👋🏼 Hello Hamilton

Somehow, I’ve been invited to take part in Kick for a Cause, an all-star charity football match! Local olympians, CEOs, Councillors, professional sportspeople, MPs, business leaders and.... little old Ben from Hello Hamilton? ⚽

We’ll be taking to the field in a lighthearted but high-impact exhibition game - all in support of Salvation Army Cambridge, who are doing some amazing mahi in our community.

👉 If you're in a position to do so, consider making a donation to the Salvation Army through my fundraising page HERE >

And if you’re free on Sunday, 9 November, come along to John Kerkhof Park in Cambridge from 12:30 PM - the lads are kicking off at 2:30 PM. You'll get to watch me play the first football game of my life, what could go wrong? 👀

Anyway… Kia ora! I’m Ben from Pukete and today we’re covering the best things happening in Hamilton and local news headlines you can’t miss. Join 10,000+ Hamiltonians here. Let’s get to it!

🎟️ What’s on in the Tron this week?

Bring Your Bub - Halloween Edition | Thu 23rd 9:30am at The Meteor. Parents, this one's for you, bring your little ones (4 & under) for a relaxed morning of coffee, toys and connection.  If you and your little monster feel like dressing up in your finest pumpkin/witch/fairy attire, there's a small prize for best dressed thanks to Bear & Moo! Info.  

Annual Art Competition & Exhibition Opening Night | Thu 23rd 5:30pm at ArtsPost Gallery. Join the Arts for Health Annual Art Competition and Exhibition, their biggest fundraising event of the year. It’s a fantastic way to develop as an artist, and connect with like-minded people, all while supporting Hamilton’s creative community. Tickets. 

Magic of Oz | Thursday and Friday at The Meteor. Experience L. Frank Baum’s 13th Oz novel, ‘The Magic of Oz’, on stage! The students of Wing Valley Youth Theatre Programme bring the characters and the stage to life! Tickets.  

Dougfest 3 | Friday and Saturday 6:30pm at Last Place. This is the largest lineup yet, with 15 bands joining from Wellington to Auckland, plus favourite MCs and hosts Thief n Zard are joining the party as per always. Tickets. 

Queen: It's a Kinda Magic | Fri 24th 8:00pm at Clarence St Theatre. Immerse yourself in the spectacle, grandeur and energy of the world’s greatest Rock band with Queen: It’s a Kinda Magic, celebrating the legacy of Queen and Freddie Mercury. Tickets.  

Re:Circle Kids Market | Sat 25th 10:00am - 2:00pm at Re:Circle Hamilton. In support of Recycling Week 2025, Re:Circle is excited to host their very first Kids’ Market Day! At the market, children will not only get the chance to buy and sell but will also learn the importance of looking after our planet. Info.  

Yoga for Healthy and Happy Life | Sat 25th 10:30am at Rototuna Library. Come and discover how physical, mental, and spiritual practices that originated in ancient India can contribute to greater physical and mental health. Register.  

Deepawali & Ankut Utsav | Sat 25th 6:00pm at Bill Gallagher Hub. Hamilton Mandir celebrates the radiant festival of: Deepawali and Ankut Utsav. Come along with your family and friends for an evening filled with light, devotion, colour, and celebration. Info. 

South African Party | Sat 25th 6:00pm - 1:00am at Patrons Brewing Co. Hamilton, are you ready?! The motherland’s calling and we’re answering with the biggest, boldest, most electrifying night of the year! Four DJs. One dance floor. Endless energy. Tickets.  

By The Way… a Red Hot Chili Peppers Tribute | Sat 25th 8:30 - 11:00pm at Nivara Lounge. Come and celebrate the music of the Red Hot Chili Peppers with By The Way, NZs latest and greatest tribute band. Tickets.  

Hamilton Festive Mela | Sun 26th 11:00am at Whitiora School. Shopping and food stalls, kids activities, hina and nail art, DJ, cultural performances, and more! All welcome to this vibrant multicultural celebration. Tickets.

