Homegrown is on next weekend at Claudelands! They’re expecting 30,000 attendees on Saturday. It’s on 205 rugby fields worth of space, used 220 truckloads of equipment and 146 tonnes of scaffolding, 322 speakers, 750 stage lights. And don’t worry - there’s 654 toilets. 🚽

By the way, the Hamilton Farmers Market that’s usually at the The Barn, Claudelands, is at Innes Common at the lake this week and next week! A perfect excuse for a walk around the lake on Sunday morning. The weathers looking good too.

First time here? I’m Ben from Pukete 👋🏼 Join 10,000+ Hamiltonians here. Want more? Check us out on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Join our Dinner Club. Contribute to keep this thriving. Partner with us.

I’ve been working away on a few cool projects in the background - and one of them is ready to share with you! 🫣

Designed by a Kiwi GIS expert with crisp lines and a minimalist aesthetic, and printed locally at Virtual Prints, The Hamilton Map artwork adds style to your home, office, studio or store. The piece looks beautiful on your own wall, as a thoughtful gift, or as a feature in a retail or hospitality setting.

Every purchase helps keep Hello Hamilton free for everyone and thriving. Each Map also includes some bonuses - a free Hello Hamilton Dinner Club entry, plus a free Hello Hamilton Discount Card unlocking exclusive offers at 14 local businesses.

Oh! And to offset the environmental impact of production, we’ll plant a native tree for every five maps sold. ❤️

Our next Dinner Club is happening Wednesday 18th March at 5:30 and 6:30pm.

Making friends as an adult in Hamilton can be hard. We’re making it easier. We’ll personality-match you with five strangers for an evening of good food and fun conversation! And you’ll even be invited to an exclusive after-gathering!

Gallagher Chiefs vs Moana Pasifika | 7:05pm at Waikato Stadium. The stage is set, and the Gallagher Chiefs are ready to take on Moana Pasifika in a regular-season matchup at home! Tickets. 

🧘 9D Breathwork NZ Presents: Friday Feels | 7:30pm at High Above. Join for a soothing 75 minute immersive 9D Breathwork Experience to bring forth clarity, confidence, and connection. Tickets.  

The Bats Celebrate 'Corner Coming Up’ | 8:00pm at Last Place. Aotearoa indie legends The Bats are heading out on the road in 2026 to finally deliver the live accompaniment to their much-loved 2025 album Corner Coming Up. Tickets.  

🎸 The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight | 8:30pm at Claudelands Event Centre. After entertaining 700,000 guests across the UK, USA and Europe, The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight is kicking off the first ever tour of New Zealand! Tickets. 

🪩 Rüdi's Bakery Rave | 6:00 - 8:30am at Riverbank Lane. Rüdi's has teamed up with 445 Run Club and LSKD for a morning experience a little out of the ordinary - warm bakes, banging brews, and vibing beats in a joyful laneway takeover. There'll be product giveaways and a LSKD pop-up on the day. Tickets.  

🎤 To The Front Kirikiriroa Recording Workshop | Saturday and Sunday 10:00am - 4:00pm at The Porch Recording Studio. Join for an awesome two day Recording Workshop! Over the weekend you will gain confidence and experience in a recording studio. For young women, trans, intersex, queer, takatāpui and gender-diverse people aged 12-19. Info.  

Hamilton Children’s Day | Saturday and Sunday at Garden Place, Civic Place and Central Library. Bring the whole whānau along for two days of fun, connection, and celebration. Includes family picnics, live performances, fun rides, inflatables, dress-up characters and more! Info.  

🎨 Paintvine in the Park - Cathedral Cove | 2:00pm at Hamilton Gardens. Paintvine in the park is a beginners painting class in some of New Zealand's most beautiful parks and gardens. Sit in the sun and paint the day away. Tickets.  

🎷 Summer Sounds: Jazz at the Hamilton Gardens | 2:00 - 4:00pm at Hamilton Gardens. Hamilton Big Band is back with a free concert! Enjoy a picnic with some classic jazz, latin, and classic pop hits with a beautiful view of the turtle lake. Info.  

Much Ado About Nothing | 6:00pm at Victoria on the River. Dearest gentle reader, you are invited to the event of the season. We have it on good authority that the Lady Leonata will, this summer, play host to the regiment of Don Pedro of Aragon. Bring a chair, a picnic blanket and perhaps some snacks. Info.  

🤣 Paul Ego 'Stick' - Solo Comedy Show | 7:30pm at Nivara Lounge. Well known for his many years as Team Captain on the TV show '7DAYS', Paul Ego has also been part of award winning Breakfast Radio shows for both MoreFM and The Rock. Tickets.  

Powder Chutes w/ The Boondocks | 8:30pm at Last Place. The Boonies are joining Pow Chu for their first tour of 2026, plus Haast Hunter will be joining as very special guests. Tickets.  

Glenview Club Market and Club Open Day | 10:00am - 2:00pm at The Glenview Club. Come on down to the Glenview Club and check out the market. While you are there, have a look around the club and see what they are all about and enjoy the facilities. Info.  

