Coming to the Event
Inclusive Event
The Performance Arcade welcomes all and is committed to being accessible to everyone. Our installations are free, family-friendly, and have a casual atmosphere. We invite audiences to feel at home at our site on the Wellington Waterfront. Most of the containers on our site are wheelchair-accessible, and assistance dogs are welcome at all events.
If you have any questions about access at The Performance Arcade, please don't hesitate to contact us at: support@theperformancearcade.com
Live Art Series
Container Series
This signature programme has defined The Performance Arcade from the very beginning. Shipping containers house individual works by artists, creating our unique ‘arcade’ of performance experiences. Open daily from 10am–10pm, containers are used as stages, galleries, or workshops. Ramps are provided for easy access to spaces requiring closer engagement or immersive experiences. Step inside and explore a world where art, performance, and curiosity collide.
Live Music Series
DVB Live Music Series
Enjoy a vibrant programme of live music on our specially installed container stage, featuring local and international acts. Relax on the grass with a drink from Double Vision Brewing’s pop-up bar or grab a bite from our food trucks. Curated by Peter Liley, the lineup spans diverse musical genres from sunny afternoons into the evening. At 10–11pm in The Thirteenth Hour, we close the container works and let the sound system go for one last gig—turning the space into a dance celebration.
Bodybox
A specially designed container serving as both gallery and stage, hosting performance art and movement-based works throughout the day and evening. This programme explores how a body within a metal box can become a vessel for powerful expression.
Te Ara Moana Moves
Te Ara Moana Moves curated by Tupe Lualua. A live performance space that acknowledges the forever changing currents. Set against the scenery of Te Whanganui A Tara, Te Ara Moana is a place to share story, connecting movement artists of Aotearoa, Te Moana Nui A Kiwa, South Africa, Liberia and Germany.
Dusk to Dawn
From nightfall to sunrise, experience video, light, and digital media projected onto the large wall of Te Papa behind the PA2026 site. This programme runs through each evening and into the early hours, keeping the site alight and culminating in the welcome of the dawn at 5am each morning.
Travelling Work
Ko Te Ākau is a visual arts installation and curated performance program that unfolds across live and digital spaces. Designed for both group and solo performances, it is presented within a dispersal installation of light, sound, and video projection. The work invites a 'Mātiro Whakamua' perspective (gazing forward toward the horizon) creating a poetic meeting place between difference, ancestral memory, and collective imagination.
Artist Workshops and Talks
Connect directly with artists and the creative team through workshops and talks held across PA2026. From sessions for children to workshops on dance, writing, performance, and music, this programme offers a deeper dive into the practices behind the performances and artworks.