We Love Aotearoa – happening this weekend at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds!

We Love Aotearoa is happening this weekend – don’t miss out on this special celebration for Tamaki Makaurau!

This free series of events will take place on Saturday, December 19th at ASB Showgrounds in Auckland with an added day of virtual reality experiences on Sunday, December 20th. The event will host a range of activities, performances, and workshops to bring the fun to all ages.

The We Love Aotearoa series have since been shared on Stuff, Urban List NZ, Denizen, Idealog, and more. Keep spreading the word so all friends and wh?nau can come together and enjoy it’s free festivities.

Newly announced to the lineup includes Drift King Mad Mike Whiddet who, along with fellow legend Darren Kelly, will be performing drift car displays on the hour 11am-2pm at the event’s Whanau Fun Day.

The We Love Aotearoa series has been organised by a group of international travellers who found themselves based in Auckland during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During their stay, they have been overwhelmed by the manaakitanga and aroha they have received from the people of Aotearoa. These events are a “thank you to the people of New Zealand” for their efforts to get us to where we are now.

While We Love Aotearoa was postponed from its original date in August due to COVID-19 lockdowns, the group has set a new date to wrap up the year in style on December 19th and 20th.

We Love Aotearoa is happening in three parts: entry and activities are all FREE. Food, beverages and artist merch will be available for purchase on-site.

For updates and more information, make sure you’re following @weloveaotearoa and Weloveaotearoa.co.nz

LINE-UP FOR WE  LOVE AOTEAROA

Whanau Fun Day! On Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm, catch a live set from Stan Walker and pop-up performances from East Cook Islands Community Culture group, Ng? Rangatahi Toa, Guggemusik, drag queens Kita Mean and Anita Wigl’it, and Freshman’s Dance Crew.

Explore workshops and activities for the whole family including a silent disco, photos with Santa, festive Christmas activities, Animal Cycle Roller Rink, interactive art installations, The We Love VR Zone, games, and much more!

Drift-racing legends Mad Mike Whiddett & Darren Kelly from The Heart of Racing will be on-site, along with their cars, to chat with fans, sign autographs, take photos, and show their stuff on display!

We Love VR! From 10am to 3pm on both Saturday and Sunday, experience a never-before-seen virtual reality event showcasing the latest in gaming technology. The We Love VR zone will be hosted by New Zealand’s top VR developers presenting their titles along with Half-Life: Alyx (R18) across 24 stations. With a wide variety of age-appropriate options, there’s something for everyone, including tamariki. Come down and enter the prize draw to win 1 of 4 Valve Index VR kits + Custom built PC valued at over $5k each!

We Love Aotearoa (r18)! From 5pm to 11pm on Saturday, enjoy performances by Ladi 6, Sons of Zion, Troy Kingi & The Clutch, Leisure, JessB, Chaii, Frank Booker, Flamingo Pier (DJ set), Clicks, DUAL, and HalfQueen. Taking place across two indoor stages, the live shows will be accompanied by licensed bars and food trucks to keep you going into the night. Existing ticket holders from the postponed August event will be granted access to the concerts, as well as new ticket holders to the event.

Delicious Kai on-site
Enjoy a sprawling selection of local food trucks; Wise Boys Burgers, The Rolling Pin, Lalele Organic, Crepes Creations, Sabores, Thai Kitchen, Stumpy’s Pizza, Crate Kitchen, Brooklyn Dogs, Miso Ra, Samaori Coffee, and licensed bars.

The Heart of Racing 
The Heart of Racing drivers will be on site to celebrate their latest achievement with you: winning the New Zealand Endurance Championship! They look forward to sharing their victory and mission with you. The Heart of Racing fundraises for the Starship Children’s Hospital through racing for and spreading awareness for the financial demands of quality paediatric care. Aside from being the new champions of Aotearoa, the team has raised over half a million for Starship since August…  a victory we can all celebrate! Donate today at www.theheartofracing.co.nz.

Keep Aotearoa Clean
This event is a Zero Waste event and is supported by Sustainable Coastlines and has been carefully curated to have minimal impact on the environment. Enjoy workshops, demonstrations and learn about how you can make an impact through sustainable living.