🎶 Earth and Air and Rain | 2:00pm at St Paul’s Collegiate School. Join two talented kiwi performers for a special Waikato tour - baritone Jonathan Eyers and pianist Liam Wooding, both in Aotearoa for a brief break between overseas engagements. Tickets. 

Hamilton Public Lecture on AI | 5:30pm at Gallagher Academy. Can AI control light to improve what it sees? Discover how frontend machine learning may lead to a physical AI vision-based measurement. Register.  

💜 Purple Walk for Endometriosis | 5:30 - 8:00pm at Innes Common. The Purple Walk is a family-friendly community walk held during Endometriosis Awareness Month to raise awareness, encourage conversation, and show support. Tickets.  

You, Me, Everybody Band | 7:00pm at The Meteor. You, Me, Everybody hit the road in 2026 for a national tour celebrating Midnight, their new album exploring the moment where one day ends and the next begins. Tickets.

🗽 Life Drawing | 2:20pm at St Peter’s Cathedral. Join the longest running LEO Life Drawing group in Hamilton to study human anatomy and gesture of short and long poses. Tickets.  

Baroque Beginnings Fundraising Dinner | 6:00 - 10:30pm at The Pavilion, Hamilton Gardens. Join for a special evening supporting Hamilton Gardens' next chapter. Featuring: Anna Mowbray, entrepreneur and Zuru founder, in conversation with Lucy Ryan, plus a live and silent auction. Includes a three-course dinner and wine service. Book. 

🕺 Jim Beam Present: The Pre Party | 7:00 - 11:55pm at The Factory. Kick the weekend off right at the Official Jim Beam Pre Party, bringing big tunes, good energy, and all the right vibes to start things strong. Tickets.  

Master Frank Fu w/ Gideon Voon and Corey Friedlander | 9:00pm at Nivara Lounge. Master Frank Fu headlines Nivara Lounge on Friday 13 March, with Gideon Voon and Corey Friedlander opening with their instru-metal project, plus guests to be announced. Tickets.

Bridge Demonstration | Sat 14th 10:30am - 12:30pm at Rototuna Library. Hamilton Bridge Club will be hosting demonstrations. Come along to see how it’s done and learn how to play Mini-Bridge if you are up for the challenge! Info.  

🎵 Jim Beam Homegrown 2026 | Sat 14th 1:00 - 11:00pm at Claudelands Oval. With five massive stages featuring New Zealand’s biggest names in Roots, Reggae, EDM, Rock, Pop & Hip Hop; there really is something for everyone. Tickets.  

Burlesque - Assorted Delights | Sat 14th 6:00pm at Biddy Mulligans. Strut into a world dripping with glamour, tantalising allure, and jaw-dropping performances at Burlesque – Assorted Delights. Tickets.  

Schalk Bezuidenhout - Hey Hey Divorcè | Sat 14th 7:00pm and 8:30pm at Nivara Lounge. Presented by Century and New Zealand International Comedy Festival. Schalk Bezuidenhout is back with a brand new show. Tickets.  

😂 Jarred Fell Comedy Night | Sat 14th 7:30pm at Good Neighbour. Good Neighbour Rototuna presents the award winning comedian/magician Jarred Fell. He isn't just a normal magician, he combines a fast paced razor sharp wit with his tornado like approach to magic and comedy. Tickets.  

Babywearing Down Under Week Walk | 10:00am at Hamilton Gardens. Come for a relaxed babywearing walk around Turtle Lake. Afterwards enjoy a picnic where babies can roll around on mats and parents can relax, chat, and get support with carrier fit. Info.  

💿 Waikato Record Fair | 11:00am at Biddy Mulligans. Biddy's is hosting another record fair featuring records, CDs, tapes and music memorabilia. Info. 

🔨 After months behind scaffolding, Hamilton Central Library has revealed its revamped facade in Garden Place. With the $2.4 million upgrade to the 1970s building now on display, initial reviews of the new look are mixed. Read.

🍟 The white cross on the former Gateway Church on Victoria St will soon give way to the golden arches of McDonald's after the site was sold last year. The church has relocated to the corner of Clyde St and Grey St in Hamilton East, while the new McDonald’s owners say they aim to make the restaurant the country’s number one Maccas. Read.

🪩 Rudi’s Bakehouse is swapping bright lights for the Hamilton sunrise and alcohol for espresso this Saturday on Riverbank Lane as it hosts what it believes to be one of the city’s first “bakery raves”. The trend, popular across Europe among Gen Z and millennials, transforms bakeries into early morning dance floors fuelled by coffee and pastries. Read.

💦 Waikato MPs swapped Parliament for the Waikato River on Saturday, facing off in an impromptu manu challenge at Wellington Street Beach in Hamilton. The light-hearted competition, judged on “style and energy”, saw plenty of splashy attempts as politicians tried their luck at popping the perfect bomb. Read.

See you out there!

— Ben and Sarah