The university is New Zealand’s only official nominator for the global environmental prize.

Its nominees are AgriZeroNZ, Critical., KiwiEconet, Mountains to Sea Wellington Trust, Mushroom Material and Sea Cleaners.

Andrew Wilks, Manutaki, director of sustainability at Victoria University of Wellington, said the university was proud to help take New Zealand climate solutions to an international stage.

“There were remarkable applications again this year, but Vic Uni is excited to elevate these six New Zealand solutions to the world stage through The Earthshot Prize because every single one has the power to change the world,” Wilks said.

“They’re affordable, immediately scalable, and could create true global transformation.”

The Wellington connection includes Mountains to Sea Wellington Trust’s Love Rimurimu project, which is working to restore declining kelp forests in Wellington Harbour through science, community action and Indigenous partnership.

The project also supports hands-on education and open-source knowledge sharing, helping communities better understand and care for the harbour environment.

Other nominees include AgriZeroNZ, a public-private partnership that invests in tools to help farmers reduce agricultural emissions while staying profitable and productive.

Critical., a Māori-led clean-tech company, is transforming hard-to-recycle plastic waste into Cleanstone, a circular building material made in Aotearoa from 100 percent reclaimed plastic waste.

The company is also developing compact microfactories to help communities turn local waste into materials, jobs and circular economic opportunities.

KiwiEconet, developed in Southland, is a 100 percent natural and organic jute fibre netting designed to replace plastic wrap used for baling hay and silage.

The netting is biodegradable and edible by livestock.

Mushroom Material has developed mycelium-based pellets as a biodegradable alternative to expanded polystyrene packaging.

The company says the pellets are designed to work with existing moulding equipment, making it easier for the packaging industry to shift to a sustainable option.

Sea Cleaners operates purpose-built vessels that intercept plastic pollution before it disperses beyond recovery.

The group removes millions of litres of waste from waterways each year and is expanding into the Pacific through an island-led clean-up network.

The Sustainable Business Network encouraged applications for nominations from its Next List, which features innovators, entrepreneurs, projects and organisations that were finalists in its Sustainable Business Awards.

Mushroom Material and Critical. were successful nominees from those recommendations.

James Griffin, general manager at Sustainable Business Network, said the nominations showed sustainable innovation was already emerging across Aotearoa.

“What’s exciting about these nominations is that they show world-class sustainable innovation is already emerging in Aotearoa New Zealand, not as distant ideas, but as practical, scalable solutions solving real problems right now,” Griffin said.

“We’re thrilled to see Critical and Mushroom Material nominated for the world’s most prestigious environmental award. Both were selected because they’re on our Next list, which exists to help elevate the innovators building tomorrow’s economy today.”

The Earthshot Prize Trust, led by Prince William, awards £1 million to each of five environmental solutions every year.

The prize recognises work across five goals, known as Earthshots: Protect and Restore Nature, Clean our Air, Revive our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World and Fix our Climate.

In 2023, Sea Forest Ltd, one of Victoria University of Wellington’s nominees, was named among the 15 global finalists for the prize.

The 2026 finalists are expected to be announced in September, with winners to be named at the awards ceremony in Mumbai in November.

Pōneke House Party will be held at Wellington’s Opera House on Sunday, May 17, with all profits going to the Wellington Mayoral Flood Relief Fund.

The all-ages event starts at 6pm and combines stand-up comedy, live music and surprise guest appearances as part of the NZ International Comedy Festival and NZ Music Month celebrations.

Comedian and actor Tofiga Fepulea’i and singer-songwriter Tami Neilson will co-headline the show, with comedian James Nokise hosting alongside house band The Funkadelics.

The lineup includes comedians Justine Smith, Michele A’Court, Rhys Mathewson, Wilson Dixon and Karen O’Leary.

Musical performers Samuel Flynn Scott, Luke Buda, LILA JNR and Dropper are also set to appear, with organisers promising more surprise guests on the night.

Organisers said all profits from the event would go directly to people affected by recent flooding across Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

The fundraiser follows severe weather that caused flooding and damage in parts of Wellington, prompting a wider community response to support affected residents and businesses.

Tickets are available through the Comedy Festival website.

The fund, set up in partnership with Wellington City Mission, follows heavy rain in the early hours of Monday 20 April 2026 that caused significant damage to homes and forced some residents to leave their properties.

Council officials say the fund will provide direct financial support to those impacted, helping with immediate needs as families begin recovery.

Wellington City Mission is managing donations, with funds to be distributed to households facing hardship as a result of the flooding.

Residents who are able to help are being encouraged to contribute, with donations open online through the Wellington City Mission website.

The April weather event caused widespread disruption across parts of the southern suburbs, with surface flooding, property damage and temporary displacement reported in several areas.

Council staff and emergency services responded at the time, assessing damage and supporting affected residents.

The mayoral relief fund is part of ongoing efforts to assist recovery, alongside insurance claims and council-led support services.

