Art Takes Over: Karangahape Art Weekend Programme Announced

Karangahape Road is set to become one giant art precinct from 18–20 September, with galleries, studios, creative spaces and artists throwing open their doors for Karangahape Art Weekend.

Across three days, visitors can explore exhibitions, live performance, sound art, moving image, artist talks, guided tours, workshops, music and family-friendly activities - with a programme that reflects the wonderfully eclectic creative community that makes K Road one of Auckland’s most distinctive arts destinations.

From a secret room filled with sound art to a musical trolley rolling through the street, experimental screenings, dance performances, a giant collection of electronic instruments to play on, a guided tour exploring the history of the Polynesian Panthers, there are plenty of reasons to get off the beaten track and discover something unexpected.

THREE DAYS, MANY WAYS TO EXPERIENCE ART

The weekend officially gets underway on Friday evening, with galleries and participating spaces open from 5–9pm, alongside a series of special events and performances.

Highlights include The Keep’s Secret Room, a sound art performance presented in collaboration with Audio Foundation; moving image projections and ambient works by Jess Preston at Moat Gallery; vinyl music and special guests at Melanie Roger Gallery; and Carrying and Caring, a durational live performance at Ironbank Studio Residency, curated by Olivia McGregor and featuring local dance artists with spatial and costume design by Hannah Lee Jade.

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Over at RM, Triple Threat, a sound art event at RM co-produced by the Audio Foundation featuring: Paradox Princess, Ducklingmonster and Odeious, while Lett Thomas will host a Theremin performance by Alan Holt.

Friday night also sees May x William Austin’s Closing Party, celebrating the exhibition by the Wellington commercial gallery, which will continue throughout the weekend.

SATURDAY: ART, CONVERSATION, CREATIVITY AND KIDS

Saturday brings a full day of activity across K Road, beginning at 11am.

Families can get involved with the Squiggla Arts programme for kids, developed in partnership with The Chartwell Trust, featuring interactive creative activities designed to encourage participation by children and whānau.

For those wanting to explore K Road’s galleries, Artspace Aotearoa will facilitate guided gallery tours, while Lett Thomas hosts a Mega Book Sale, offering catalogues, monographs and artist publications at discounted and bundle prices.

There are opportunities throughout the day to hear directly from artists and curators, including Ngaroma Riley in conversation with Tim Melville, Henrietta Harris at Melanie Roger Gallery, Millie Dunstall at MSJD Gallery, and Peter Hawkesby in conversation with Richard Fahey at Anna Miles Gallery.

Over at Audio Foundation, the Musical Electronics Library (MEL) Petting Zoo invites visitors to get hands-on with a collection of unique instruments, effects and synthesisers.

One of Saturday’s highlights will be the Liberation Library Murals Tour, led by Tigilau Ness and Chris McBride. Meeting at the Gundry Street carpark, the guided public art tour explores the significant murals on Karangahape Road and the history of the Polynesian Panthers, including their activism around the Dawn Raids, housing, education and social justice.

There will also be artist talks at Haumi e Studios, a Filemu Scrapbook Postcard Workshop with Taualofa Totua at Tautai, and a special conversation at Masterworks exploring Collecting, a journey of friendship with artist Bronwynne Cornish and Ann Porter, one of the organisation’s founders.

Carrying and Caring continues at Ironbank Studio Residency from 12–3pm.

SUNDAY: SOUND, MOVING IMAGE AND MORE

Sunday continues the programme with another opportunity to explore K Road’s galleries and creative spaces, alongside family activities, artist conversations and special events.

The Squiggla Arts programme returns for children and whānau, while Artspace Aotearoa again hosts guided gallery tours and Lett Thomas continues its weekend Mega Book Sale.

At Melanie Roger Gallery, artists Kirstin Carlin and Gavin Hurley will discuss their exhibition Other People’s Flowers, which explores the language of flowers and its relationship to the history of New Zealand art.

Audio Foundation brings art out onto the street with a Sound Art Trolley Performance, while Lett Thomas hosts a walk-through of one of these situations, with art historian and writer Lachlan Taylor, discussing works by Mike Hewson and Kate Newby alongside works by Diane Arbus and Chris Booth.

The weekend will also feature moving image screenings at Haumi e Studios, showcasing experimental works selected from an open artist call.

DISCOVER K ROAD THROUGH ART

Karangahape Art Weekend is an invitation to experience the road in a different way, catch the train in, wander into galleries you may never have visited, meet artists, hear new ideas, stumble across a performance, discover a book or simply follow the sound of something interesting happening around the corner.

Karangahape Art Weekend
18–20 September 2026
Karangahape Road, Auckland

The majority of events are free. Some events have limited capacity and require RSVP or registration.

© Scoop Media

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