9 things to do in Auckland this weekend: Prins, Bluey, Iliza Shlesinger and more

Price: Tickets $22-$94 + booking fees from atc.co.nz.

2) Prins

If you haven’t yet had a chance to check out the artist touted as New Zealand’s “next global pop star”, this weekend is the perfect time to see her in the intimate surroundings of the Tuning Fork for her Heaven or Hell tour. You could have the opportunity to become one of those annoying people who say, “I saw her before she was famous”. “Famous” is a relative term, of course, especially when applied to someone who last year toured and played many of the world’s great cities, including Los Angeles, Stockholm and London. Her music has already accumulated millions of streams, and she’s logged collaborations with some of the biggest names in music. Saturday’s show might just be the last time you can get same-day tickets to a Prins gig.

When: Saturday, April 26, 7pm.

Where: The Tuning Fork, Spark Arena, 42/80 Mahuhu Crescent, Parnell, Auckland.

Price: Tickets $45-$80 from prinsmusic.com/tour or moshtix.co.nz.

3) Bluey

If you don’t have children, don’t know any children and don’t watch TV, we might forgive you for not yet having booked tickets to the stage show version of the pop cultural phenomenon that is Bluey. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go. This Australian animated television delight is perfect, with its hilarious characters and storylines, distinctly non-saccharine messaging and all-round creative genius. The stage show is a guaranteed good time for young and old alike, based on a new story written by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, and contains music by Bluey composer Joff Bush. Since its debut in Bluey’s hometown of Brisbane, the show has played to more than one million people across the world, including performances at iconic venues including Madison Square Garden in New York and the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

When: April 26 and 27, 10am, 1pm and 4pm.

Where: Spark Arena, 42/80 Mahuhu Crescent, Parnell, Auckland.

Price: Tickets $34-$142 from livenation.co.nz.

4) Mary Poppins

Most parents are probably wishing that Mary Poppins floated in on her umbrella two weeks ago to manage the children for the holidays, but instead, she’s arriving on Saturday at the Harlequin Musical Theatre, not your place. It’s a magical story with some beloved earworms like Spoonful of Sugar, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and Let’s Go Fly a Kite that you and your little people will be humming all the way home and potentially for weeks to come. The Disney classic is having a two-week season with a relaxed performance on Sunday, May 4, for people for whom a live theatre experience might be more challenging, including those with sensory needs, on the autism spectrum, or young children.

When: April 26-May 10.

Where: Harlequin Musical Theatre, 563r Pakuranga Rd, Howick, Auckland.

Price: Tickets $30-$40 + booking fees from iticket.co.nz.

5) Iliza Shlesinger

The NZ International Comedy Festival proper doesn’t officially start until Friday, May 2, but on Saturday, you can catch one of the biggest international performers of the festival at Bruce Mason Centre. Iliza Shlesinger is a pretty big deal. She’s starred in numerous movies, hosted television shows, released six Netflix specials, and has just released a new special on Amazon Prime. She’s made a name for herself making people laugh with what she calls “digestible feminism” and has a popular podcast called AIA (Ask Iliza Anything) where she offers listeners her unique and often blunt advice. It’s a head-scratcher that her show The Get Ready Tour isn’t already sold out, but that means you still have a chance to have a hilariously entertaining Saturday night.

When: April 26, 7pm.

Where: Bruce Mason Centre, The Promenade, Takapuna, Auckland.

Price: Tickets $89.90-$149 + booking fees from ticketmaster.co.nz.

6) Overload

A group of dedicated anime enthusiasts spend all year organising Overload, a two-day convention celebrating anime and manga artists at The Cloud. Even if you’re not deep in the fandom, there’s so much to admire and enjoy about this festival. There’s a large artists’ market where you can meet some of the artists and purchase their work, an arts and craft area, a daily cosplay parade, an Overload anime art competition, anime exhibitions, anime trivia, Q&As with notable anime artists, and more. The Maid Cafe, where you get served by “cat-inspired” maids, is particularly intriguing, as is the Itasha zone full of creatively painted vehicles. The event started in 2006 with just 30 artists and 150 visitors, and has been steadily growing to the massive two-day festival it is now.

When: April 26, 10am-6pm and April 27, 10am-5pm.

Where: Shed 10 and The Cloud, 89 Quay St, Auckland Central.

Price: Tickets start at $17.50 if you buy them online or from $20 on the door. Visit overload.co.nz for the full programme and tickets.

7) Plan ahead: Public Record at Silo 6

In the lead-up to Aotearoa Art Fair next week, there are several adjunct exhibitions opening up around the city, including this standout by contemporary art gallery Public Record. Opening on Wednesday, Public Record at Silo 6 showcases the work of nine local and international artists installed in the specific and unique setting of Silo 6 in Wynyard Quarter. Among the artists are two Japanese ceramicists, Namika Nakai and Hitoshi Marimoto, local textile artist Rachel Long, and flax weaver Kiriana O’Connell. On Friday evening, there will be a live performance or “immersive experience” combining sound, fashion, and dance, directed by the gallery’s own Eve and Yuka O’Shannessy. The exhibition is free to attend, but you’ll need to book a ticket for Hau, the live performance, as space is limited.

When: Public Record at Silo 6: April 30-May 4. Hau, May 2, 7pm.

Where: Silo 6, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland Central.

Price: Tickets $34.50 from humanitix.com.

8) Plan ahead: Opera in the Strand

Auckland Council is kicking off its New Zealand Music Month slate of events with Opera in the Strand on Thursday. If you work in the city, it’s an absolute no-brainer to stick around after work and head to the Strand Arcade to listen to some of Aotearoa’s most exciting young opera singers selected by the New Zealand Opera School. There’s a lot of development happening in Midtown, especially with the building of the new Waihoritiu Station, but the Strand Arcade remains an important and beloved piece of Auckland’s history and an ideal setting for a public opera performance. The inaugural Opera in the Strand was an enormous success last year, and hopefully, this year will cement the event in Auckland’s New Zealand Music Month calendar. You’ll need to bus, train to downtown, Uber, or drive this year, but next year you’ll be able to hop on the City Rail Link and be delivered to the doorstep of Midtown.

When: May 1, 6pm.

Where: The Strand Arcade, Queen St, Auckland Central.

Price: Free.

9) Plan ahead: Emma Bass, Floratopia

It’s unlikely the first adjective that comes to mind when you think of Britomart is “floratopia,” but next week Emma Bass is changing that. She’s holding a pop-up exhibition that opens on Tuesday on Tyler St, with her signature floral still life works. If you haven’t seen Bass’s stunning images before, they’re a blooming delight. Floratopia features a selection of prints along with a printed wool/silk scarf that she’s selling to raise money for Breast Cancer Cure. If you’ve got the kind of mother who fancies floral, then this could be the perfect pre-Mother’s Day stop.

When: April 29-May 4, 10am-5pm.

Where: 52 Tyler St, Britomart, Auckland.

Price: Visit breastcancercure.org.nz to purchase the scarf.