Stories

Whether you're keen to hit up some big Christchurch gigs, or planning to get on the road for an Auckland, Wellington or Dunedin show, there's no doubt the options for international acts are opening up. Flex your ticket-buying fingers and practise your dance moves because these gigs are going to be well worth the two years we’ve spent waiting for them. Ed Sheeran just announced he’s going to be treating Kiwis to two huge shows next February, and we are fizzing for it. Don’t lament the long wait too much, though – there are plenty of equally awesome concerts to let your hair down to between now and then. In September, Grammy Award-winning punky pop princess Billie Eilish will rock out the stage at Auckland’s Spark Arena, with three incredible shows poised to show off her killer vocals and signature stage presence to maximum effect. Next up is the pop phenomenon...

If you’re spending more time at home you can do yourself a favour by maximising creature comforts. With just a few small touches here and there, you can make your home into the peaceful haven it was always meant to be. Going green It’s scientifically proven that filling our homes with greenery has a positive impact on our mental wellbeing, physical health and productivity. This part’s not exactly science, but plants add some sweet aesthetic to your space as well. Court Florist’s range of seasonal flowers to suit any style or occasion, and there is literally nothing stopping you from getting flowers for yourself. You’re worth it! For greenery of the more permanent kind, check out Moffatt’s selection of houseplants. Read more: If you're not living in an indoor jungle, you're not really living. Bring the good vibes There are a few things that can add a peaceful, relaxing aura to...

You saw it here first – these are the must-reads of the season. Find a comfy seat, prepare a pot of tea and some biscuits, because these books will draw you in from the very first page. To Paradise – Hanya Yanagihara From the author of A Little Life, this powerful novel takes place in an alternate version of America, beginning in 1893 when New York is part of the Free States and people are free to love whomever they please. The book is divided into three sections over three centuries, including the AIDS epidemic of 1993, and a plague-ridden totalitarian vision of 2093. Shackleton – Ranulph Fiennes This biography of Sir Ernest Shackleton tells the incredible tale of his ill-fated attempt to traverse the Antarctic – cut short when his ship became trapped in ice. Polar adventurer Ranulph Fiennes gives an engaging account of how Shackleton and his men survived...

Three Boys Brewery’s Ralph Bungard wants us to think about catching up on dining out to save our city’s iconic hospo scene. Here’s one for you: A customer walks into a bar. “I’ll have 12 starters, 12 mains, 12 desserts and 24 pints of beer please, waiter.” “Oh, are you expecting company?” The waiter retorts. “No, it’s just me today,” says the customer, “I didn’t manage to make it out much in the last couple of years and I’m just catching up!” A most unlikely scenario, right? And not even a funny joke! At the heart of the sentiment though is the guts of why hospitality and all those peripheral to it are among the hardest hit in these times. I’m not saying that other businesses are finding our new Covid world easy. Far from it. But the difference for hospitality compared with, say, painting your house, is that your house...

Put on your comfiest trackpants and grab several hours’ worth of supplies, because these shows are going to keep you absolutely hooked. Ozark Season 4, part 2 All the drugs, money, crimes and dirty deals are coming to a head in the second half of a season that’s already been a wild ride. Whether the money-laundering Byrdes will be able to walk away unscathed is another question entirely. Succession Season 3 Following the super-wealthy Roy family and their entertainment and media empire, this award-winning series pulls you right in with magnetic characters and their Machiavellian schemes to gain power over the family business. The Sex Lives of College Girls Created by the ever-hilarious Mindy Kaling, this sure-fire winner is all about the dramas and pitfalls of four roomates at a prestigious college as they navigate life, romance, cultural differences, and closeted lesbianism. Wentworth Season 9 Get ready for the final season...

Craft food is a whole different and rewarding experience. Shelves filled with intriguing ingredients, helpful and knowledgeable staff, and little bonus finds to pop in your basket (Mexican chilli hot chocolate balls, yes please!). Get to know your local gems and support small business owners while you’re at it – supermarket shopping is so 2019, darling. Keeping it fresh and fruity at small grocers Locally grown, in-season and organic fruit and veggies are the raison d’être at these fresh goods businesses. Marshland Road is a fruit and veggie hotspot where excellent greengrocers rub shoulders and show off praiseworthy produce. Vegeland’s classic green crates are piled high with honest, imperfect, fresh and flavourful produce for very affordable prices. Your veggie bin will always be stocked with a subscription box from Streamside Organics, a certified organic garden farm in Leeston. You can also find Streamside stalls selling top-notch farm produce at Christchurch farmers’...

