What's happening in Hamilton

2025 is going to be a cracker of a year in Hamilton Kirikiriroa. Kicking off with a fantastic lineup of events and activities. There's something for everyone to dive into, fill their calendar with, and get excited about the new year.

Gourmet in the Gardens 

Head along to the beautiful Hamilton Gardens on Sunday evenings from 4pm – 8pm throughout January for eats, treats, and some funky beats.

Bring a picnic blanket, your friends and whaanau, and enjoy the summer air as you treat yourselves to delicious kai.

Gourmet in the Gardens is free entry and is held on the rhododendron lawn at Hamilton Gardens. The events are weather permitting – to keep up to date with the latest visit facebook.com/gourmetinthegardens 

Dates for January 

Sunday 5 January 2025, 4pm - 8pm 

Sunday 12 January 2025, 4pm - 8pm 

Sunday 19 January 2025, 4pm - 8pm 

Sunday 26 January 2025, 4pm – 8pm 

Hamilton Lake Domain playground is ready for action  

After some well-deserved TLC to the large slide and fort area, the Hamilton Lake Domain Playground is shiny and clean, ready for summer. This popular playground really does have it all – from water play and shade, through to slides, swings, cars, and boats.

Hamilton Lake Domain playground overlooks Lake Rotoroa, is close to the central city, and located just next door to The Verandah Cafe – a perfect spot for lunch, a snack, or a cheeky ice cream to cool down.

To get directions to Hamilton Lake Domain Playground, click here. 

New Years Day with the Northern Brave  

Set yourself up for a New Year’s Day of spectacular cricket to kick on the banks of Seddon Park for a double-header which will see our Northern Brave take on the Wellington Blaze and Firebirds.

There’s something for the whole family including inflatables for the kids, food stands, and plenty of giveaways.

Double-Header: 

12.40pm - Northern Brave (W) v Wellington Blaze 

4.25pm - Northern Brave (M) v Wellington Firebirds 

Tickets and other game dates can be found at hlive.co.nz 

BLACKCAPS vs Sri Lanka at Seddon Park  

Round up a crew and head along to Seddon Park to watch our very own NZ BLACKCAPS vs Sri Lanka in their second ODI match for the summer series on Wednesday 8 January 2025. Gates open at 1pm for a 2pm match start.

Secure the best seats and grab your tickets now at hlive.co.nz 

Laugh the night away with Sarah Millican

Get ready to laugh the night away as Sarah Millican presents her brand-new stand-up show – Late Bloomer.

Laugh at her, beside her, and with her as she explores what it's like to be a late bloomer. Check it out on Saturday 25 January from 8pm at GLOBOX Arena Claudelands.

This show is for adult audiences only (16 years and older). 

Tickets are selling fast, get yours at hlive.co.nz 

Spot the wildlife at Mangaiti Park 

Mangaiti – a large 30-hectare gully system in Rototuna and Huntington – is considered to be a model of gully restoration in the city and a great example of what is possible when the community unites with a shared vision of restoring nature.

The park, which is best accessed off Keswick Crescent, features a lovely nature walk through the rainforest and wetlands, with boardwalks following the Kirikiri Stream.  Along the way, keep your eyes peeled for ruru (morepork), kootuku (white heron), kahukura (red admiral butterflies) and the endangered pekapeka-tou-roa (long-tailed bats), and try to spot the rare astelia grandis and swamp maire among the native plants.   

You can enjoy a self-guided tour through the area by downloading the Nature in the City App. 

Make a splash at Gallagher Aquatic Centre

Kids under five can swim for free in January at Gallagher Aquatic Centre. Check out the toddler pool and outdoor playground for some kid-friendly fun.

Learn to Swim classes will be restarting on Monday 20 January at Gallagher Aquatic Centre. Enroll your child, teen, or yourself via hamiltonpools.co.nz  

Register now for the 2025 Manu World Champs  

Dive into the excitement as the Z Manu World Champs is hitting Waterworld with a super qualifier round on Saturday 1 February and Sunday 2 February 2025.  

A massive $40,000 worth of prizes are up for grab for the biggest splash and best technique.  

Register now at manuworldchamps.com, so you don’t miss out on the chance to be crowned the Manu Champion 2025. 

Register now for the 2025 Manu World Champs  

The new year is a great time to learn a new skill – so why not head along to one of Te Kete Aronui’s Scratch Coding Workshops. 

Designed for ages eight and up, these workshops teach the basics of creating a game using the coding platform Scratch, which uses coding blocks to teach you how to code animations and games.  

Attendees will need an email address or access to one to create a Scratch account and can take along their own device or use a library laptop.  

Beginner workshops run on Monday 20 January and Friday 24 January from 1.30pm – 2.30pm and are perfect for people with no coding experience, while those looking for a little extra challenge can head along to an intermediate workshop on Tuesday 21 January and Thursday 23 January from 1.30pm – 2.30pm.  Spaces are limited so make sure you register via hamiltonlibraries.co.nz.   

Lunch and live music in Garden Place

Enjoy your lunch in Garden Place as you listen to great local musicians. From an electrifying mix of DJs, sensational singers, and sax it will be an unforgettable summer of live music in the central city. 

Summer music Friday sessions: 

DJ KUDZ:17 January, 12.30pm – 1pm 

Carl Watkins: 24 January, 12.30pm – 1pm 

Sam Diego: 31 January, 12.30pm – 1pm 

All sessions are weather dependent, for up-to-date information visit lovethecentre.co.nz 

 

These are just some of the fun activities to do in Hamilton, for more ideas check out: 

• hamilton.govt.nz/parks-recreation-and-community-spaces
• HLive.co.nz
• or download the Nature in the City App