Officials say community backing will play a key role in helping residents rebuild and recover in the weeks and months ahead.

If you would like to make a donation, visit: https://wellingtoncitymission.org.nz/floodrelief/

LEGO Star Wars: The Exhibition opens at Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre on 27 June and will run through to 26 October 2026. The showcase is the first and only exhibition of its kind and will premiere in the capital before touring internationally.

Organisers say the exhibition will feature the largest known collection of life-sized LEGO Star Wars models ever created. More than eight million LEGO bricks have been used, with over 25,000 hours spent building the detailed displays.

If stacked, the bricks used in the exhibition would form a tower stretching more than 7.6 kilometres high.

The exhibition is the work of renowned LEGO artist Ryan McNaught, also known as Brickman, and his team. McNaught is the only LEGO Certified Professional in the southern hemisphere and is widely known as a judge on LEGO Masters Australia.

His team has created large-scale LEGO installations for museums, galleries and public spaces around the world, with organisers saying the Wellington exhibition represents one of their most ambitious projects to date.

The exhibition will be held at Tākina on Cable Street, a central city venue that has hosted a growing number of large-scale events since opening.

Tickets are available through Ticketek, with organisers encouraging early bookings due to expected high demand.

The event is expected to attract families, LEGO enthusiasts and Star Wars fans from across the region, adding to Wellington’s winter events calendar and drawing visitors into the city.

The concert will take place at the Michael Fowler Centre on June 5, led by conductor Benjamin Northey and featuring internationally acclaimed cellist Li-Wei Qin.

At the heart of the programme are selections from Sergei Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, widely regarded as one of the greatest ballet scores ever written. The work captures both the intensity of the lovers’ relationship and the conflict between their families, with dramatic and lyrical passages throughout.

The concert will also include Samuel Barber’s Cello Concerto, performed by Qin, and Kenneth Young’s Douce Tristesse, adding further emotional depth to the programme.

Organisers say the performance will explore themes of love, tension and tragedy through powerful orchestral music, offering audiences a fresh way to experience Romeo and Juliet.

The Wellington concert is part of a wider national tour, with additional performances scheduled in Palmerston North, Hastings and Auckland.

Mayor Andrew Little and councillors agreed this week to release the draft plan for feedback, following discussion at the Te Taurapa Council Planning and Finance Committee.

The proposed increase is down from an earlier forecast of 12.7 percent and includes a 2 percent sludge levy.

Key proposals include introducing a higher rate for short-term accommodation providers, such as Airbnb, set at 2.6 times the general residential rate for properties used for more than 60 days a year.

Council is also seeking feedback on changes to the Paneke Pōneke bike network, with options to either reduce spending to $3.4 million for the year or maintain the current $10.5 million programme.

Other proposed changes include increases to fees for asbestos disposal, cremation services, marina berths, swimming pools, recreation centres and dog ownership transfers, alongside new venue hire charges for Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui and Toi Pōneke.

Councillor Diane Calvert, chair of the planning and finance committee, said the council was focused on balancing affordability with maintaining essential services.

“The direction from this council is to prioritise the core services our community expects, reduce expenditure and invest in the activities that demonstrably deliver value for Wellingtonians,” she said.

Mayor Andrew Little said rates affordability had been a clear concern raised by residents during last year’s local body elections.

“We are determined to respond to that message, operate responsibly and within our means, and make good on our promise to grow trust and confidence in council,” he said.

Wellingtonians will be able to provide feedback through an online hub, written submissions and in-person hearings.

Final decisions are expected at the end of May, with the Annual Plan to be adopted in June and new rates taking effect from 1 July 2026.

The volunteer-run society, now in its 80th year, has seen membership rise sharply in recent years, climbing from around 700 before COVID-19 to just under 2,000 in 2025.

Screenings take place most Monday evenings at the Embassy’s Grand Theatre, where up to 750 seats regularly fill with a mix of office workers, students and retirees.

Vice president Johnny Crawford said the appeal of watching films on the big screen has remained strong despite changes in how people consume media.

“People crave this experience. Even when venues close and conditions are unfavourable, that feeling of wanting to have these experiences does not go away,” he said.

The 2026 programme includes more than 30 films from around the world, running from February through to December.

President Harry Evans said younger audiences had increasingly been drawn to the screenings.

“I think one of the reasons for that appeal to younger audiences is the fact that it provides an opportunity to focus on something,” he said.

“We all need that social pressure to completely focus on a film and to not go on our phones.”

One of the highlights of this year’s programme is the return of the society’s live cinema event in July, where a silent film is accompanied by a newly commissioned score performed by local musicians.

This year’s feature is The Wind, directed by Victor Sjöström, with music by Wellington-based artists Hara and Thomas Arbor.

The second screening of the event will be open to the public, not just members.

The society is also planning its first mini film festival weekend in June, with a curated programme of films scheduled across several days.

