North Shore’s most exciting community event of the year is back. Takapuna Winter Lights is proud to return as an integral part of Elemental AKL in association with Tātaki Auckland Unlimited.

Experience interactive art installations, live music and performances across four evenings between 27 and 30 July, 2023. Returning to this year’s festival is event curator, acclaimed light artist, Angus Muir, whose work is award-winning both here in NZ and internationally.

“Takapuna Winter Lights is an inspiring, creative and engaging festival that is a multi-sensory arts and cultural community event. It is fast becoming a highly anticipated family experience during the winter,” says organiser Dan Move (SILO). “This year we have aimed to build on the success of previous years, with even more elements to surprise and delight.”

The festival follows the success of the 2022 event that returned with a bang after a one-year hiatus during the pandemic. Takapuna Beach Business Association CEO, Terence Harpur, says the unique social atmosphere of the festival brings significant visitor numbers to Takapuna which is great for both local businesses and community spirit.

“This year we are expecting over 45,000+ attendees to witness and immerse themselves in this awe-inspiring and educational event,” he said.

One of the festival highlights is an interactive device-free augmented reality piece involving a live-view camera that brings to life the story of the journeys early Māori took from Kaipara to Takapuna.

Local high school, Takapuna Grammar School, students are also involved, performing ballet and jazz dance pieces, alongside street-style musical entertainment from their music students. Artwork by children at Takapuna Primary School and Campbells Bay Early Learning Centre will also be featured at the festival, using animation and projection.

Takapuna Winter Lights Festival is a free, fully accessible, and family-friendly community event. For the duration of the festival the public can explore the light installations and interactive elements at their leisure along Hurstmere Road and on Hurstmere Green. The best time to see everything is when it gets dark when the light installations will be shining bright and the interactive elements will be on show. There will also be food trucks and warm drinks to keep everyone fuelled.

There are some ticketed events that form part of the festival, and are as follows:

Immersive Audio Hikoi - 28 July, 6 - 6.45pm & 7 - 7.45pm, Hurstmere Road, $17

A hīkoi (walk) under the night sky along Takapuna Beach whilst listening to the pūrākau (stories of origin) of the land underfoot through a recorded headset. This audio-immersive experience has been uniquely designed by the award-winning creative agency at Papaya Stories and Takapuna Boating Club to share the history of our local parks and places, whilst sharing Te Ao Māori world view of our taiao (the environment). Tickets are available here.

Lux Vinum at Street Organics with Mt Edward Wine - 29th July 6.30-8.00pm & 8.30-10.00pm, $69.48,1 Byron Avenue Takapuna

An exploration of wine and light with the consummate wine lush, Jake Tipler.

Explore your relationship with your senses in this unique wine tasting that investigates just how much light and food can change one wine. Tickets are available here.

Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie - The Pumphouse Theatre, $21 - $29.50, 20 - 30 July

Leonard Vole stands accused of murdering a wealthy widow. The stakes are high with shocking witness testimony, impassioned outbursts from the dock, and a young man’s fight to escape the hangman’s noose… all with a classic Christie twist in the tale.

Regarded as one of Agatha Christie’s most accomplished plays, this suspenseful thriller keeps audiences guessing until the very end. Tickets are available here.

Step out with Peter Urlich - Regatta, The Strand Takapuna, Saturday 22nd 7pm, $69.92

Shake away your winter blues and join us for a night of glitz and glam, champagne cocktails, and Sinatra. Tickets are available here.

Takapuna Winter Lights is brought to you by Takapuna Beach Business Association, SILO, AMD, Go Media, Devonport Takapuna Local Board, Willis Bond and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited.

When: 27 – 30 July, 2023, 5 - 10pm

Where: Hurstmere Green, Hurstmere Road, Central Takapuna

Tickets: Free (apart from ticked events as above)

See https://www.winterlights.nz/ for further details

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