‘What’s on in September?’ you ask. The answer: a lot. With a panoply of events from the biggest names rap, to art exhibitions and stand-up comedy gigs that are strictly not to be missed, browse your way through our ultimate culture guide to September.
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Duke Dumont
Duke Dumont
Best prepare yourself for the Friday night party of the year. British multi-hyphenate (DJ-producer-songwriter) Duke Dumont is set to hit the Auckland Town Hall on Friday, 22nd September (and support act Jai Wolf). The dynamic, deep house mastermind permeated mainstream consciousness in 2013 with singles like ‘Need U (100%)’, ‘I Got U’ and ‘Ocean Drive’. After checking every big festival off his list — Ultra Music Festival, Coachella and Splendour in the Grass to name a few — the Duke will play his first headline show in Auckland. Purchase tickets here.
The Corsini Collection
The Corsini Collection
From the private collection of the eminent Corsini family in Florence, Italy, comes this stellar exhibition which includes masterpieces by artists such as Botticelli, del Sarto, Caravaggio and Pontormo. The show will also tell personal histories, such as that of the precious assembly being saved from the German army during WWII and of the eponymous family’s determination to overcome Mother Nature when Florence was inundated by the flood of 1966. Opens 2nd September at the Auckland Art Gallery.
London Grammar
London Grammar
This Brit trio has hit the big time, graduating from Coldplay’s support act to selling out arenas on their own accord. Bring their ethereal anthems like ‘Strong’ and ‘Rooting for You’ to Auckland’s Spark Arena, we can only anticipate the electrifying nature of their first New Zealand performance.
30th September, Spark Arena. Purchase tickets here.
Mac Miller
Mac Miller
Currently attached to Ariana Grande, who is also making her way down under earlier in the month, American rapper Mac Miller has found excellence in a number of collaborative tracks alongside the likes of feel-good wordsmith Anderson.Paak (‘Dang!’) and the reigning King of Rap Kendrick Lamar (‘Fight the Feeling’). 21st September, Logan Campbell Centre, Auckland. Purchase tickets here.
Battle of The Sexes
Battle of The Sexes
From the makers of Little Miss Sunshine comes this story about Billie Jean King (Emma Stone), the 1973 World Number 1 tennis player who fought for gender-equal tournament winnings. The electrifying match between King and ex-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) was billed as ‘The Battle of the Sexes’ and became one of the most-watched sports events of all time. Trapped in the media glare, King and Riggs were on opposite sides of a binary argument, but off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles.
In cinemas 28th September. See the trailer here.
Sydney Contemporary
Sydney Contemporary
Whetting our appetite for what’s to come (Auckland Art Week and Art Fair are both on the horizon), the Sydney Contemporary art fair will be lighting up the art scene from across the Tasman during 7th- 10th September. Luring New Zealand’s foremost galleries, as well as those from around the world, the celebrated event will see the Carriageworks precinct transformed into a wonderland of art and installation displays.
Learn more here.
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande
She’s a woman to be reckoned with and arguably the closest thing this generation has to a Celine Dion (now that the Candian queen herself has gone off designing handbags). Coming at us with her Dangerous Woman tour, we can’t wait for her power house vocal chords to touch down in Auckland’s Spark Arena on 2nd September.
Purchase tickets here.
Tory Lanez
Tory Lanez
This will be Lanez’ debut New Zealand show. After much anticipation, breakout star Tory Lanez is coming to New Zealand for the very first time. The trip follows a number of headlining festival gigs worldwide including Coachella, Bonnaroo, Wireless Festival and Reading & Leeds, as well as tour support on Future’s Nobody Safe‘, alongside Migos, Young Thug, Kodak Black and A$AP Ferg.
6th September at Auckland Town Hall. Purchase tickets here.
A Street Car Named Desire
A Street Car Named Desire
Set against the grueling contemporary landscape that is Trump’s America, the devastating masterpiece that changed theatre forever is back for Silo Theatre’s 20th milestone year. Decades after its first controversial staging in 1947, this Pulitzer award winning play continues to be both relevant and shocking.
24th August to 16th September at Q Theatre. Purchase tickets here.
Cabaret Season
Cabaret Season
Nothing administers a dose of razzmatazz more than a line-up of daring divas and saucy disco queens. The 18-night extravaganza that is the Auckland Live Cabaret Season returns with an evocative lineup of attention-grabbing performers from our shores and across the globe. Best dust off your sequins.
14th September to 1st October at Q Theatre. See more here.
Jack Trolove
Jack Trolove
Auckland-based painter Jack Trolove first garnered our attention a few years back for his heavy-handed, acrylic portraits on canvas. This year, he’s situated set up shop in Wellington, working from a studio on the water’s edge in Shelly Bay. With plans to grace Auckland for a showing of his new works, we’ll look forward to seeing the windy city’s impression.