Evans said the atmosphere created by audiences remains a key part of the experience.

“You’ll see groups of friends, people on their own, and families coming together,” he said.

“All of those different ways that we’re together form part of creating the atmosphere.”

Wellington holds UNESCO City of Film status, and Crawford said the society plays a role in maintaining that identity.

“We are a UNESCO City of Film, and I think it’s awesome for us to find ways to celebrate that status,” he said.

For many, that connection is felt each week inside the Embassy, where audiences continue to turn out for a shared cinema experience.

The one-day event is scheduled for Friday 10 April and is expected to attract around 23,000 attendees to the city.

More than half of those attending are expected to be visitors from outside Wellington, with organisers forecasting increased demand for accommodation, hospitality and transport services.

Mayor Andrew Little said the event would bring significant energy to the capital and contribute to a busy weekend of activity.

“ULTRA is a major international event that will bring thousands of people to the Capital to enjoy the best of Wellington,” he said.

The festival will feature four large-scale stages across the waterfront precinct.

Due to the scale of the event, parts of the waterfront will be closed or restricted during set-up and pack-down.

Restricted access will begin from 30 March, with partial closures in place from 7pm on Thursday 9 April through to 6pm on Saturday 11 April.

The affected area includes sections between Waitangi Park and Odlins Plaza, including Te Papa Promenade and part of Taranaki Street Wharf. Pedestrian and cyclist diversions will be in place.

Wellington City Council said waterfront businesses will remain open and residents will still be able to access the area.

Harbourside Market will be relocated to the Reading Cinema car park on Wakefield Street on Sunday 12 April.

The event coincides with a number of other major activities across the city, including ANZ Premiership netball, a National Basketball League game, the WONCA World Rural Health Conference, the National Brass Band Championships, a Hurricanes home game and Wellington Zoo’s 120th anniversary celebrations.

Council officials say the combined programme of events is expected to provide a boost to the local economy during the shoulder season.

The show, titled GLO!, will run from 17 September to 4 October at TSB Arena, transforming the waterfront venue into a series of themed performance spaces.

World of WearableArt chief executive Meg Williams said the concept centres on the idea of creative energy expressed through wearable art and live performance.

“Everything in the world carries a special energy; what we’re playfully calling GLO!,” she said.

“There’ll be fire and flame, unreal nature and performance that seemingly defies physics.”

The production will feature six themed sections, including Metallic, Open, Aotearoa, Avant-garde, Kinetic and the returning Bizarre Bra category.

The Bizarre Bra section will appear for the first time since 2023. First introduced in 1995, the category has become a crowd favourite, known for unconventional designs using everyday materials.

Williams said its return had been driven by audience demand.

“The results are unexpected, witty, camp and truly bizarre,” she said.

International creative director Brian Burke will return for his fifth year leading the show’s production. His previous work includes major global events such as the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix opening and closing ceremonies.

Burke said the 2026 concept responds to a growing demand for connection and creative expression.

“People want to feel connected again to creativity, inspiration, and what makes them happy,” he said.

Designed as a live experience, the show will move between large-scale spectacle and more intimate moments.

The annual event brings designers from New Zealand and around the world to Wellington, showcasing wearable art through a staged performance.

The 2026 World of WearableArt show runs from 17 September to 4 October at TSB Arena. Tickets are available now through the official World of WearableArt website.

The central library reopened over the weekend in Te Ngākau Civic Square, with Mayor Andrew Little cutting the ribbon during an official ceremony on Saturday.

More than 21,600 people visited across the opening weekend, with queues stretching into the square.

A 300-strong massed choir, made up of eight local groups, performed Te Matapi’i, a piece by Wellington composer Briar Prastiti, with voices carrying throughout the building.

Visitors took part in tours, exhibitions and live performances including jazz, taonga pūoro, waiata and storytelling.

Gisella Carr, head of creative capital, said the reopening was a significant milestone for the city.

“This has been built for every Wellingtonian, from zero to 100, so to see the joy on their faces as they returned to their library was a special moment,” she said.

More than 11,500 items were issued over the weekend, alongside 552 new memberships and 468 previously inactive members returning.

Jennifer Parker, manager libraries and community spaces, said the building was quickly embraced.

“Kids and adults filled every nook and cranny of the building, from quiet corners with a book to groups meeting, talking and working together,” she said.

Outside, crowds also gathered in the upgraded Te Ngākau Civic Square, which includes new seating, landscaping, play areas and water features.

The redevelopment brings together the central library, Nōku te Ao Capital E and Wellington City Archives into one site, with galleries, makerspaces, heritage collections, recording facilities and community spaces.

Wellington City Council chief operating officer James Roberts said the reopening was part of wider efforts to revitalise the central city, with City Gallery set to reopen in October 2026 and Te Whare Whakarauika Town Hall in February 2027.

Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui is open daily from 9am to 7pm on weekdays and 9.30am to 5pm on weekends.