Stories

Aotearoa metalheads Alien Weaponry are teaming up with NZSO for a show that will blow your freaking mind. With the band’s heavy metal music collaboratively composed to incorporate a full orchestra, this is guaranteed to be more full-on sound than your grandma can handle (though you might be able to talk her into buying tickets for you to ‘go to the orchestra’). The Stronger Together gig on May 29 will be a unique music experience for audiences, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Alien Weaponry. The concerts are Alien Weaponry’s first with an orchestra and the first collaboration with a metal band in the NZSO’s 75-year history. Embraced by audiences and critics around the world, the three-piece band from Waipu have gone from strength to strength since their debut album Tū in 2018. The band have sold out headline shows in New Zealand, Australia, Europe and North America; opened for metal...

Snowboxx New Zealand is a collaboration of classic Kiwi New Year fest Rhythm & Alps and the epic annual Snowboxx event held in Avoriaz, France. R&A organiser Alex Turnbull carves the details with Cityscape. Shapeshifter, Concord Dawn, Lee Mvtthews... the first round of artists announced already includes some pretty big names and wicked up-and-comers. Who are you most excited about? It’s a broad and varied programme, it's hard to pull out special acts as the performances are in different venues and locations but I am excited about KÉDU CARLÖ they are a female house and tech duo which I recently saw at a festival here in New Zealand. Can you give us any hints as to who else you’re looking at booking? We would like to add some comedy, and some different genres of entertainment but we will just have to be patient to see if we can pull that off....

When Cityscape interviewed The Black Seeds' Daniel Weetman, he told us to check out Auckland reggae/ska artiste Paul The Kid. We liked what we heard, so we caught up with him about his new album and what it's like being back in New Zealand. We listened to your single ‘Palm Trees and Ciggies’ and it’s got a great summer vibe – can you tell us a bit about the song? It. Is. A. Banger! I wrote the music to it while still in London, I think in the summer of 2018 when I was into ‘four to the floor’ music. I showed all the homies the beat and they vibed it so while in lockdown here in Wellington I focused on it a lot. It’s about travel, ironically; touring cities with my laptop and a backpack, a beer and a ciggie (I have quit now) and living through the kindness of...

The show must go on, and The Court Theatre has moved quickly to ensure that the shows do, in fact, go on. The Court Theatre had plans in place ready to roll out if necessary, and that has meant the hardworking team were able to action those plans very quickly in order to allow Winding Up to go ahead. The show, starring Mark Hadlow and Darien Takle, just opened on Saturday February 13. The theatre has invested in safety protection screens between the aisles, and contingencies in seating to allow a one metre distance between patrons. The auditorium will also be divided into two zones that cater to 100 people each, with seperate entrances, exits, bar and toilets for each zone. Court Theatre staff are contacting ticketholders for the next few performances of Winding Up to discuss seats and new entry conditions. Due to the distancing and gathering restrictions at Level...

Love is in the air this weekend, and we've got plenty of ideas for you and your S.O. 1. Take in a romantic movie in the open air with The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora's special outdoor cinema screening of Notting Hill (4.30pm) and The Notebook (7pm). Bring rugs for the grass, chairs for the paving stones, and if you're early enough, you might even snag one of the provided bean bags. Where: The Arts Centre North Quad When: Sunday February 14 from 4.30pm artscentre.org.nz 2. Check out any of our city's sweet farmers' markets, grab yourself and your sweetheart a fresh pastry, hot coffee, and browse the stalls for anything else that takes your fancy. Stock up on fresh produce to cook a romantic meal at home, and you'll really be in the good books. Where: Mt Pleasant Farmers' Market, Christchurch Famers' Market and Green Lane market on Saturday;...

Uber-cool street art gallery, studio and creative hub Fiksate has found a new home in Sydenham. First opened in 2015 after a wave of street art swept Christchurch post-quakes, Fiksate has recently moved from its original Gloucester Street home to a funky renovated warehouse in Sydenham. The new space will be opening Friday, February 12 from 10am, and all the excellent services will be back up and running, including Fiksate's custom framing service and monthly risograph print release. Fiksate is New Zealand's only gallery specialising in contemporary urban and street art, and has a range of original artworks from leading New Zealand urban artists alongside a handpicked selection of international talent. The gallery hosts regular exhibitions and opportunities to flex your own creative muscles, such as sticker-making and badge-making workshops. The new space also gives owners and husband-and-wife team Jenna and Nathan a chance to get the ball rolling on a...