Breathwork Community Workshop | Sun 26th 4:00 - 7:00pm at Sun Salute. Through the power of Breathwork, you’ll breathe into the joy that is your birthright, letting go of self-judgment and perfectionism to embrace fun, silliness, and a lighthearted spirit. Tickets.  

Fundraising Comedy Show - Breast Cancer | Sun 26th 6:00pm at Hamilton Cosmopolitan Club. Join for a feel-good Sunday evening packed with smiles, giggles, and a brilliant line-up of four comedians (mostly the ladies — and they’re seriously funny!). Tickets. 

Blindspott | Sun 26th 7:30 - 11:30pm at The Factory. Blindspott live in Hamilton promoting the Volumes album this Labour weekend. Playing hit singles Coming Home and Burn me Alive, this promises to be a show not to miss. Tickets. 

♻️ No changes to kerbside collections due to Labour Day

Put your bins out on your normal day by 7am.

Check out how much rubbish we saved from landfill across Hamilton last month!

👀 A peek at what’s on next week!

BLACKCAPS v England 2nd ODI | Wed 29th 2:00pm at Seddon Park. Soak up the electric atmosphere, summer vibes, and world-class cricket right here at home. It’s the perfect outing for whānau, mates, or anyone who loves the game. Tickets.  

The Last Thing We Build | Wed 29th - Sun 2nd at The Meteor. The Last Thing We Build is set in a garage turned carpentry workshop in small-town Aotearoa. The latest drama from Melanie Allison asks what we’re truly leaving behind, and what needs to be said before it’s too late. Tickets.  

Nerdfest 2025 | Thu 30th 3:00 - 6:30pm at The Pā, Waikato University. Join for the return of the Nerdfest event — a dynamic tech showcase hosted by the University of Waikato's School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences. Info. 

Sustainability and Circular Construction Waste Tour | Thu 30th 4:00pm at The Waste Project Site. Keen to cut down waste on your site? Curious how others are doing it? Come check out The Waste Project by Sentinel Homes Waikato — where leftover building materials are being repurposed into fully functional tiny homes. Register.  

Glow in the Dark Paint Party | Thu 30th 7:00pm at The Bank Bar. Grab a drink in one hand, a brush in the other and get your creative juices flowing and your brush strokes going with ultra-violet lights, glow in the dark paint and nothing but laughs all night long! Tickets.  

NZ Tiny House Expo | Fri 31st - Sun 2nd at Mystery Creek Events Centre. For three days only, Mystery Creek transforms into a village of tiny houses, cabins, granny flats, modular homes, and clever builds you can actually step inside. Tickets. 

Waikato A&P Show | Fri 31st - Sun 2nd 10:00am - 2:00pm at Claudelands. Have you ever met an alpaca, pranced with a pony, petted a rabbit? Experience farm-tastic fun, shop unique treasures, and savour farm-to-fork treats. Tickets.  

Glow-in-the-Dark Halloween Disco | Fri 31st 3:00 - 5:30pm at Chartwell Shopping Centre. Get ready for a Halloween like no other with a free glow-in-the-dark disco. Includes a disco dance party, face painting and entertainment by Enchanted Entertainment. Info.  

Treats in the Park | Fri 31st 4:00 - 7:30pm at Western Community Centre. Get your costumes ready and prepare for a night of spooky fun featuring 6 treat stations, bouncy inflatable rides, yummy food stalls, live entertainment, a costume contest and more! Tickets.  

Halloween: Museum After Dark | Fri 31st 6:00pm at Waikato Museum. Step into Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum after dark for a Halloween adventure like no other. Hear ghost stories around the campfire, follow the trick-or-treat trail, and enjoy free face painting for all ages. Tickets.  

Halloween Party | Fri 31st 6:00 - 10:00pm at Boulder Co. Join for a night of costumes, creepy climbs, and Halloween fun! Dress up for the chance to win prizes. Info.  

Dinner Buddies | Fri 31st 7:00pm at Indian Chimney. Dinner Buddies is a group for people aged 35+ to come together and try out a Hamilton restaurant once a month. It’s a great opportunity to meet different people and taste new food. Register.  

