CULTURE CLUB

NEW ZEALAND CUP WEEK

As the region celebrates all that is great about spring, you can enjoy the New Zealand Cup Meeting at Riccarton Park Racecourse with excitement and glamour over three days, 5, 9, and 12 November. This is a great week of racing, fashion, food, and entertainment. racing.riccartonpark.nz

CRATER RIM ULTRA

The Crater Rim Ultra is a ‘must run’ event on New Zealand’s racing calendar with options for all fitness levels. The Port Hills and Banks Peninsula are the arena for this epic trail run. After watching or competing in this epic event, kick back in any number of Lyttleton’s great local hot spots. 16 October. craterrimtrailrun.com

THE KILLERS

The Killers are coming back to New Zealand for nine incredible shows with their Imploding the Mirage Tour 2022. They are set to blow off the roof of Christchurch Arena in November. This band is not to be missed live! Led by frontman Brendan Flowers, the Killers are an American indierock band hailing from Las Vegas. They rose to fame with the release of their debut album, Hot Fuss, in 2004. You will definitely know their track Mr Brightside, one of the Killers’ most iconic songs and also one of our inner city rooftop bars (and interviews in this issue!) Go there for a drink before or after the gig to really immerse yourself in a Killers-themed night out. frontiertouring.com

THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURAL SHOW

Put 9–11 November in your calendar now. Brought to you by Vero and the Canterbury A&P Association, The New Zealand Agricultural Show is back for 2022. Celebrating all that’s great about rural life, it has been part of the fabric of Canterbury since 1863. Best in Show competitions for livestock, farmyard fun, live music, delicious food, family entertainment, and a raft of exhibitors all add to the festivities. Bring the family and make a day of it! If you feel like an injection of urban excitement during the weekend, visit any number of our galleries, the Arts Centre, or an array of street art around the city. theshow.co.nz

ADDINGTON CUP WEEK

Springtime in Canterbury always delivers, and it wouldn’t be a true celebration of the season without Cup time at Addington Raceway, one of the great events on the New Zealand sporting and social calendar. It’s always been a week of celebration for the city of Christchurch, with Addington hosting two days of spectacular racing, entertainment, fashion, food, and beverages on 8 and 11 November. Addington will be offering a range of options during the week, including Australasia’s biggest harness racing day – The IRT NZ Trotting Cup Day, Tuesday 8 November. addington.co.nz

FAST5 NETBALL

Ōtautahi will host a fast-paced world series in early November, a modified version of netball featuring two-point goals, double-goal power plays, five players-a-side and shortened quarters. Our national team, the Fast5 Ferns, has dominated the world competition since 2009, winning seven titles. The world’s top six ranked teams (from Australia to Jamaica) will arrive and compete at Christchurch Arena, so get dressed up, and come to dance and celebrate with your team, family, and friends. The tournament takes place on 5 and 6 November 2022. It promises to be a great weekend! fast5netball.com

T20 TRI-SERIES CRICKET

Don’t miss the Blackcaps as they kick off the home season with a T20 Tri Series v Bangladesh and Pakistan in the run-up to the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup in Australia. The stars will shine at Hagley Oval from 7 to 14 October, with seven T20 matches over eight days! Tickets are a bargain, and some of the matches are under lights. tickets.nzc.nz

DAYS OF ICE

The people of Ōtautahi Christchurch are proud that their home is one of only five Antarctic Gateway cities in the world. Celebrate the opening of the Antarctic summer science season and Christchurch’s unique connections to the icy continent with 11 days of events and activities. The programme has something for everyone, including events, activations, exhibitions, guest speakers, and polar films, as well as kids’ activities and competitions. Explore Days of Ice between 29 September and 9 October and be inspired by our city’s historic and close links to Antarctica. daysofice.co.nz

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Full circle

Liam Stretch Culture Editor

Did you make it along to any of our city’s cultural treats for September? I kicked it off with WORD, and I was lucky to attend several events, with An Evening with Lianne Moriarty an absolute stand out. As the month continued, the CSO came out to shine with Verdi Requiem, an impassioned opera which seemed a fitting way to remember the late Queen. Then came the moment I had been waiting over a year for – Matilda The Musical at the Isaac Theatre Royal. I was thrilled for the local theatre crew Showbiz to wow audiences once again. It is something they do so well, and they had been interrupted by Covid several times when trying to perform Matilda. It was a full circle moment, with opening night falling in the same week as pandemic mandates were lifted. I say this to our local artists and performers that have made it through these past two years, you’ve sacrificed a lot, and for that, we owe you an ovation, a ‘bravo’, a thank you.

PACIFIC BLUE(S)

You’d be forgiven if you couldn’t name a New Zealand ‘blues’ group. That’s why I was thrilled to come across Wellingtonian band Sea Mouse. Though not strictly a ‘blues band’ – they’re known for rock – their latest EP has an incredibly bluesy feel, with hardhitting guitar slapping and vocals from the recesses of the soul that B.B King would be proud of. Check out their EP Evil Heart.

BEST BEFORE

Tasting History with Max Miller is the YouTube series you didn’t know you needed. It is guaranteed to satiate your historical hunger. Max takes the viewer through some of history’s most interesting meals and presents excellently researched contextual stories of the times of the dish. Though he admits some should stay where they were, he occasionally comes across a gem.

ROOT TO STEM

There are some books that are read once and then relegated to an overflowing bookshelf. Plantopedia is not one of them. You’ll be picking this one up time and time again, even if you don’t have an urban jungle like some of us, ahem. Think of it as a parenting book for plant mummies and daddies, with care level descriptions, soil needs, and even toxicity ratings. Trust me; you need this.

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