Take your palate on a tour of Aotearoa's premium wine regions at Winetopia Christchurch, the best place to sip and discover beautifully blended wine from around the country. Taking place at Te Pae Christchurch on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 August, Winetopia is the biggest and tastiest celebration of wine in New Zealand. Wine lovers will savour the opportunity to sample wines from every major region in the country, from Marlborough Albariño to Central Otago Pinot; Northland Chardonnay to Hawke's Bay Syrah. Now in its 7th year, this prestigious event sees around 250 wines from the exceptional past two vintages being opened for tasting. A limited number of special Golden Coins will be available to purchase ahead of the event. These coins allow the holder to taste one of the country's most prestigious wines, retailing for over $100 per bottle. Tickets include access to 50-plus top wineries in New Zealand; incredible food...

Wine lovers everywhere rejoice – we can still take part in a celebration of Central Otago's wines. The difference? We'll be sipping from the comfort of our living rooms. The great wine minds behind Ripe: The Wānaka Wine & Food Festival are thinking outside the case with their latest idea. It may well be the first virtual wine tasting event of its kind, dedicated entirely to Central Otago's famous drops and encouraging people to hold their very own mini wine festivals at home. The virtual event will take place on Saturday March 19, the same day of the original event, and will feature seven wineries presenting two wines each over the course of the afternoon. The winemakers will be joined by sommelier Candice Chow, who will help showcase each outstanding wine. Guests will be cheking out wine from Akarua, Gibbston Valley, Mount Michael, Maori Point, Maude, Misha’s Vineyard and Quartz Reef...

Love it or hate it, it’s an excuse to get out with your loved one, and that’s got to be good! Sick of the candlelit dinner scene? Cityscape has some unique ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Ōtautahi. And yes, you may pretend you came up with these ideas yourself. Get your hair cut together If you and your sweetheart have been rocking the overgrown yeti look for a little too long, make an experience of it and book a tandem hairdo. Have a laugh watching each other in the stages of transformation, and take some hella cute selfies when you’re both looking fly as all get out. Mod’s Hair in Merivale is the ideal spot for a date night makeover: it has a Perrier Jouët Champagne bar, cocktails and tasty bites so you can Valentine’s in style. Hear us out… scavenger hunt Interactive, explorative and always fun, scavenger hunts are...

Shoppers looking for unique fashion have one more reason to visit The Colombo as Hills Boutique opens the doors on its new store. The store launched in early 2020 and quickly made a name in the Christchurch fashion scene. Hills Boutique's new home is in prime position in The Colombo, next to the dining area. Hills Boutique specialises in fashion for men and women, with collections to fit anyone out for looking fly in the street, tidy in the office, or swish with a cocktail in hand. The new store is celebrating its opening weekend with new autumn and winter collections as well as a sale on summer items. hillsboutique.co.nz

Tuck your napkins into your collars and prepare for a feast: the results are in for the 2021/22 Cuisine Good Food Awards, an annual industry celebration regarded as the country's pre-eminent hospitality awards list. Seven Christchurch establishments hit the list this year, an impressive tally of local restaurants and bars going toe-to-toe with big hitters and celebrity chefs from Auckland and Wellington. Now in its 16th year, and the only nationwide restaurant awards programme of its kind, The Cuisine Good Food Awards are viewed globally as the authority on the dining scene in New Zealand. The full list of 135 restaurants spans from Russell to Dunedin and showcases the incredible strength of Aotearoa's restaurant industry. Christchurch shines in the list with seven placements, as well as a category winner in Tussock Hill Cellar Door Restaurant - one of three in the One to Watch (Rising Talent) category. Below are the fabulous Christchurch...

Start gathering your spare change, Christchurch, because Bread & Circus – World Buskers Festival is back on our calendar for April. Usually one of the highlights of Christchurch's summertime festivities, Bread & Circus had to be postponed from its traditional January spot in 2022 thanks to the interference of everyone's least favourite virus. Happily, the organisers have now secured dates in the Easter school holidays, and the laugh-out-loud landmark event will be back to entertain us from 22 April to 1 May. This year's festival playground will be Victoria Square and The Commons, with two main stages, roving performers, food stalls and activities for the whole whānau. Get a babysitter, dog sitter or cat sitter lined up for the two Friday and Saturday evenings during the festival – that's when you'll catch the late night programme aimed at a more adult audience. The Bread & Circus site will be free to...

