What's happening in Hamilton

June is near and Hamilton is set to come alive with a range of events and activities for everyone. From community planting days and creative workshops to talented performances and career expos, there’s sure to be something for you and your whaanau to enjoy this month.

Let’s dig deep for Arbor Day

We’re heading into planting season, a very special time of year for our Nature in the City friends. Planting season contributes to our Nature in the City programme, which aims to increase Hamilton’s native vegetation cover from 2% to 10% by 2050!

Join us as we kick off the season with Arbor Day 2025 – a community planting event open to everyone! Grab your friends, whaanau, and workmates, and lend a hand at Minogue Park on Thursday 5 June, 10am – 1.30pm.

For more details and updates visit volunteerhamilton.rosterfy.co 

 

Experience the mana at Tainui Secondary Schools Kapa Haka Festival  

Check out the Tainui Secondary Schools Kapa Haka Festival for 2025 as it returns to GLOBOX Arena, Claudelands on Friday 13 June, 2.30pm – 7pm and Saturday 14 June,  9.30am – 4pm.

Get amongst supporting our talented rangatahi (children).

Entry is a koha (donation) on arrival. 

 

Maanawatia a Matariki  

Maanawatia a Matariki is back for 2025! Join us to celebrate the rising of the star cluster Matariki that marks our Maaori New Year - Te Maatahi o te Tau.   
  
Wrap up warm, rally your whaanau and friends together, and enjoy a night of rekareka (fun) and entertainment. 
 
Head down to Innes Common on Friday 20 June from 3pm – 7pm for a family-friendly evening filled with live music, entertainment, food, markets and more!   

For more information check out hamilton.govt.nz/matariki

 

Celebrate Matariki at the Museum 

Matariki signals the Maaori New Year. It is a time of renewal and celebration in Aotearoa New Zealand that begins with the rising of the Matariki star cluster.

This year, Matariki will be acknowledged with two days of whaanau fun at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery on Friday 20 June and Saturday 21 June.

There will be performances, workshops, the Waipunarangi star trail, and interactive fun with Creative Waikato.

Visit tewharetaonga.nz/matariki for more information. 

 

Scoot over to Chartwell Park 

Nestled close to the Queenwood shops where you’ll find coffee, snacks and other goodies is Chartwell Park.

This park features a recently refreshed and colourful playground boasting swings, slides and seesaws. It also sits in a beautiful native gully, with links to surrounding areas, including a walk through the trees to Bankwood Road.

Kids can bring their bikes for an adventure through the gully.

Get directions here. 

 

Let the kids design their dream treehouse  

Register your tamariki for an opportunity to design their own treehouse, guided with hands-on activities to design, construct and bring their vision to life. By the end of the workshop kids will take home their own 3D model of their treehouse, and a newfound appreciation for design and construction!

Sessions run Wednesdays, 11am – 12pm, at Central Library.

Register at hamiltonlibraries.co.nz 

 

Be amazed by creative rangatahi (children) at Showquest Waikato  

Be amazed by original stage performances combining art, music, dance, drama, culture and technology. Students design, produce and perform their stories in a powerful night of celebration and recognition from their community.

Young designers will follow the performances with a show-stopping TOI wearable art showcase.

Join friends and whānau in supporting local emerging talent on the big stage at GLOBOX Arena, Claudelands on Thursday 26 June from 6.30pm!

Get more information, including ticketing details, at hlive.co.nz 

 

Explore your options at the NZ Careers Expo

The biggest and longest running careers event in Aotearoa is back in 2025 and you won’t want to miss it.

The NZ Careers Expo connects employers to the best and brightest rangatahi of Aotearoa. Entry is free, come along to GLOBOX Arena, Claudelands on Sunday 8 June between 10am – 3pm or Monday 9 June from 10am – 2pm.

Learn more at hlive.co.nz 

 

Sing along to The Eagles greatest hits

Experience a two-hour performance of songs that defined an era.

Take it to the limit, Desperado, Lyin Eyes and the world-famous Hotel California.

Watch a six-piece band led by Whalen Hughes and David Thompson as Don Henley and Glenn Frey at Clarence Street Theatre on Wednesday 11 June from 7.30pm.

Secure your tickets and be part of a night that pays homage to one of the greatest bands in history. Learn more at lovethecentre.co.nz 

 

Stroll through the Hamilton Gardens Valley Walk  

If you're looking for a free, easy, and enjoyable walk, the Hamilton Gardens Valley Walk is perfect for you.

Take time to explore the upper and lower valley walks and appreciate the contrast between the newer restoration planting and more matured planting to imagine what can be achieved in just a few decades.

One of the highlights of the walk is Suffrage Pavilion, which was commissioned in 1993 to mark the centenary of New Zealand becoming the first country where women gained the vote. The plantings in this area highlight the flora used by Maaori women for healing, weaving, and food, while the brick terrace and retaining wall are designed to replicate traditional weaving patterns. From a distance, the brickwork resembles the shape of a kete (woven basket), symbolising food-gathering and the three baskets of knowledge in Maaori culture.

Get directions here and be sure to download the Nature in the City app for a self-guided tour through this area. 

 

Get amongst the action at the ANZ Premiership 2025 Magic matches

Be part of the Magic in 2025, by getting along to the ANZ Premiership matches happening in Hamilton’s GLOBOX Arena Claudelands in June:

Magic v Northern Stars 

See Avis Magic live on Monday 2 June from 7.30pm as they take on the Northern Stars in round 4 of the 2025 ANZ Premiership.

Magic v Tactix 

Get ready for round three of the ANZ Premiership as Avis Magic is set to take on the MG Mystics on Saturday 21 June from 4pm.

Find out more about these games, including how to secure your seats, at hlive.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