From 26th September at Whitespace Contemporary Art.
Odesza
Odesza
The much-hyped Seattle production duo Odesza will see Harrison Mills (aka Catacombkid) and Clayton Knight (BeachesBeaches) bring their dreamy, eclectic instrumental hip-hop to town, performing their mixture of sun-soaked melodies, glitched out vocals, crunchy drums and sweeping bass lines.
Thursday, 14th September at Auckland Town Hall. Purchase tickets here.
Romeo & Juliet
Romeo & Juliet
It’s the love story to trump all love stories, and Royal New Zealand Ballet is presenting its first interpretation of the Shakespearean drama since 2003. From the immaculate Verona-esque costuming to Sergei Prokofiev’s famous score and enlightening choreography, this emotionally-charged affair is all hot blooded passion and fateful emotion.
16th August to 24th September, ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre. Purchase tickets here.
Daniel von Sturmer
Daniel von Sturmer
NZ-born, Melbourne-based artist Daniel von Sturmer’s practice is a multifaceted one. Calling upon video, photography, installation and architectural interventions, his works have their basis in traditional media such as paint and sculpture, often referencing abstraction, still life, modernism, and minimalism with a new collection on show.
1st-30th September at Starkwhite.
Ciruque du Soleil
Ciruque du Soleil
Based on the land where the James Cameron film Avatar took place, the latest Season of Cirque du Soleil, Toruk – The First Flight, will play out on the planet of Pandora, 3,000 years before the blockbuster’s events took place. With ‘a riveting fusion of cutting-edge visuals’ and soaring acrobatics unfolding at Spark Arena, those who haven’t experienced this cinematic circus would be wise to seize this chance.
15th-24th September.
Purchase tickets here.
Future
Future
Named simply because he is ‘the future’, this Atlanta-hailing rapper is easily the hottest name in hip hop right now and he’ll be lighting up Auckland’s Spark Arena on 22nd September. Find out what all the fuss is about via his Nobody Safe tour.
Purchase tickets here.
The Black Seeds
The Black Seeds
As part of their latest album, Fabric‘s release tour, the kings of Kiwi reggae will be performing at the Powerstation in Auckland on Friday 22nd September. The band’s sixth studio album has arrived just shy of their 2oth anniversary and this is an excellent excuse to witness the veteran band perform in full force, at home in Aotearoa.
Purchase tickets here.
Joel McHale
Joel McHale
While most audiences will likely know him from E! channel’s ever-mocking culture and current events programme The Soup (of which he has just finished his 12th and final season), McHale is also celebrated for his starring role in the hit comedy series Community. Bringing his in-demand stand-up to New Zealand for the first time on 22nd September at the Bruce Mason Centre, we dig this chance for some bona fide funnies from the land of milk and honey.
Purchase tickets here.
Pharoah Monch
Pharoah Monch
Widely regarded as one of the best lyrical MCs in the game and praised by Eminem for always being ahead of the pack, the Pharoah will be descending on The Studio on September 15th for a one-night-only show. Direct from NYC, bringing inimitable tracks like ‘Simon Says’ and ‘Got You’ with him, there’s a reason this guy has been in the game for 20 odd years.
Purchase tickets here.
A Festival of Russian Ballet
A Festival of Russian Ballet
No one does ballet quite like the Russians. The Imperial Russian Ballet Company has seen fit to bring its ever graceful three-hour, three act performance to New Zealand. The eclectic trio will range from ‘the magnificent Don Quixote and the dramatic Bolero’. Ballet connoisseurs will delight in the ‘en pointe’ extravaganza.
Purchase tickets here.
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth or Power
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth or Power
If there’s anything that instigates a new documentary on climate change, it’s the fact that Donald Trump – The Great Denier – in now in office. And so, a decade after the release of An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore is back in this follow-up documentary, directed by Bonnie Cohen and Jon Shenk.
In cinemas 24th August.
Read more here.
The Michael Illingworth Estate Collection
The Michael Illingworth Estate Collection
As one of the most hotly anticipated auction events of recent times, ART+OBJECT will be selling off the estate of the legendary painter Michael Illingworth. Featuring70 lots of drawings, works on paper, sculpture and paintings, the exhibition will open on Thursday 7th September.
Thursday 14th September at ART+OBJECT.
The Others Way Festival
The Others Way Festival
Celebrating the best in alternative music from across the country (and a few from around the globe) The Others Way Festival is a one-night only event that features over 30 acts across eight K’ Road venues. It’s the perfect event to sample the waters of what Kiwi music has to offer.
Friday, 1st September.
Purchase tickets here.