Picture the scene: the kids happy running around in wide-open green space and playing on wicked playgrounds, parents happy chatting, soaking up the sun and tending to the barbie. It’s the Kiwi summer in one perfect package, and Christchurch’s best parks are here to deliver it. These are some of the most epic parks in Christchurch, and even better, they all have free BBQ facilities available, so make sure you bring your pack of sausages and spatula. Scarborough Park Literally everything you could want from a park, this one’s got it. Paddling pool, with an into-water slide? Hell yeah. Nearby ice cream shop? You know it. Playground of dreams? You betcha. The actual ocean right over the esplanade? Oh boy, yes, and now you know that when we say a park has everything, we mean EVERYTHING. The Groynes Much like Stacy’s Mom, this reserve has got it going on. Beautiful, expansive...

We’ve all been there, right? There you are, sweeping the floors of a down-and-out florist shop in the worst part of town when a sudden eclipse of the sun brings a Strange and Exotic plant into your life, bringing fame, fortune and questionable moral choices along with it. If you don’t relate to that scenario, don’t worry: The Court Theatre’s production of cult musical classic Little Shop of Horrors will take you there. It’s bursting with energy, irresistible characters, bopping tunes, and is the exact injection of fun you need in your life. Seymour Krelbourn is the unlikely hero of this B-horror-turned-musical-comedy, a broke and awkward florist’s assistant who has a secret crush on his co-worker, Audrey, and a mysterious plant that he’s dubbed Audrey II. The unusual horticultural species soon brings throngs of spendthrift customers to Mushnik’s Florist, but in the meantime Seymour has discovered what food it prefers, and...

It's good news for sailing fans: SailGP will bring its brand of adrenaline-filled racing to Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour for two seasons in 2023 and 2025. We were all a bit bummed when SailGP was forced to cancel its event planned for January 2022 due to Covid-19, but now the international sailing outfit have sweetened the deal. In partnership with ChristchurchNZ, SailGP will now be bringing four world-class sailing events to Aotearoa from 2023-2026, alternating years between Christchurch and Auckland. The two events are expected to bring more than 11,500 visitors to Christchurch. “Having this extended agreement supported by central Government is a huge advantage for the city," said ChristchurchNZ’s GM Destination and Attraction Loren Heaphy. "It gives Christchurch more certainty because SailGP now has priority access to New Zealand, as well as unlocking more funding and expertise to help deliver the events. This is also a great opportunity to partner with...

It’s on, Cityscapers: summer is officially here, and we are officially pumped for some toe-tapping, lip-smacking, sunshiney good times at the many awesome festivals lined up in and around Christchurch this summer. Take a little roadie out to the sun-soaked hills of Waipara this New Year’s and party on down to some of the best drum & bass, dubstep and hip hop musicians at Rolling Meadows. This multi-genre festival will be held at the picturesque Bone Line Winery from Thursday 30 December to Saturday 1 January. There’s nothing to start the year off with a bang like some sweet live tunes, and on Saturday January 15, L.A.B and Shapeshifter are more than bringing the goods. These two powerhouse Kiwi bands are joining forces for an unbeatably epic concert in Hagley Park, and with names like Ladi6, Katchafire and JessB also on the bill, this is a helluva way to welcome 2022....

The Court Theatre’s 2022 season has got something for theatre lovers, culture vultures, belly-laughers and audiences of all descriptions. With an incredible bill of exciting, varied shows, we don’t think you’ll need much convincing to make 2022 your year of theatre. Christchurch’s home of top-quality local and international theatre has got a seriously stacked programme on the cards this year. We’re talking homegrown comedy, popular parodies, bestselling thrillers and empowering musicals. The flagship summer musical, Little Shop of Horrors, tells the story of hapless florist Seymour and his bloodthirsty singing plant. The production runs until January 15 and promises to be larger than life and twice as much fun. An absolute icon follows from February 19 with Flagons and Foxtrots, a nostalgic Kiwi comedy set in 1960s Ohoka. Literature lovers and thriller addicts will want to make time in their schedules from April to June. Austen fans will be tickled pink...

We’ve got go karts on the mind, so we went and found the biggest and the best in town. Supa Karts are not little fairground bumper karts. These are first-rate engineered machines built for speed and safety. Hitting 35 kilometres per hour, Supa Karts’ grunty adult karts are the fastest in New Zealand, so these are just for the big kids. Options for the younger ones include the junior karts and tandem karts. Throwing a party, end-of-year event or corporate do at Supa Karts is throwing away the expectations of how adults should behave at such affairs. It’s an endorsement of the wild side, an acceptance that your crew want something a little different from a backyard barbecue. You can book in a family race or high-speed adult races, or step things up a notch with a grand prix or team endurance race. In the grand prix, each driver gets a...