2 Best Performing Arts Venues in Wellington and the Wairarapa, New Zealand

Every year, New Zealand's largest outdoor arts and music festival transforms the capital's cool Cuba Street for a weekend in late March. This free, family-friendly event is packed with an extraordinary variety of programmed entertainment. Quality food stalls from local restaurants also line the streets.

In late May or early June, Māori New Year begins with the first new moon after the appearance of Matariki (Pleiades). To celebrate, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa hosts nine days of music, storytelling, and dance performances; events kick off with a ceremony at dawn.