Dumpweed - Blink 182 Tribute | Fri 31st 8:00pm at Last Place. The boys have worked tirelessly, nailing down a fine mix of Blink bangers from deep in the repertoire, all the way through to Blink's most recent album. Tickets.  

Tina | Fri 31st 8:00pm at Clarence St Theatre. Get the electrifying concert experience of Tina Turner, brimming with iconic hits from the 60s, 70s, 80s & 90s. Featuring the powerful, raspy vocals, high-intensity dancing and thrilling stage presence of South African Caroline Borole live on stage. Tickets 

Hamilton 2025 Model Railway Exhibition | Saturday and Sunday 10:00am - 4:00pm at Hamilton Gardens Pavilion. Come along and have a look with a variety of tracks and layouts, in different scales and with different themes. Tickets.  

Pasifika Fiafia Kirikiriroa Festival 2025 | Sat 1st 10:00am - 4:00pm at Fairfield Intermediate School. This year the celebration is outdoors! Enjoy more performances, a variety of stalls and a vibrant showcase of diverse cultures. Info.  

Gourmet In the Gardens | Sun 2nd 4:00 - 8:00pm at Hamilton Gardens. Come along with the whole family and listen to the local live music while dining from the lineup of local food trucks. Bring your picnic blankets, chairs, and sunscreen. Info.  

Spring Gala Concert | Sun 2nd 7:00pm at St Peter’s Cathedral. Come and help fundraise for earthquake strengthening. Featuring Madison Nonoa, soprano, Gabriella Schuitemaker, violin, and Gracie Francis, piano. Info.  

Event organiser? Submit your event to Hello Hamilton.

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

📰 Local news you may have missed 

Hamilton East’s Steele Park, a picturesque park beside a bustling shopping and cultural precinct, is top of the list of sites for a giant underground wastewater storage tank that could help get building in the city underway again. However, progress has slowed due to the park’s “notable” heritage trees and other conversations. Read.

Hamilton’s new Mayor and Councillors were officially sworn in at a ceremony held in Civic Square on Wednesday. The event began with a pōwhiri and mihi by Council Kaumātua Tame Pokaia, followed by the inaugural meeting opened by Chief Executive Lance Vervoort, where Mayor Tim Macindoe welcomed councillors and outlined his vision for the triennium ahead and Hamilton’s future. Read.

Hamilton will be the first city in New Zealand to host the popular Air Playground exhibition, opening at Waikato Museum on October 31. On tour from Museums Victoria after a successful run in Melbourne, the hands-on exhibition invites visitors of all ages to explore the science of air through play and discovery. Read.

The University of Waikato has partnered with Australia’s University of Wollongong to help shape studies for its new New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine in Hamilton. The collaboration, formalised through an MOU signed last Friday, will draw on Wollongong’s expertise in regional medical education to develop the programme for Waikato’s newly approved medical school. Read.

Hamilton City Council is inviting feedback on proposed safety improvements to Morrinsville Road, including new cycle lanes, raised crossings, and LED lighting between Cambridge and Matangi Roads. The upgrades aim to make the area safer for students and families, with feedback open until 9 November. Read.

The sound of It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock N Roll) echoed through downtown Hamilton on Friday, marking a major milestone in the Waikato Regional Theatre’s construction. Fosters Construction’s quantity surveyor Alec Calderwood performed the AC/DC anthem on bagpipes to celebrate the final piece of the construction, a tall, thin lightning rod atop the fly-tower. Read.

Do you speak te reo Māori?

My friend Seamus has just completed Te Tohu Paetahi, a year long te reo Māori immersion course at the University of Waikato. Now, he’s looking for opportunities, volunteer work, or friends to be able to kōrero Māori with. So, if you know anything, tap/click the button below and I’ll put you in contact with Seamus!

Thanks for reading Hello Hamilton today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who should unleash their inner artist this week!

As always, please direct reply to this email ([email protected]) if you have any suggestions for what you would like to see in future editions of Hello Hamilton.

See you next week!

— Ben and Sarah