I couldn’t help but write to you a little earlier this morning. I’ve got something exciting to share with you!

Meet our debut Hello Hamilton Card - a fun new way to explore the Tron's best local spots while snagging great savings.

We’ve teamed up with 12 awesome local partners offering one-time discounts, including Grey Street Kitchen, SkyCity Bowling, Little Lato, Tipsy Putt, Hayes Common, Escapist, Oh Dutch Pancakes, and many more.

This project was directly were shaped by our community - priced by your recent survey responses and featuring businesses you nominated.

We’re also donating a few bucks from every card sold to a Hamilton charity/non-profit chosen by cardholders. The rest helps cover Hello Hamilton’s running costs (which are now adding up!) so we can stay independent and free for everyone, forever.

Any questions or comments? Reply directly to this email and I’ll get back to you. I read and reply to every message. ❤️

🎪 Circus Spectacular | Friday and Saturday at Clarence St Theatre. Step right up for VLSD's 2025 end of year show under the big top for a dazzling celebration of dance. The talented students will take you on a journey through their very own circus. Tickets.  

🛼 Junats Roller Disco | Fri 21st 6:30pm at Hamilton Roller Skating Club. Join for a fun packed evening in support of the Junats, the club for young people with interest in conservation, the outdoors, science and nature. Info.  

Andrew Fagan – Passage Of Time | Fri 21st 8:00pm at Nivara Lounge. Andrew Fagan - iconic New Zealand solo sailor, songwriter, and frontman of legendary Kiwi band The Mockers. Tickets. 

👚 Vintage Clothing Pop-up | Saturday and Sunday at 268 Victoria Street. Shop vintage, Y2K clothing and more. Plus flash tattooing all day Sunday. Info.  

Flash Day | Sat 22nd 10:00am at Stinks Tattoo Studio. Celebrate the studio’s new location in Te Rapa and scratch that tattoo itch with fresh flash designs in every style. Info.  

Made Market Day | Sat 22nd 10:00am at Made. Come to the first ever Made Market Day with pop-ups, lawn games, live music, samples, one-day sales, and more. Info.  

Realise Aotearoa - Music & Meditation Tour 2025 | Sat 22nd 11:00am at Hamilton Gardens. Discover Sahaja Yoga meditation, a simple and natural way to achieve self-realisation and inner balance. Register.  

🎶 Music To Make Things To | Sat 22nd 11:00am - 1:00pm at The Meteor. Bringing local creatives together. Whether you’re part of a knitting group, experimenting with watercolours, or simply keen to relax and enjoy the live tunes, everyone is welcome. Tickets.

Hamilton Blues Society Summer Music Festival | Sat 22nd 12:00pm - 1:00am at Biddy Mulligans. Come along for a fantastic, full, day and night with many well-known, talented musicians, playing assorted genres of music in the front and back bar at Biddy Mulligan's. Tickets.  

🏏 BLACKCAPS v West Indies 3rd ODI | Sat 22nd 2:00pm at Seddon Park. Big hits. Big names. Big series. Feel the electric atmosphere, soak up the summer vibes, and enjoy world-class cricket right here at home. Tickets.  

Freaky Friday The Musical | Sat 22nd 7:00pm at Riverlea Theatre. A body-switch musical? Picture all the hilarious chaos that could unfold. Tickets. 

🎵 The Return Of Mondogreen | Sat 22nd 8:00pm at Last Place. Fresh off a dedicated 6 month hiatus spent developing their sonic palette - Mondogreen return to the local Kirikiriroa indie scene. Tickets.  

🥦 Hamilton Farmers' Market | Sun 23rd 8:00am - 12:00pm at The Barn, Claudelands. Your local authentic farmers' market - fresh seasonal fruit & vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, eggs, milk, bread, honey, condiments - buy local, support local. Info. 

Scot Hall Voice Studio Summer Vocal Showcase | Sun 23rd 1:00pm at Gallagher Academy. Join Scot Hall and his vocal students for an afternoon of beautiful singing featuring solos and duets from your favourite musicals. Tickets. 

🎄Christmas Tree Farm Pop In Photo Sessions | Sun 23rd 4:00 - 6:00pm at The Christmas Tree Farm, Temple View. Drop in for a quick festive photo amongst the trees and have a little Christmas treat to take home. Info.  

Fabuloso Mrs. India NZ 2025 | Sun 23rd 5:00 - 10:00pm at Heaphy Room, Claudelands. Fierce, fabulous contenders are ready to SHINE at this celebration of strength, grace, and womanhood. Tickets.  

Bill Bailey - Vaudevillean | Sun 23rd 8:00pm at Claudelands. Before streaming, before tv, before cinema, before even radio ... .there was Vaudeville! Bill Bailey returns with a show that celebrates this great tradition, as the versatile multi instrumental, multi-lingual, purveyor of humour and musical prowess. Tickets.  

📚 Dude! Eat Your Food - Special Guest Storytime | Tue 25th 10:30am at Central Library. Join for a special storytime with author Emma Letessier and illustrator Kayla McQuade in Dude! Eat Your Food. A fun, rhyming read that flips the script and makes mealtimes a giggle! Info.  

🎨 10 Years of Boon | Wed 26th 6:00 - 9:00pm at Waikato Museum. Celebrate 10 years of the Boon Street Art Festival and enjoy the exhibitions after hours. Drinks and nibbles available to purchase and live music. Info.  

