Welcome back. This beauty is jammm packed. Hope you enjoy, and I’ll see ya out there!

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. Put Hamilton on your wall. Contribute to keep this thriving. Partner with us.

We’ve got something special coming! All will be revealed next week, friends! 🍕

In 1932, Ebbett Motors staged a publicity stunt on enlisting an elephant from the visiting Wirth Brothers’ Circus to demonstrate the strength of a new Chevrolet pickup.

Hamilton’s hosting of the circus coincided perfectly with Ebbett’s product launch. To showcase the truck’s load-bearing capability, the team called on the largest attraction in town.

Hopefully that’s the only time an elephant has been down Hood Street! 😬

Put Hamilton on your wall, supporting Hello Hamilton while you’re at it? Choice as.

Shayne P. Carter | Thu 26th 8:00pm at Nivara Lounge. Shayne P Carter, subject of last year’s five star documentary Life In One Chord, completes an Australasian solo tour with a series of regional shows. Tickets.  

🫒 Sip n Snack | Friday and Saturday 3:00 - 6:00pm at Sage Restaurant. Relax in Sage’s bar area and enjoy snack size versions of some of their most popular dishes with specials on selected drinks. Happening every Friday and Saturday afternoon. Book.  

The Base Basket Burn | Fri 27th 6:00pm at The Base. The Base have teamed up with Balloons Over Waikato again to bring the Basket Burn to The Base. It’s a light show using hot air balloon gas burners choreographed to music! Info.  

The Rising Tide - Deathwish Release Tour | Fri 27th 8:00pm at Last Place. The Rising Tide are celebrating the release of their new single Deathwish. Joining them are Aussie Heavy Hitters Nicolas Cage Fighter and local legends Brawler & Crown the Heathen. Tickets. 

🐰 Waikato Easter Market | Sat 28th 9:00am - 3:00pm at The Barn, Claudelands. Hop along to the Waikato Easter Market for an egg-cellent, fun-filled day out for the whole family! Celebrate Easter by wandering through a vibrant market showcasing local makers, handcrafted treasures, and delicious treats perfect for the season. Info.  

The Amazing Race - S.O.S | Sat 28th 9:00am - 4:00pm at Potters House. Grab your mates and take on an action-packed Amazing Race around Hamilton! Teams will solve clues, complete challenges, and race across the city to be the first to finish. Tickets.  

💜 Relay for Life 2026 | Sat 28th 9:00am - 9:00pm at Claudelands Oval. Relay For Life is a community fundraising event where teams take to the track, cheered on by supporters, and keep their batons moving to symbolise our community's unstoppable fight against cancer. Register.  

Forest Lake School 100th Birthday Celebration | Sat 28th 10:00am - 2:00pm at Forest Lake School. Reconnect with old classmates, take a tour of the school grounds, and reminisce about days gone by and see the changes from your time at Forest Lake School. Tickets.  

🤩 Love the Centre Walk-Thru Balloon | Sat 28th 1:00 - 4:00pm at Garden Place. Head into the heart of the city and step inside a real hot air balloon at Garden Place. This free, family-friendly experience is packed with colour, fun, music and entertainment. Info.  

Five Films For Freedom | Sat 28th 3:00pm at Waikato Museum. Celebrate diverse LGBTQIA+ voices from around the world through this free screening of Five Films For Freedom. Info.  

🎤 Soweto Gospel Choir | Sat 28th 6:30pm at BNZ Theatre. A new concert by 3-time Grammy®-winning SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR celebrates songs and anthems of Nelson Mandela’s Freedom Movement in South Africa and the Civil Rights Movement of Dr Martin Luther King’s America. Tickets.  

🎸 Battle of the Bands 2026 - Waikato Heat 1 | Sat 28th 8:00pm at Biddy Mulligans. The 2026 events are running through March, April and May with the National Finals held on 29th & 30th of May at Valhalla in Wellington. Tickets.  

AW - The Nerve Album Tour | Sat 28th 8:00pm at Mesoverse. See AW for their album tour with special guests Moorings. Tickets.  

🎶 Soundscape Sirens - Summer Tour | Sat 28th 8:00pm at Last Place. After months of silence, the collective returns with their Summer Tour 2026, promising even deeper sonic storytelling from this trio of eclectic kiwi beatmakers. Tickets. 

Lockie Bennett Trio | Sat 28th 8:00pm at Nivara Lounge. Lockie Bennett is a jazz guitarist based in Wellington, who specialises in bop-oriented music. This is a one-off performance as part of a wider Australasian tour. Don't miss out!! Tickets.  

Pole Fitness Trial Class | Sun 29th 9:00am at High Above. Interested in trying something new? This is the perfect opportunity - a rare one-off drop-in Pole Fitness class! Add some excitement to your week while building strength, confidence, and having a whole lot of fun (Adults classes only). Tickets.  

