Oho Mai – The Awakening: 8 Aug – 18 Oct 2026
Oho Mai brings together three contemporary Māori artists from our region, Garry Nicholas, Joanne Kahui, and Stephen Thorpe whose practices reflect the richness and evolving nature of te ao Māori. Working across a range of mediums and approaches, each artist offers a distinct perspective grounded in kaupapa Māori, whakapapa, identity, and connection to place.
Through painting, sculpture, raranga, and tā moko, Oho Mai explores both contemporary expression and cultural continuity, celebrating the strength and vitality of Māori creativity today. The exhibition highlights how artists continue to draw from mātauranga Māori while responding to the world around them in innovative, thoughtful, and deeply personal ways.
Ōrongomai Tū Tonu: 17 Aug – 22 Nov 2026
In August 2026, Ōrongomai Marae marks 50 years in Upper Hutt with an exhibition that brings together the people, moments, and movements that made it possible.
From the bold decision to establish a marae in the heart of a growing city, this exhibition traces how Ōrongomai came into being. It celebrates the visionaries, builders, and cultural leaders who shaped its foundation, including the powerful legacy of Mā-wai-hakona, whose performances carried Ōrongomai onto national and international stages.
At its heart, this is a story of belonging: how a community created a place for itself, and how that place continues to serve, welcome, and grow. Ōrongomai Tū Tonu invites you to experience a living history and the people who continue to shape it.
GOMIL: Grumpy Old Man in Lycra: Tuesday 1st of September / Wednesday 2nd of September
A hilarious live theatre show starring acting legend Mark Hadlow.
One of New Zealand’s most successful plays of all time, MAMIL (Middle Aged Man in Lycra) is hitting the road in a national tour of the long-awaited sequel GOMIL (Grumpy Old Man in Lycra).
Starring acting legend Mark Hadlow ONZM (King Kong, The Hobbit, SNAG) and written and directed by Gregory Cooper (MAMIL, That Bloody Woman), GOMIL reunites this dream team, who are directly responsible for causing laughter lines on the faces of over 70,000 people who saw MAMIL!
GOMIL follows the journey of Wayne, the founder and team leader of the men’s cycling group in MAMIL. A lot has happened to Wayne over the last 10 years. He has retired, his son has moved to London with his grandchildren and Maggie, his wife of 49 years, passed away suddenly a year ago. For Wayne, his family and his work were his life. They were the source of his life’s pleasure and purpose, and now he is having to cope with the loss of both.
Dolfin-Lin Duo | Classical Expressions: Thursday 3rd of September
DOLFIN-LIN DUO
Hungarian cellist Balázs Dolfin and Chinese-New Zealand pianist Tony Chen Lin share a deep musical rapport rooted in diverse cultural traditions.
Their recital opens with Zoltán Kodály’s light-hearted Magyar Rondo, drawing on Hungarian folk music, followed by Anton Webern’s evocative Sonata for Cello and Piano. J.S. Bach’s Sonata for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord brings a lively and expressive dialogue, followed by Gao Ping’s Sonata No. 2 “Departure”, a Chinese counterpart inspired by Su Dongpo.
Béla Bartók’s Rhapsody No. 1 transforms peasant music into vivid concert form, while Nathanael Dejong’s Abandoned Voices reflects on disconnection in the digital age. The programme concludes with Johannes Brahms’s Sonata in E minor, a work steeped in contrapuntal textures and homage to Bach, bridging Hungary and the deep roots of the cello-piano repertoire.
Zoltán Kodály | Magyar (Hungarian) Rondo, 10’
Anton Webern | Sonata for Cello and Piano, 2’
Johann Sebastian Bach | Sonata for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord in D major, BWV1028, 15’
Gao Ping | Sonata No.2 “Departure”, 22’
– interval –
Belá Bartók | Rhapsody No.1, 10’
Nathanael Dejong | Abandoned Voices, 8’
Johannes Brahms | Sonata in E minor, Op.38, 25’
ABOUT THE GROUP
A chance meeting in Italy in 2021 sparked a duo between Hungarian cellist Balázs Dolfin and Chinese-New Zealand pianist Tony Chen Lin. Trained in Hungary and Germany, they bring dynamic energy and deep rapport, drawing on global influences while still calling Budapest their enduring musical home.
Supported by Chamber Music New Zealand
Book at iTicket: https://www.iticket.co.nz/events/2026/sep/dolfinlin-duo-classical-expressions
Lunchtime Live! 2026 – Winds and Brass: Tuesday 8th of September
One Tuesday a Month | 1.00pm
A series of lunchtime concerts given by performance students from Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music.
Enjoy some of the finest young musicians in the country.
Lunchtime Live! is brought to you by Whirinaki Whare Taonga, The Upper Hutt Concert Grand Piano Trust and Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music at Victoria University of Wellington.
Programme:
14 Jul: Strings | 11 Aug: Voice | 8 Sep: Winds and Brass | 6 Oct: Piano
Entry by donation. Proceeds to the Upper Hutt Concert Grand Piano Trust.
Kai and kōrero: Sunday 20th of September, 4.00 pm
A guided talk though the Ōrongomai Tū Tonu exhibition followed by kai and korero.
Spring Experience: Thursday 24th of September – Saturday 26th of September
Take a glimpse at the artistry and extraordinary talent of the New Zealand School of Dance’s full-time students in Spring Experience. This year’s programme brings ballet’s richness to life alongside cutting-edge contemporary dance works.
Book https://www.iticket.co.nz/events/2026/sep/spring-experience
Source: Whirinaki Whare Taonga
24/08/26
The Upper Hutt Connection 