🎭 The Witches of Eastwick | Thu 27th - Sat 29th 7:00pm at The Meteor. Wintec Performing Arts students present The Witches of Eastwick. This devilishly dark comedy musical is based on the classic 1987-film. Tickets.  

John Bishop: 25 Years Of Standup | Thu 27th 8:00pm at Heaphy Room, Claudelands. Comedy superstar John Bishop is set to return to New Zealand with his new show John Bishop: 25 Years Of Standup, to celebrate his incredible 25-year career. Tickets.  

❄️ Ice Rink | Fri 28th 10:00am - 10:00pm at Claudelands Event Centre. Experience the magic of winter in Hamilton with a 100% Frozen Ice Rink! Opening on Friday until the 21st of December, don’t miss this unique opportunity to embrace the chill. Tickets.

Hilarious Hypnosis Show | Fri 28th 7:00pm at Gallagher Academy. As seen on Seven Sharp (TVNZ) and going viral on TikTok, you’re in for a treat! Comedy Hypnotist Haiming Jiang is bringing his hit Comedy Hypnosis Show to the University of Waikato. Tickets. 

🎶 Brainwave Album Release Tour | Fri 28th 8:00pm at Last Place. Wellington hardcore outfit Brainwave are bringing their razor sharp riffage and anabolic aggression to Hamilton. With support from Hamilton’s Martial Law. Tickets.  

🎄 Waikato Christmas Market | Sat 29th 9:00am - 4:00pm at The Barn, Claudelands. The market features a gorgeous selection of quality artisan goods and beautifully handcrafted gifts, fine art, skincare, wooden toys, leatherware, candles, fresh food and more. Info.  

Stories in the Garden | Sat 29th 10:00am at Garden Place. Come on a magical adventure under the trees in Garden Place. Enjoy an hour of storytelling and games with characters from Enchanted Entertainment. Info.  

🕺 Bed By 10 | Sat 29th 4:00 - 9:00pm at House on Hood. Fancy going out for a dance but not keen on sacrificing the next day? Bed By 10 is a chance for ravers over 30 to relive the peak of the 80s, 90s & early 2000s clubbing scene! Tickets.  

Christmas Tree Lighting Festival | Sat 29th 5:00 - 9:00pm at Garden Place. Get ready for an unforgettable night as the Christmas tree gets lit up for the first time. This exciting event promises a night of festive fun and dazzling lights with food trucks, face painting, live entertainment and more! Info.  

7 Days Live | Sat 29th 7:30pm at Claudelands. Come down and see Jeremy Corbett, Dai Henwood, Hayley Sproull, Paul Ego, Josh Thomson, Ben Hurley and Justine Smith smash all barriers of proper behaviour, with no cameras, censors, editors or rules. Tickets. 

Standup Comedy Show | Sat 29th 8:00pm at Lido Cinema. Join for a night of laughs with some of the best up and coming comics from around NZ! Tickets.  

Waikato Motor Mania | Sun 30th 7:30am at Classics Museum. Live Aero Engine Running Demonstration to the iconic Bugatti Atlantic, plus motorcycles, collectibles, live music, food, and more! Info. 

Always double-check event details haven’t changed since you received this email. Did I forget anything? Flick me an email.

🎉 Hello Hamilton released a special discount card to support local business while enjoying savings. They’ve available now and will help keep the community service independent, ad-light, and free for all. Grab yours.

✈️ Travellers flying out of Hamilton Airport say they are keen for a public bus service, now that international flights are winging into, and out of, the city. While international flights are once again operating from the city, plans for a bus service may not arrive until after 2028. Watch.

🏉 Hamilton will host the 2026 NRL Harvey Norman All Stars double-header for the first time on Sunday 15 February at FMG Stadium Waikato. The event will feature the Australian Indigenous Women’s All Stars taking on the New Zealand Māori Ferns, followed by the Australian Indigenous Men’s All Stars against the New Zealand Māori All Stars. Read.

🚧 Hamilton’s annual road resealing season is under way, with crews working across the city to resurface 32 km of roads. Around 8 km have been completed so far, with the construction season running from October to March to take advantage of daylight saving and warm weather. Read.

🎭 Arguably Hamilton’s most significant artwork has now found its “forever home”. The iconic large-scale mural, created in 1973 by renowned New Zealand artist Ralph Hotere and originally installed in the now-demolished Founders Theatre, has been placed inside the Waikato Regional Theatre. Read.

🩺 After three years of study, local Wintec nursing student Amber-Jo Rijkers says she and her peers are concerned about limited full-time opportunities following graduation. Recent updates show some graduate roles at Waikato Hospital may offer as little as 24 hours per week, prompting students to reconsider their career options. Read.

👯 Ballet fans in the Waikato won’t want to be caught napping for this production. The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s first official show at the new Waikato Regional Theatre will be Sleeping Beauty, which will tuck itself in for a three-day residency in November next year. Read.

A Hamilton bird owner is imploring city residents to watch out for her beloved pet sparrow. Birdie, a domesticated three-year-old female sparrow, came into Kelsie Morgan’s care while she was operating a bird shelter with her mum Mandy. Kelsie has been searching for her Birdie since she went missing on Friday last week. Read.

All done for today. Now time to grab yourself a Hello Hamilton Card!

As always, please direct reply to this email if you have any suggestions for what you would like to see in future editions of Hello Hamilton. I’d love to hear from you - I read and reply to every email.

See you next week!

— Ben and Sarah