Cityscape chews the fat with Hannah Miller – the charcuterie genius behind A Lady Butcher – who will be giving a cooking demonstration at the Great Kiwi Beer Festival in Christchurch on January 30. Can you tell us a bit about what you’re going to be demonstrating at Great Kiwi Beer Festival? Sure thing! I'll be demonstrating how to cure our New Zealand Wagyu Bresaola and also how to make a quick and easy summer dish with the finished product. Where are your meats sourced from? We source ethically and sustainably raised meat from all over New Zealand, from as far north as Houhora and as far south as Invercargill. Why is traceability so essential? Knowing your farmer is important, as it's integral to knowing how the meat your eating was raised. What did it eat? How was it treated? These things not only affect the quality of the meat but also the...

With a hot summer under way and the Great Kiwi Beer Festival fast approaching, we’ve got hops on our mind. What is it that makes beer so special? Its special because I believe there is a beer for everyone - with so many styles there is something to suit everyones taste! Haven’t found it? keep looking! That, and its and all-seasons drink. How did you get into brewing? I have been involved in Poms for the best part of 20 years and really seriously for 12. We got a brewery and it was a case of why not? I leave all the actual brewing up to our wonderful head brewer Damian, as I’m sadly still a complete novice but I do hope to get more involved again once my babies are bigger. How would you describe the Christchurch craft brewing scene? It used to be very English in its style but...

World-class sailors and boats will be flying across Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour in early 2022. ChristchurchNZ has announced that the high-speed SailGP sailing league will hold part of its second season right here in Ōtautahi Christchurch. The league pits identical, high-speed F50 foiling catamarans against each other. For added excitement, the newest team to join the league is New Zealand, headed up by sailing celebrities and Olympic champions Peter Burling and Blair Tuke. SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts says the harbour is "perfect" for foiling, and a world-class venue for specators. "The positioning of the race course is quite similar to the layout of our event in San Francisco, which should provide spectacular viewing for our spectators. Surrounded by the natural beauty of Lyttelton Harbour, we expect this event will draw passionate spectators from across the country and Australia, provided the COVID-19 situation improves as we hope it will. Aotearoa New Zealand is...

Kiwi theatre is returning to the stage this February with a new comedy from beloved New Zealand playwright Sir Roger Hall. Starring well-known Kiwi actors Mark Hadlow and Darien Takle, Winding Up explores the reality of the 'golden years' in a play that is at once heartwarming, honest, poignant and hilarious.  With his inimitable wit, Sir Roger revisits Barry and Gen, the beloved bickering couple from his hit play Conjugal Rites, as they tackle family feuds, health problems, modern technology, and the complications of conjugal relations. Winding Up puts the fun in funeral, even as Barry refuses to stop planning his own. “It’s about us,” says Hadlow. “With an ageing population, so many of the issues in the play confronted by Barry and Gen are topical and provide a window into the complexities of getting older!” Sir Roger Hall, who was knighted in 2019 for his services to theatre, says, “I...

It's that magical time of year. Fish are jumping, birds are singing, and we're up to our balls in jugglers. That's right, the buskers are back and Cityscape has your picks for some of the most anticipated acts of Bread & Circus World Backyard Buskers Festival 2021. Paul Klaass Paul Klaass is a multi-award winning comic juggler. His one man circus has hilarious comedy skits, world-klaass juggling, and screeds of charm. With a fresh and modern take on circus, this unique and memorable must-see show is fantastic family friendly fun. Biggest Little Circus Back by popular demand, The Biggest Little Circus return with astonishing aerials, classic Kiwi comedy, OMG juggling and loads of lycra! You can't miss their leotards and you don't want to miss their one-of-a-kind performance, kiwi charm and loads of lycra. Catch them at the Scott Statue Park Busking Pitch throughout the festival. BETTY'S WORLD A Christchurch premiere...

The world’s fastest growing alcoholic beverage is making its way to Aotearoa with the launch of TINK – New Zealand’s first natural fruit wine seltzer. Made in Marlborough by family-owned Kiwi company Giesen Group, TINK uses an innovative process of fermenting wine and natural fruit juice together to create a light and refreshing sparkling seltzer perfect for the summer season. With seltzer growing exponentially in the US and Australian markets, all the signs are pointing to 2020/21 being the summer of seltzer here as well. TINK is sold in 330ml cans with three flavours available – Tropical, Berry Rose and Lemon & Lime. It is also designed with a health and wellbeing focus, being low in sugar, low carb, and gluten free, with no added flavours. The drive to wellness among Kiwis is also reflected in the popularity of Giesen’s 0% alcohol Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, launched in February 2020. A world...

