Auckland certainly doesn't rank as a great city for nightlife but, with a million people to entertain, there is always something going on, even if it is just a night down at the local
boozer
. The best way to find out
what's on
is to pick up the
New Zealand Herald
. For gig information, the best bet is the monthly
Real Groove
($3.50), available from most record store and magazine shops.
New Zealand produces plenty of
bands
and at any time you should be able to find some quality local acts bashing away in a club or dedicated venue; due to New Zealand's remoteness, bands from North America or Europe are less frequent visitors. One of the best ways to see local bands is to attend one of the
free summer concerts
held in Aotea Square, Albert Park and The Domain, under the
Music in Parks
banner (tel 09/379 2020,
www.akcity.govt.nz/freesummer/
; mid-Dec to early Feb), mostly on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
After a lull of a few years, Auckland's
arts scene
is picking up, and on any night of the week there should be a choice of a couple of plays, comedy and maybe some dance or opera.
Pubs and bars
In Auckland, as in much of the rest of the country, the distinction between eating and drinking places is frequently blurred, with cafés, restaurants and bars all just points along the same continuum. The factor uniting those we've listed is their...
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Clubs and gigs
Auckland undoubtedly has New Zealand's largest and most exciting club scene and, by sheer weight of population, gets to see more bands than anywhere else; indeed, the bigger international acts often make it no further.
Though the area downtown...
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Classical music, dance, theatre and comedy
Auckland's
theatre
scene is hardly vibrant at the moment; there is no professional company with a permanent venue though the Auckland Theatre Company (tel 09/309 3395,
www.auckland-theatre.co.nz
) is now firmly established at both...
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Cinema
Suburban multiplexes have virtually killed off smaller cinemas leaving central Auckland with just one twelve-screen monstrosity and one arthouse screen;
repertory
cinemas are more widely scattered, and are listed below. The annual
...
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