Brilliant Things to Do in Wellington This August

Wellington, you beauty. You've really outdone yourself again. The forecast for a Wellingtonian's social calendar this month is brilliant with a high chance of busy. Have a cackle with Alan Davies, hear behind-the-scenes stories from National Geographic photographer Steve Winter, drink lots of craft beer, have your sandwiches delivered by parachute and peruse light sculptures on Wellington's waterfront. It's all happening in Wellington this month, and luckily for your wallet, a lot of it is free.

Alan Davies

You've seen him on TV, you've laughed at his jokes, and now you can see him off TV and laugh at his jokes. The British comedian who's best known for his work on Jonathan Creek, QI and As Yet Untitled is bringing his stand up tour Little Victories to New Zealand. The show will see Davies cover everything from sexual frustration, family life and Alzheimer’s in 90 minutes flat.

8pm on August 1 and 2

The Opera House

$69.90

KPOP World Festival

K-Pop is pop music that has the guts to be fully true to its sparkly, bouncy self. Tell me that after half an hour of listening to that high fructose music and watching its accompanying cutesy dance moves you don't feel like you've been enveloped by a rainbow. I dare you.

11am on August 1

Shed 6

Free

National Geographic Live Presents: My Nine Lives

As part of National Geographic’s Live series, proclaimed “big cat legend” Steve Winter will share behind-the-scenes tales of what it takes to negotiate the world’s most remote locations in order to capture rare images of cats. The hour-and-a-half long talk will see the highly respected photographer detail intense encounters he’s had with dangerous animals, alongside a collection of stunning imagery and gripping footage. Expect everything from capturing the nocturnal adventures of a mountain lion in the Hollywood hills, being charged by rhinos, avoiding becoming jaguar lunch in a Brazilian rainforest, and being trapped in quicksand in the world’s largest tiger reserve in Myanmar.

Read our interview with Steve here.

7:30pm on August 5

Te Papa

$49

Beervana

What do you get when you create a portmanteau out of beer and nirvana? Besides a catchy name, you get a lot of beer and a lot of happiness (that is, if you like beer). There are also beer seminars and food matching courses courtesy of Martin Bosley, you know, one of New Zealand's best chefs. Book your tickets already.

August 14 and 15

Westpac Stadium

$45

Wellington on a Plate

Any self respecting foodie should be now already have bought themselves a ticket to one of the events Wellington on a Plate has on offer. Over 130 food-related events will be happening across the city including a candlelit medieval banquet, sandwiches delivered by parachute, a masterclass in fish, a five-course meal made entirely of bugs, a bread baking class, a seaside foraging experience and a tableside concert with the NZSO.

 August 14 - 31

Various venues

Various prices

Midsummer Night's Dream

Love and lust get confused in the foggy daze that is Midsummer Night's Dream. One of Shakespeare's most celebrated plays, the Royal New Zealand Ballet will be tackling the hard task of rendering the work of genius into a beautiful movement-based performance. We expect nothing but good things.

August 20 - 23

St James Theatre

$28 - $145

Lux Light Festival

Late August the pavements of Wellington's waterfront will be littered with moth-like humans flittering around intricate light sculptures. Included in this year's lineup is Crystal Forest, a crystal forest, Night Swimmer - a Sisyphean video loop of a swimmer repeatedly only doing a single stroke and Vessels of Light which will see shipping containers turn into giant night lights. The festival is free to enjoy.

August 21 - 30

Wellington waterfront

Free - $100

Writers on Mondays: Witi Ihimaera

Besides being one the most prominent Maori writers alive (being the first Maori author to publish both a novel and a series of short stories), Ihimaera has worked as a diplomat in Canberra, New York and Washington DC, and taught at the University of Auckland as a Creative Fellow until retiring in 2010. His story The Whale Rider was converted into one of New Zealand's most iconic films of all time. For his Writers on Mondays talk, he will sit down in conversation with Tina Makereti to discuss their creative processes, writing imaginative histories and the importance of writers' residencies.

August 31

Te Papa Museum

Free

Wellington on a Plate Photo: Arizona's Burger Wellington entry, the Smoked Black Jack Cheddar Brisket.