Orana Wildlife Park has got something very special for Christmas – two stunning Sumatran tigers, freshly arrived from Australia Zoo. Reggie and Scout are a pair of boisterous four-year-old boys and the only tigers in the South Island. After the park’s elderly tiger, Dumai, sadly passed away in February, the team have been upgrading the tiger habitat in preparation for welcoming some new big cats. New platforms and climbing structures have been erected, and the water features have been updated for Reggie and Scout’s entertainment. According to Orana’s Exotic Species Manager, Rachael Mason, the cats are settling in well. They are chatty and friendly, greeting their keepers with a distinctive tiger chuff, and have been seen grooming each other and cuddling together. With such positive signs that they are relaxed and comfortable, it is now time for them to explore their new outdoor surroundings. The tigers will be making their first...

We look back on a decade of earthquake recovery and pull some massive moments from the memory bank. 01 - September 4, 2010 earthquake Welcome to the 20-teens, Christchurch. Read more – Mayor Lianne Dalziel: Looking back and looking forward 02 - February 22, 2011 earthquake The day we lost 185 people to a terrible force of nature. The city would never be the same, physically or in spirit. 03 - Shag Pile Rapanui, the great stack of rock marking the entrance to the estuary crumbled into a somewhat less impressive figure during the February earthquake. 04 - Sumner container art Amazing art belies the practical nature of these containers, placed along Peacocks Gallop to prevent boulders falling on the road. Read more: The Wrightmann Collection: A short history of Canterbury contemporary art 05 - Cranes, cones and fences If we were to develop a coat of arms for Christchurch in...

Heads up Cityscapers, we've got the low-down on the best places to be and this summer's Christchurch happenings. There’s nothing like a drink with a view, and what better way to enjoy our acres of sky and a warm summer breeze than by heading top-side to one of our two new sky-high establishments. Pink Lady Rooftop, perched on top of The Muse hotel in Manchester Street, is an intimate floorspace with wide-reaching views across the city skyline to the Port Hills and Southern Alps (and there's also the excellent new café The Residency on the ground floor). Mr Brightside over in Oxford Terrace has a bistro-style set up with a retractable roof to make the most of its 360-degree views whatever the weather. Over in Lyttelton, beloved post-earthquake pop-up pizza place Arbour is opening in a permanent new home. The quirky space features a 120-year-old reclaimed boat as its bar, a...

A new exhibition – Mosque: Faith, Culture, Community – which aims to demystify Islam for non-Muslim New Zealanders opened at the weekend at Canterbury Museum. Mosque: Faith, Culture, Community highlights the mosque as the heart of Muslim communities, and the diversity of Islamic culture showcased through art and objects. The museum developed the exhibition in partnership with Christchurch Muslims who are keen to share knowledge, understanding of Islam, and the diversity of those who follow the faith with the wider community. “Our hope is that in working with local Muslims we have created uplifting experience for our visitors, one that highlights the diversity of Islamic art, architecture and culture," says Museum director Anthony Wright. “It is important that we share stories from all parts of the Canterbury community and that we work with those communities in presenting them. We hope that the exhibition will dispel some of the misconceptions about Islam...

Appropriately themed ‘navigating love’, NZ Opera’s 2021 season is set to make us fall in love with opera all over again with a variety of operas in different sizes, styles and locations. The big hit for the year is set to be Mozart and Da Ponte’s The Marriage of Figaro, which was sadly postponed in 2020 but will come to Isaac Theatre Royal for three dates in July 2021. The other star of the season is (m)Orpheus – a very Kiwi-Pasifika reimagining of the Greek tragedy Orpheus and Eurydice – but you'll have to travel to Auckland or Wellington to see it. January and February will see a series of open-air operas in Wellington Botanic Garden, Auckland’s Glover Park, and Hamilton Gardens. NZ Opera will mark the start of the academic year with Opera in Schools performances of Don Pasquale – a classic tale of love, scheming and comeuppance – coming...

Canterbury has a thriving arts scene, with ultra-talented local veteran and newcomer artists filling Greater Christchurch's many galleries. Here's our pick of spots to get your fill of art works. Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū Start with the city’s public gallery, an impressive glass-fronted building in Montreal Street where you’ll find everything from the classics to contemporary works. The gallery’s All Art All Summer season brings Kiwis face to face with work from local artists. Exhibitions include Christchurch-based sculptor Graham Bennett’s Seeking a Balance, Te Waipounamu object maker Areta Wilkinson’s Moa-Hunter Fashions, and rarely-seen historic art in As Time Unfolds. christchurchartgallery.org.nz Fiksate The bridge between the streets and the galleries, Fiksate is an urban art hub unlike anything else in the country. It’s gritty, it’s on the edge, and it’s just a real cool space to be in. You’ll find it in Gloucester Street until the end of December...