Friday 23 October
Flowers of Aotearoa. Guided walk. 10:30am-12pm. Dunedin Botanic Garden.
Perennial Cut Flowers for Your Dunedin Garden. Talk. 10:30am-12pm. Dunedin Botanic Garden.
Herbarium. Workshop. 1–3pm, Dunedin Botanic Garden.
OYWT 30th Birthday Celebration. 3-6pm, Otago Youth Wellness Trust, 20 Parry Street West.
Durga Puja. Puja night session. Free, registration required. 7–10pm, St John Hall, Highgate.
Gigs, comedy & shows
Rhythm and Brews. 7pm, Brew Bar.
Freak Show - A Horror Drag Special. 7pm, Rubys Dunedin.
Dan Costa and the Bill Martin Big Band. 7:30pm, Hanover Hall.
Living Clipboards, Drone Shambles, Edband. 8pm, Inch Bar. (Electronic/pop)
Sulfate and it wants. Album release tour. 8:30pm, The Crown Hotel. (Rock)
Salt Water Criminals – 'Sit Tight Spin Out’ Tour. 9pm, Pearl Diver.
Haszari. 10pm, Carousel Lounge Bar.
Saturday 24 October
Otago Farmers Market. Fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, eggs, baked goods, milk, cheese, nuts, honey and artisan products + freshly roasted coffee and delicious breakfast and lunch items. 8am–12:30pm, Dunedin Railway Station.
Otago Open Gardens. Self-booked garden tour of private and public gardens across the city, the Taieri and the Otago Peninsula. Design and book your own route by region or by budget. 9am–4pm.
The Extravaganza Fair. Market stalls, kids rides, live music, puppet shows, tarot and more. Free entry for kids, gold coin for adults. 9am–5pm, Bayfield Park.
Resourceful Craft Workshops. Learn resourceful skills using natural and repurposed materials. 9am-5pm, Dunedin School of Art, Otago Polytechnic.
Durga Puja. Free, registration required. 10am–2pm and 6–10pm, St John Hall, Highgate.
Home Fermentation. Workshop. 10-11:30am, Dunedin Botanic Garden.
Why Your Goals Aren't Working. Three-hour practical workshop – explore the ecology of goals and use it to rethink the way you approach your vision for 2027. 10am–1pm, The Valley Project Rooms, 262 North Road.
Bonsai a Loving Art Form. Talk. 1–2:30pm, Dunedin Botanic Garden.
Compost, Bokashi & Worm Farming Workshop. Build a compost heap, use a Bokashi Food CompostZing System and learn how to run your own Worm Farm. $10, registration essential. 1-5pm, Musselburgh.
Gigs, comedy & shows
Finance and Jon Cox. 1:30pm, RDS Gallery.
Gareth Thomas. 2pm, Relics Music. (Electronic, pop)
Brighton Muso Day October Weekend Special. Featuring Bulletproof Convertible, Supertonics, The Strange Devine, HOT Dog, Julian Temple, and more. Free entry. 2pm, Brighton Club.
Saturday Night Laughs. 7pm, Heritage Coffee.
Julian Temple. 7:30pm, Inch Bar.
James Nokise: One Night Rant 2026. Frenetic furious funny aimed at politicians across the spectrum. 7:30pm, New Athenaeum Theatre.
Plague County, Hevansia, Rebirth to Ruin, and Matt Danger. 8:30pm, The Crown Hotel.
Ōtepoti Twisted Frequency Fundraiser Refreshed. 8:30pm, Pearl Diver. (Electronic)
Sunday 25 October
The Extravaganza Fair. Market stalls, kids rides, live music, puppet shows, tarot and more. Free entry for kids, gold coin for adults. 9am–5pm, Bayfield Park.
Otago Open Gardens. Self-booked garden tour of private and public gardens across the city, the Taieri and the Otago Peninsula. Design and book your own route by region or by budget. 9am–4pm.
Resourceful Craft Workshops. Learn resourceful skills using natural and repurposed materials. 9am-5pm, Dunedin School of Art, Otago Polytechnic.
Botanical Art & Illustration Workshop. 10am–5pm, Dunedin Botanic Garden.
HobbyCon. The ultimate day of collecting, trading, and connecting! 11am–6pm, Edgar Centre.
Doggy & Stretch Event Dunedin. 45 minutes of easy stretch/movement surrounded by wagging tails and doggy cuddles. 11:30am–12:30pm, Bloom Dunedin, 1 Hermond Street, Glenross.
Josephine Mini Bal. Free folkdance session, suitable for all dance levels. 2–3:30pm, Toitu Otago Settlers Museum.
Crop Swap in the Valley. Bring your excess garden produce or kitchen wares. 3pm, The Valley Project, 262 North Road.
Project Momentum. Marking the culmination of Jeremy Beck’s 2026 Caroline Plummer Fellowship in Community Dance at the University of Otago. Free. 2pm and 7pm, Glenroy Auditorium.
Dungeon and Dragons live game. Improvised event with a relaxed casual vibe. 6–9pm, Dunedin Gasworks Museum, 20 Braemar Street.
Gigs, comedy & shows
Brighton Muso Day October Weekend Special. Featuring The Craps, "Who knows", Hevansia, The Y Fronts, Ollie Crooks, and more. Free entry. 2pm, Brighton Club.
Big Jazz Apple. 4:30pm, Inch Bar.
Monday 26 October
The Extravaganza Fair. Market stalls, kids rides, live music, puppet shows, tarot and more. Free entry for kids, gold coin for adults. 9am–5pm, Bayfield Park.
Smith & Sons Family Picnic Day. A free day of children's entertainment, stalls and garden activities. 10am–2pm, Dunedin Botanic Garden Rotunda.
And that’s your weekend round-up. Got an event you’d like to feature? Drop me a line here → [email protected]
Enjoy the sunshine,
Emma