Whanganui Venues & Events

21/10/2026

Just a few more nights to check out the Night Lights!

20/10/2026

The Night Lights are on all week! Don’t miss this opportunity to see Pukenamu Park like you’ve never seen it before. Bring the kids down, grab some Kai from a food truck and make a night of it!

18/10/2026

We are really looking forward to Extra Lives: Interactive Video Game Concert at Porridge Watson this week. A great way to take part in the Festival of Design Aotearoa where you can enjoy a great event and a great beverage at the same time!

https://www.festivalofdesign.co.nz/events/extra-lives-interactive-video-game-concert

15/10/2026

And we are off! The Festival of Design Aotearoa is officially open and the epic programme of 50+ events starts tomorrow. There’s something for every kind of festival goer - so check out the programme of events and plan your time across Whanganui & Palmerston North. We can’t wait to see you 💙🩵💙

14/10/2026

12/10/2026

Kicking off on Friday 16 Oct and running throughout the Festival of Design Aotearoa at The War Memorial Centre is He Puna Tohunga | The Well of Master Creatives

This exhibition brings together an extraordinary assembly of Tohunga and master practitioners whose works embody whakapapa, deep cultural knowledge, innovation, and enduring artistry. This landmark showcase celebrates creatives whose mastery flows from ancestral foundations and contemporary excellence.

Many of the artists and designers featured in He Puna Tohunga sell their works, perform, or exhibit internationally. Their creations are often commissioned for global audiences, leaving little opportunity for local exhibition. As a result, their masterworks are seldom seen in Aotearoa.

This exhibition offers a rare and significant moment for audiences to encounter these exceptional works within their cultural home. He Puna Tohunga honours the lineage, skill, and creative brilliance of practitioners who continue to shape Indigenous and contemporary design on the world stage.

12/10/2026

We had the absolute privilege of hosting the premiere of a brand new play by local Theatre Company Theatre in The WMC Concert Chamber - check out these stunning shots!

Congratulations to the cast, crew and creative team, and all the best for your upcoming season at BATS Theatre in Wellington!

05/10/2026

The Whanganui Fun Palace will be on the forecourt of the Whanganui War Memorial Centre as part of the Festival of Design Aotearoa and we can’t wait 🤩

Designed as an open, participatory environment, it supports hands-on activity, shared making and informal exchange. The space evolves through use, with its structure built out over time by those who take part.

Set up for interaction rather than observation, the venue accommodates a mix of activity. It supports talks, performances and making sessions alongside less structured play. Surfaces and materials invite use, offering space to test ideas and explore through doing.

Accessible and adaptable, the venue welcomes all ages and levels of experience. It creates room for creativity to unfold in different ways, whether through learning a skill, sharing knowledge or simply trying something new.

As part of the wider Fun Palaces movement, the venue connects local communities with creative practice. It brings together a range of disciplines and lived experience, grounding activity in participation and collective learning.

02/10/2026

Just one week till local theatre company FORM Theatre kick off their new production The Kings Gambit in the Concert Chamber of the WMC.

Get your tickets now: https://rwoh.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/168583