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BRUCE MACKAY/Stuff
The annual Newtown Festival in full swing, with Riddiford St packed.
“It’s going off.”
Those were the words of Wellington mayor Tory Whanau right after attending the Newtown Festival for the first time ever. “I’m not disappointed,” she said.
“I know – shameful,” Whanau added, referring to it being her first time at New Zealand’s largest free suburban street party.
Organisers expected up to 100,000 people to roam through the suburb’s streets over the course of the day on Sunday, even with afternoon rain arriving: “We didn’t know what to expect after a year off, but it’s bigger than ever,” said Anna Kemble Welch, the associate director of the annual event.
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Given it was cancelled in both 2021 and last year, Whanau said it was nice to see Wellingtonians out enjoying live music, gorging on delectables and celebrating the rich, diverse community of Newtown.
BRUCE MACKAY/Stuff
The annual Wellington Dragon Boat Festival saw dozens of people take to the harbour in formation.
It was the cap to a bumper weekend of events for the capital, which, among other things, hosted the Warriors v Knights game at Sky Stadium on Friday, the Pride Festival throughout the weekend, the Dragon Boat Festival, and, further north, Hutt Sounds, the Karapoti Classic mountain bike race and the Golden Shears shearing competition.
The weekend also saw its fair share of ugliness when at the Pride festivities, a man espousing religious views used slurs at and assaulted people there.
And at Friday’s climate strike where students stormed Parliament, some politicians were heckled.
BRUCE MACKAY/Stuff
Saturday’s Pride parade marched through Wellington.
But Whanau said none of the incidents could dampen the spirits of those who came out to celebrate, particularly at Pride.
“Madonna was playing – it was a celebration of different communities within the rainbow community. And that was one sad soul.” People participating in the parade were on such a high that it was totally impossible to bring the mood down, she said.
BRUCE MACKAY/Stuff
Newtown Festival organisers expected up to 100,000 people to roam through the suburb’s streets over the course of the day.
And there was more to look forward to on the horizon, with Homegrown and CubaDupa set to bring massive crowds to Wellington’s waterfront and Cuba St precinct respectively over the coming weeks.
In May, the Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre will open.
BRUCE MACKAY/Stuff
A man shouting slurs and who punched people was tackled to the ground at Wellington Pride Festival.
Whanau said recent commentary that Wellington had lost its mojo was “tone deaf” and, while noting the city wasn’t immune to the impacts of climate change and the cost of living crisis, she said the events the capital boasted this weekend had made it obvious that Wellington was alive and people were enjoying themselves.
“The vibrancy is already here. People are proud of Wellington.”
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