The forest is calling! This summer, a new company of players, The Midsummer Botanicals, invite audiences to step beneath the trees and into the wild, wondrous world of As You Like It - a sun-soaked celebration of laughter and community blooming in one of Wellington’s gorgeous parks for the first week of the Wellington Fringe Festival.

In 1983, A Midsummer Night’s Dream lit up the Victoria University Quad and sparked a beloved tradition of outdoor Shakespeare in Wellington - a festival of artistry, friendship, and open-air delight that ran for over forty years. After its sudden end in 2023, a vital chapter of our city’s cultural story seemed to close. But this February, the Botanicals are bringing it gloriously back to life.

Helmed by director Eli Hancock (he/they) and produced by Shakespeare’s North Productions, As You Like It promises a riotous return to form; where the music is live, the language sparkles, and the forest is very much alive.

“As You Like It is Shakespeare at his most joyous,” says Hancock. “It’s about finding yourself in unexpected places - through love, disguise, friendship, and the wilderness. After years of loss and uncertainty in the arts, this feels like a healing; a reminder of why we make theatre in the first place.”

Set in a vibrant reimagining of Shakespeare’s Forest of Arden, this production draws on courtyard and marketplace traditions of performance, transforming Wellington’s Aro Valley Park into a living, breathing garden of music, colour, and character. Audiences are invited to arrive early, explore the space, and meet the motley cast of lovers and fools before the story even begins. Expect song, sun, silliness, and the scent of summer roses.

Puberty, periods, pregnancy, perimenopause, piss, processed meat and please be quiet.

In a bold and brave new solo hour of comedy, multi-award winning comedian Harriet Moir flips the bird to the patriarchy and the multiple ways it has tried to keep her small and keep her quiet. 

"Harriet delivers an hour of storytelling and musings focussing on the aging female body and the years of energy spent on bodily self-critique before arriving at a place of complete acceptance. This interspliced with many very funny references to felatio". - Flat City Field Notes

"It's a story of discovery, shame, confusion, hilarity, pride, sensuality and everything in between". - Theatreview 

"Harriet holds the audience in the palm of her hands from the get-go". - Theatreview

"A masterclass in kiwi comedy." - Flat City Field Notes

Harriet lives in Dunedin with her two daughters and their ginger pussy, where she works as a comedian, writer, wedding and funeral celebrant, MC, actor, singer, writer, producer and entertainer. Mercifully not all at the same time. 

Winner - Best Comedy - Dunedin Fringe Festival 2025

Nominated - Best in Fringe - Dunedin Fringe Festival 2025

Winner - Best Comedian - Dunedin Comedy Awards 2024

Winner - Phil Davison Memorial Special Contribution to Fringe Life Award - Dunedin Fringe Festival 2024

What would you do with a car park for a day? (PARK)ing Day has the answer.

(PARK)ing Day is an annual global event where creatives take over middle Cuba Street to engage, entertain and ask how we can better use public spaces.

Now in its 13th year, Wellington Sculpture Trust turns the meters off for one day.

Cuba Street will come alive as participants temporarily transform 30 carparks with performance, art and entertainment from 10am-5pm. Seven hours of family friendly fun for everyone, come on down!

Petit ChouX is a French-born singer- songwriter who weaves romance and reflection into her music.
Based in Wellington, Aotearoa, New Zealand, her performances blend acoustic simplicity with emotional depth, inviting listeners to be present and immerse themselves in the beauty of her multilingual lyrics. She composes music in French, Spanish and English. Her music creates a gentle and unforgettable atmosphere.
She released her first EP in May and music videos recently.

SAFA is a global citizen and musical storyteller based in Aotearoa. She composes and sings in French, Spanish, English, and Tarifit -- a Tamazight language spoken in northern Morocco. Her music draws from a rich tapestry of cultural roots, creating a sound that feels both grounded and borderless. A passionate multi-instrumentalist, SAFA brings a captivating live experience to the Fringe, crafting layered soundscapes with a looper pedal, a variety of flutes, hand drums, accordion, and more. Her performances invite listeners into music that speaks across cultures and carries the soul of many places.

Experience the uplifting journey of "The Rocking Rainbows," a band of talented musicians who embrace their disabilities with unwavering passion and exceptional skill. The band emerged four years ago at Evaro, a service for adults with disabilities situated on Cuba Street.

They showcase the limitless potential of music and made their appearance at schools, Thistle Hall, for The NZ Fringe Festival, Newtown festival and also appeared on radio and TV shows.

The event will be opened by the soulful singer songwriter Zeeva. 

"Raw Comedy Quest - 2023 Semi Finalist"

Lucy Gardner is a Wellington based comedian, with her signature deadpan, dark and delightful humor, It's funny till it isn't, then it's funny again.

"I don't want to include reviews and quotes about how funny I am, come and see my show or do not." - Quote by me. 

Wellington based singer songwriter Zeeva debuts her first show of intimate folk/pop at this years Fringe. With her delicate lyrics, earworm melodies, and warm acoustic vibes, Zeeva invites you into a world of vulnerability, hope, and connection.