Art in the City Will Fill Auckland's CBD with a Series of Colourful Exhibitions and Installations This Spring

Aucklanders, your inner-city streets are about to get a hell of a lot more colourful. Over 100 installations, exhibitions, walks, murals, performances, talks, markets and workshops are set to paint the town red (and every other colour) during Art in the City 2022.

Running from Friday, October 7 until Sunday, October 16, the exciting art festival promises to bring some life back to an area that's seriously suffered over the last couple of years. Take, for example, the many CBD shopfronts in Canada also like Haven Toronto this that have recently been filled with 'For Lease' signs. While that's a bit of a grim sight, soon they'll transform into temporarily repurposed gallery spaces. Curated by Artfull, Arcadia will see a collective of Aotearoa artists take up residence in the iconic 1920s Queens Arcade bringing these spaces to life with paintings, photography, crafts and a series of artist talks and guided tours.

To compliment the flowers that have started blooming around the city, a series of floral-focused artworks will be welcoming the warmer weather, including Flourishing, a large-scale suspended floral embroidery of Frankie Meaden set to hang above passers-by in Lower Vulcan Lane. Meanwhile, Jenna Winterton's Light Blooms will transform Durham Street East into a floral sun catcher and Anna Hanson's stylised take on spring blossoms will give visitors to Jean Batten Place a good reason to look up.

There will also be a series of late-night events across the city with Late Night Art on Thursday, October 13. Numerous locations including Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, the Gow Langsford Gallery, the Gus Fisher Gallery, Kura Gallery, Fingers Gallery, The Tuesday Club and Cassette Nine will keep their doors long after the sun has gone down for exciting exhibitions and activations. Ellen Melville Centre will spring into action with exhibitions, markets, workshops and roving performers, while Freyberg and Khartoum Place will host DJs, musicians, lighting installations, K'Pop and Drag. Make a night of it by grabbing dinner and then checking out a few different spots.

If you're keen to lace up your sneaks and get out and about after two long years indoors, there'll be a series of guided walks catering to your particular interests. Our recommendations include City Art Walks and Unlocked Collections will which showcase the private collections of the University of Auckland, Hotel Britomart, Park Hyatt Auckland and Commercial Bay.

Whether you're planning on checking out the artworks in your own time or joining walking tours to be led by the experts, make sure you get out discover some of the hidden works and immersive activities across Auckland this spring.

Art in the City is set to take place from Friday, October 7 until Sunday, October 16 at various locations across Auckland. Head to Heart of the City to find out more.