Events

TUESDAY QUIZ NIGHTS AT IGUANA!

From 7pm on Tuesday, 19th August, Iguana's Garden Bar will be transforming into QUIZ NIGHT – EVERY TUESDAY!

Hosts Albie and Eddie @quiznzuk will be bringing the laughs, the challenges and trivia for what's guaranteed to be a fantastic night.

Book by calling 07 834 2280 or email info@iguana.co.nz

Max 8 players per team

7pm start

Cash prizes for 1st and 2nd

Full food and bar service (including daily deals!)

Get your team together and come and join the fun!

Improv Combat returns for 2025 with more improvised comedy, but this time, the joke’s on you!

Across each performance in this four-show season, a rotating cast of Hamilton’s finest improvisers in makeshift teams will battle against each other to win the favour (and the laughs) of their audience in a refreshing new game show format. Teams will enter each performance completely unaware of what games they will be playing, what scenes they will create, and what challenges host Conor Maxwell will force them to complete. These improvisers are here to bring this jokes, but this time, the jokes may very well be on them!

Improv Combat: Jokes on You! will take to the stage in the Meteor theatre’s Massé Lounge and Nancy Caiger Gallery on four fortnightly Sundays from the 12th of September, so come along and see Hamilton improv at its most spontaneous. Remember, with improv comedy, each show and each scene within it will be uniquely driven by suggestions from the audience. The fate of these performers is in your hands…

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TWO comedians, ONE night, ONE great price.

The most Haunted Comedian in all of New Zealand (Callum Wagstaff) and indie darling George Fenn (as Sexy Ghost Boy) are here to Split your Sides this Spooky Season, using comedy to defang all of your worst fears.

The show is strictly R18. It contains sexual themes and nudity up to underwear.

Doors open from 7pm, show at 8:30pm. There will be an intermission.

Tickets $30 waged / $20 unwaged / $35 on the door.*LIMITED* Early Bird 241 Tickets $15 each.

GEORGE FENN (he/she/they) George is a genre bending comedy theatre maker based in Ōtautahi specialising in audience interaction, described by witnesses as a hot mess mash up of Mr Bean and Marina Abramović.

Winner Organised Chaos Award (Auckland Fringe 2024) Bizarre and Charming Award (Hastings Fringe 2024) Spirit of the Fringe (2017 and 2020.) Nominated Outstanding Performer (Dunedin Fringe 2025)

“a theatrical alchemist, Fenn has the rare talent to create something utterly ridiculous yet very clever..." - Rosheen Fitzgerald, Theatreview

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26 September

31 October

28 November

Join us on the last Friday of every month (except December) for a relaxed morning at the Museum designed especially for whaanau with babies and pre-school aged children.

Enjoy a welcoming space to connect with others and explore the galleries at your own pace. We'll be in a different gallery every month and our friendly team will be on hand to answer questions and help you feel at home.

Whether you're new to Hamilton or just looking for a gentle outing, this is a great way to enjoy art and culture in a baby-friendly environment.

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Mark you calendar - Hamilton Central is the place to be this October!

Held on the second Friday of every month (excluding December).

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Take a creative lunch break to explore art through poetry.

These free drop-in poetry sessions are the perfect way for beginners and poetry lovers alike to explore their creativity.

With a focus on ekphrasis (poetry written in response to art), this is a fun and creative experience that is about expression, not perfection.

Be inspired by our exhibitions and explore new ways to look at art and language.

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What to expect

Educator and poet Cassandra Barnett will introduce easy poetry techniques and prompts, help you see and connect with works of art, and encourage you to find your own creative voice.

Wander the galleries with pencil and paper, and support on hand, and poem what you see.

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Poetry prompts

If you can’t join the lunchtime session, drop in at any time on the day of Poetry in the Galleries and pick up a poetry prompt. Let the galleries guide your words and enjoy writing at your own pace.

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12th October

9th November

14th December

$10 Entry

You are invited to the Vetro Spring Festival!

The festival will be held on Rostrevor Street in and around Vetro Mediterranean!

Join us for a few hours of entertainment with live music and face painting for the kids, delicious food, instore tastings at Vetro and go in the draw to win a Weber BBQ.

Check out the amazing food vendors who will be at the festival:

The Grumpy Baker

Paella Guy

Mizzoni Woodfired Pizza I Pasta I Bar

Mr Goodfellows Catering

Pasta Paradiso

Little Cherry Coffee

Duck Island Ice Cream

Hungarian Artisan

Kalon Digor

Delicious Dosa

Toro Churro

The Velvet Otter

Yummy Bowl

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Brought to you by Vetro Mediterranean
Supported by Love the Centre & Connect Hamilton

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Delicious Culinary

Live Music

Pop Up Stores

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Feat: Imachef, Toro Churro, Panda Golden Ear Dumpling, Mizzoni Pizza, Meezie Kitchen, Patrons Blazing BBQ PLUS MANY MORE!! 

Bar will be open with drinks flowing. Also boutique market stalls and live music.

Since their debut in 1935, The Count Basie Orchestra has continued to shake up the world of jazz with its Kansas City-inspired take on the big band.

Join the Hamilton Big Band’s roster of musicians and soloists as we pay tribute to the legendary composer, pianist, and bandleader William “Count” Basie, as well as timeless collaborators including Neal Hefti, Sammy Nestico, and Quincy Jones.

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Tom Sainsbury is a multi-talented comedian, actor and writer best known for his razor-sharp character comedy and prolific work across stage, screen and social media. A household name for his viral Instagram skits and political impressions, Tom has also starred in Taskmaster NZ, Wellington Paranormal, Snackmasters, Shortland Street, and countless theatre productions. In 2024, he won Best Podcast and Best Comedy Podcast at the NZ Radio & Podcast Awards for his hit true crime parody Small Town Scandal. Whether he’s playing a dodgy small-town mayor, a passive-aggressive flatmate, or a ghost-hunting cop, Tom’s comedy is distinctively Kiwi, weirdly specific, and totally unforgettable.

Experience L. Frank Baum’s 13th Oz novel, ‘The Magic of Oz’, on stage! Watch, as Kiki the munchkin child, teams up with Ruggedo the Nome ruler to conquer the world of Oz, and take over the Emerald City. Follow along the journey of Trot, Cap’n Bill, and the Glass Cat, as they search for a birthday gift for Ozma. From familiar characters like Dorothy, The Wizard, and Toto, to new friends you might not have heard of, like Scraps the Patchwork Kid, and Gugu the Leopard King, the stage will be filled with fun.

The students of Wing Valley Youth Theatre Programme bring the characters and the stage to life! You won’t want to miss Oz like you’ve never seen it before.

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Touring in 2025 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody!

Immerse yourself in the spectacle, grandeur and energy of the world’s greatest Rock band with Queen: It’s a Kinda Magic, celebrating the legacy of Queen and Freddie Mercury.

Bringing big sound, big screens, crazy lighting and outlandish costumes, this is the REAL ROCK EXPERIENCE!

Hear Warren Vernon-Driscoll performing lead vocals, guitar and piano ALL LIVE ON STAGE and in Freddie’s original key, and with all the wit, charm and bravado of the legend himself.

Get ready for a night of non-stop Rock anthems including We Will Rock You, We Are the Champions, Radio GaGa, I Want to Break Free, Somebody to Love, Don’t Stop Me Now, Another One Bites the Dust, A Kind of Magic, Bohemian Rhapsody and so many more.

Selling out year after year around the world, this is a rock concert extravaganza NOT TO BE MISSED!

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