will be, especially after Forrest’s beautiful rendition of No Woman No Cry” - Winnipeg Free Press
★★★★★ “Doctors should prescribe it as an antidepressant” - Broadway Baby
★★★★ “One of the most life-affirming shows of the Fringe”- Mix 102.3

Sat Oct 17th, 4pm at Paisley Stage

19/08/2026

“The standing ovation on opening night was a recognition not only of Indian Ink’s theatrical craft, but also of the compassion at the heart of the story.” NZ Herald Auckland.

You aboslutely loved Indian Ink at last year's Festival so they're back with their fresh work, Balloon Dog - the group's stage adaptation of one of India’s most loved stories, Kabuliwala. This beautifully tender tale reveals that we’re more alike than we think.

Indian Ink's award-winning creative team bring you all the things people love about Indian Ink - humour, heart, live music and pure theatrical magic.

Book your tickets now, before they sell out, at hbaf.co.nz or Eventfinda - https://hbaf.co.nz/whats-on/2026-festival-programme/attend/218

With grateful thanks to Performance Sponsor Sainsbury, Logan & Williams.

16/08/2026

A gorgeous interstellar adventure for anyone who’s looked to the stars and imagined the cosmos.

With the help of her awesome parents, 8-year-old Ellen, paints a spaceship she has drawn at school on her bedroom ceiling... As darkness falls and the moon rises, the ship comes to life.

The Valentina pays tribute to the extraordinary imagination of kids who manage to stretch mightily to keep their feet on the ground as they reach for the stars.

WINNER - 2022 Plays for the Young- (8 - 12 year-old category)
NOMINATED 2022 Adam Award - Best New NZ Play

With children's tickets just $15 thanks to the support of the Hawke's Bay Arts Festival Patrons, book now at hbaf.co.nz or Eventfinda 👨‍🚀

Century Theatre
Sun Oct 11th 11:00am

~ The Valentina was commissioned by Auckland Live as a world premiere for Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival 2024.