🟣 Purple Walk For Epilepsy | Sun 29th 9:30am at Innes Common. This free, feel-good, family-friendly event is your chance to come together, show your support, and celebrate Purple Day and 70 years of Epilepsy NZ. Info.  

Kids’ Flea Market | Sun 29th 10:00am - 12:00pm at Endeavour School. Join for a fun and heartwarming morning where children become “little business owners” for the day. Come along and explore stalls run by kids featuring toys,  pre-loved treasures, handmade crafts, books and creative finds with big confidence and proud little smiles. Info.  

🐣 Easter Egg-Stravaganza | Sun 29th 3:30pm at Good News Community Centre. Easter fun for the whanau. Come enjoy this free event featuring an Easter egg hunt, sausage sizzle, ice creams, bouncy castles, sports, face painting and more! Info.  

📸 Waikato Photographic Society – Coffee Chat | Tue 31st 7:00pm at Coffee Culture. Join for an informal evening of photo discussion and constructive critique. Bring along your images on a memory stick or printed, and share your work with fellow photography enthusiasts. Info.  

The Antarctic Film Festival | Wed 1st 6:30pm at New Zealand Deerstalkers Association. The New Zealand Antarctic Society is proud to invite you to a presentation by Ian Hawes and a curated selection of captivating short films from the heart of Antarctica. Tickets.  

🤣 HaHaHamilton Comedy Lounge | Wed 1st 8:00pm at Nivara Lounge. HaHaHamilton will bring some jokes to have a good laugh at in the evening, as they present the Comedy Lounge. Tickets.  

Kirikiriroa Hardcore Vol7 | Thu 2nd 7:00pm at Mesoverse. You got Stagnance, a one man hardcore act from Canada touring Aotearoa to promote their new LP 'Torn', Demirep, a new Taamaki riot girl band, Disillusion, a local d-beat, and the metallic hardcore of Hoon. Tickets. 

🎵 Easter Live and Local Session | Thu 2nd 7:00pm at Nivara Lounge. Bringing the Easter Weekend in with some local bands, smashing out some tunes for your listening pleasure. Tickets.  

Easter Art Event | Fri 3rd 10:00am - 5:00pm at Good News Community Centre. This annual event tells the story of Easter through a range of artworks by local artists. There will be life size pieces, interactive displays,and a look and find competition to keep you entertained throughout. Info.  

🎭 The Greatest Story Told | Fri 3rd & Sun 5th 6:00pm at Potters House. “The Greatest Story Ever Told” is an Easter musical experience inspired by The Greatest Showman; where music, narration, and powerful testimonies blend to unravel history… Tickets.  

The Op Shop Car Boot Sale | Sat 4th 9:00am - 1:00pm at The Op Shop on the Park. There will be lots happening on site with lots of stalls, food and drink to choose from including a sausage sizzle, barista coffee, and a bouncy castle for the kids! Info.  

🎪 Circus in the Centre | Sat 4th 10:00am - 12:00pm at Garden Place. Garden Place is getting turned into a lively circus zone, offering free family-friendly sessions where kids and families can explore circus skills in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Info.  

Super Rugby Pacific - Gallagher Chiefs vs Waratahs | Sat 4th 7:05pm at FMG Stadium. The Gallagher Chiefs are back under the lights at FMG Stadium Waikato, ready to take on the Waratahs in a clash that promises speed, skill, and plenty of big moments. Tickets.

Social Improv | Sun 5th 7:00pm at The Meteor. Social Improv is an initiative adopted by Conor Maxwell (Project Allsorts Improv, Infinite Monkey Theatre) to provide a safe space to develop confidence, hone improv skills, and join a friendly community of actors. Info. 

⛽️ Fuel prices topping $3 a litre are forcing more people onto buses and trains, while trucking companies face rising costs just to stay on the road. With 91 octane petrol averaging $3.32/L nationwide, Waikato households are feeling the strain with little relief in sight. Read.

✈️ Hamilton Airport’s $9.8 million runway extension project has secured a $6.5 million government-backed loan. Chief executive Mark Morgan said the funding is a welcome breakthrough after more than a decade of discussions with the Government. Read.

🏡 Te Awa Lakes development is set to accelerate after the Government approved a special levy to help fund up to $50 million of water and roading infrastructure. The project aims to deliver around 2500 homes alongside recreation, commerce and retail, with the first houses expected as early as 2029. Read.

💦 Around 200 Hamilton East households will soon receive water meters as part of a three-month pilot programme testing residential water use and technology. The trial, run by IAWAI, will help inform decisions on wider rollout as the city moves toward a more transparent and equitable charging system. Read.

❤️ Waikato’s first kaupapa Māori dementia centre is set to open in Hamilton, supporting a growing number of Māori living with mate wareware. The Te Whare Mahara wellness centre, a partnership between The Selwyn Foundation and Te Kōhao Health, will be based in Maeroa and will integrate te reo Māori, tikanga, and mātauranga Māori into care. Read.

What a great time to be in the Tron! See you out there, friends.

— Ben and Sarah