May Entertainment Guide

emily95699
May 19
4 min read

May is a pretty packed month for entertainment, so I’ve put together a quick guide of all the amazing things you can get up to in Tāmaki Makaurau when you’re not too busy studying!

NZ Comedy Festival

May welcomes the New Zealand comedy festival to an array of venues all over the city! See crowd favourites like Guy Williams, Ray O’Leary, Abby Howells and David Correos for discounted prices, or discover some new names. The gigs are on all over the city, such as in Q theatre, the Basement, Goblin, or the Town Hall, and there is something for everyone. Give them a Google for a full list of shows running until the 24th of May.

Academy Cinemas

One of Auckland’s main hubs for great, cheap cinema is running two mini film festivals this month, giving you the chance to see some newer releases or some deep cuts for as little as $5. The ‘All At Once’ festival, running from the 8th to the 24th of May, is centred around feelings of messiness and humanity, featuring contemporary films like ‘Ladybird’ (2017) and ‘The Worst Person in the World’ (2021), and classics such as ‘Faces’ (1968) and ‘Daisies’ (1966). Head online or to the theatre below the CBD public library to catch this festival and many more great films this month!

Auckland Art Gallery

Two exhibitions are closing at the gallery this month, and in walking distance to campus with free entry, you don’t want to miss them! ‘Louise Bourgeois: In Private View’ features contemporary works from the six decades of Bourgeois’ career, some of which are being displayed publicly for the first time. The works explore themes such as the subconscious and the body

through a variety of mediums such as painting, sculpture and textiles. This month, ‘Safety in Numbers: Colin McCahon’s Dark Equations’ will also be closing. As well as these exhibitions, the gallery will be hosting a series of drawing sessions and art history lectures on Dutch Painting in the 17th century.

Stray Theatre

Waipapa Taumata Rau’s very own ‘Stray Theatre Company’ is putting on two shows this month. For the classic bill, Stray is doing a production of Dracula, running from the 6th to the 9th of May at the Pitt Street Theatre. The classic story, adapted by playwright Hamilton Deane, follows the story of the vampire Count Dracula, described by Stray as ‘simultaneously a gothic horror and domestic telenovela.’ The contemporary bill, ‘How to Catch a Grim Reaper’, is running from the 20th to the 23rd of May, also on Pitt Street. The kiwi-horror comedy follows the lengths a group of friends will go to summon the Grim Reaper, meddling with death and causing chaos. Head to their Instagram @straytheatre for more info and tickets.

NZ Music Month

Last Sunday, New Zealand Music Month kicked off right here in Auckland, and signalled the start of the best time to support local artists and go gigging in Tāmaki! A number of gigs and events are on throughout May as a part of NZMM, so keep an eye on undertheradar.co.nz for gig guides and music news, and an ear on 95bfm to discover some local artists and get to gigs!

Big Fan: New Fans

Have you always wanted to play, promote or work backstage at a gig? Well, now you can get paid to, thanks to Big Fan! If you’re under 25, Big Fan is giving you the opportunity to get involved with live music as either an artist or an audience member. Located in Morningside, Big Fan is host to local artists as a nonprofit studio and gig space, making the music scene as welcoming and accessible as possible. The ‘New Fans’ show series is giving rangatahi opportunities as promoters, crew, artists and audiences starting this month. Head online or to @bigfan_nz for more info and to register your interest.

Coming Soon to Auckland Screens...

For film buffs, this May is seeing a number of great new releases and anniversary screenings of classic films. I can’t be the only one who is buzzing for ‘The Sheep Detectives’ starring Hugh Jackman, and advanced screenings are already underway all over the city. The Iron Maiden documentary also opens this week at most big theatres, a great outing for your dad to relive the glory days of one of the biggest bands in history. ‘Top Gun’, ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’ and ‘Shrek’ are also getting anniversary screenings this month, and the New Zealand film ‘Caterpillar’ is premiering at The Hollywood in Avondale. Jeff Buckley fans, the Capitol Cinema is playing the entirety of his album ‘Grace’ as part of their Pitchblack Playback series, and Academy Cinema is showing his documentary all month. New films such as ‘Mother Mary’ and ‘Obsession’ are also opening at Academy this month, so keep an eye out!

Written by Emily Gunston

Craccum Entertainment Editor

Want to promote something in next month's entertainment guide? Reach out to emily@craccum.co.nz or @emily.gunston on Instagram.