The first tangs of winter are making themselves felt and the shredders and powderheads are checking their gear for another season on the slopes. Every mum will be ‘Princess for a Day’ on May 12, and it’s also NZ Music Month (check out the Spotify playlist local legend Craig Shaw compiled for us). There’s a lot to get up for and down to this month, so we cast our curatorial eye over the crowded calendar to give you the essential list of Things To Do In May.
CSO Presents: A Night at the Movies For fans of cinema and symphonies alike, don’t miss this special event. The Christchurch Symphony Orchestra will bring the music of Jaws, James Bond, Star Wars and other movie classics to life at the Town Hall’s Douglas Lilburn Auditorium (May 4). If you want to introduce someone special to the powerful spectacle of our city’s symphony orchestra in full flight, this is guaranteed to win them over. The CSO presents another multi-disciplinary mash-up later in the month when it performs among the exhibitions at the Christchurch Art Gallery (May 28/May 30). cso.co.nz
WORD Christchurch As the sun tracks lower, there’s even more reason to curl up on the couch with a good book. WORD Christchurch has the perfect accompaniment to your bibliophilia ¬– over two weeks of fascinating speakers (May 8-25), including fearless feminist Clementine Ford, UK hip hop artist Akala, flamboyant British poet Luke Wright, The Book Thief author Markus Zusak and Irish writer John Boyne. wordchristchurch.co.nz
Ed Byrne An Irishman walks into the Isaac Theatre Royal… Ed Byrne is the man in question, and he is guaranteed to have you in stitches with his wry observations on life and everything else with this latest show, Spoiler Alert (May 17). If you caught him on one of his earlier visits you know you want to see him again; if you didn’t then take it from us, get along. edbyrne.com
Dr Jane Goodall The incomparable Dr. Jane Goodall will grace the Christchurch Town Hall (May 30) and speak on topics such as climate change, environmental degradation and poverty. You do not want to miss this talk by an authority figure in the realm of primatology and anthropology. janegoodall.org
Pink Floyd Experience After a successful 2017 tour, the Pink Floyd Experience are back for round two and will be performing at the Isaac Theatre Royal on May 31 and June 1. Celebrating the 40 years since Pink Floyd’s album The Wall was released, you can expect a wicked lineup of the band’s own favourites alongside a spectacular and fitting tribute. pinkfloydexperience.co.nz
Lunch at Pegasus Bay Winery Take one clear, crisp day, add the first dusting of snow on the Torlesse Range and choose your favourite designated driver, then head up SH1 to the Waipara Valley and Pegasus Bay Winery, where the much celebrated food and award-winning wines will cap off your North Canterbury roadie. Don’t forget to explore the winery’s winding garden paths before your return journey. pegasusbay.com
Chamber Music NZ: Brodsky Quartet Chamber Music New Zealand’s 2019 season is a wonderful mix of local and international talent who will stop in at different cities around the country. Come May 17, the world-renowned Brodsky Quartet will call into The Piano for an exquisite performance. Known for pushing the musical boundaries of the string quartet in presentation and repertoire, the Quartet’s programme includes 'Rhythm & Texture', which ignores musical barriers, the neoclassical simplicity of Golijov’s ‘Tenebrae’, and Gershwin’s tender ‘Lullaby’. chambermusic.co.nz
Gin Distillery Tour If you want to learn a thing or two about gin, head to The Spirits Workshop and take a tour of their distillery. Learn the A to Z’s of how their gins are made, sample them all to find the perfect bottle for your favourite drink or take home the delicious range with their Four Gin Tasting Pack. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 11 am – 5pm. thespiritsworkshop.co.nz
Graeme James: Long Way Home Tour Graeme James, one of the country’s most streamed indie artists, is hitting the road to tour his Nettwerk label debut album The Long Way Home. Catch the wild talents of James – he can effortlessly play the electric violin, guitar, bass, baritone ukulele, mandolin, harmonica and percussion while stomping on his famous loop pedal – when he hits Blue Smoke, May 18. graemejamesmusic.com
Cocktails and Culture The Christchurch Art Gallery has a wealth of exhibitions on at the moment including William Wegman’s Being Human, which showcases his art and photographic work centred on his canine friends; Eileen Mayo’s Nature, Art and Poetry, which highlights her skill as an artist and her distinctive neo-romantic style; and We Do This, a powerful new hang which is a nod to the 125 years of women’s suffrage. After getting your dose of culture, head to Universo Brasserie & Bar, the chic hotspot next to the Gallery and check out their cocktail menu – their new salted caramel espresso martini is out of this world. christchurchartgallery.org.nz and universo.co.nz
Sol3 Mio We’re going to be honest, we were slightly miffed when we found out homegrown opera trio Sol3 Mio had only locked in North Island performances for their Back to Basics Tour, but due to serious demand from fans down south, the lads did us a favour and extended their tour with South Island dates – yussss. Tapped to take to the James Hay Theatre stage May 28, you can expect a grand night with the trio performing songs from the operatic canon and popular music songbooks – all in the inimitable Sol3 Mio style of course. sol3mio.com
Flow Hot Yoga mindfulness sessions Sundays De-stress and reset for the week ahead down at Flow Hot Yoga who offer classes for all levels of students. Flow are passionate about what they teach and they teach and practise mindfully, with care, humour, warmth and attention to ease with each person present. Their Mindfulness Meditation class on Sunday is a 45-minute class that focuses your attention on breathing practices and various led meditations and is a great introductory class. flowhotyoga.co.nz
NZ Music Month May is NZ Music Month and this year’s theme is DISCOVER LIVE with emphasis on New Zealanders discovering their new fave local live act and supporting local bands. Listen to some of the many talented Kiwi artists out there or check out a live gig. If you’re stuck on where to go to catch some wicked tunes, our feature Auditory Sensations is well worth a read or tap your feet to over 10 hours of classic Kiwi bangers from our Cityscape Magazine Spotify Playlist curated by DJ Craig Shaw here.
Mother’s Day Treat yo mama this Mother’s Day (May 12) by locking in a brunch date at Moment, Uncommon, Miro, Hello Sunday or The Caffeine Laboratory. Rake in those brownie points by booking a luxe facial or day spa treatment at Beauty by Rhianne, Champs Elysees Day Spa or Nicola Quinn and take her nail game to new heights at Nails By Tomo.
Out and About With the cooler weather becoming more prominent, autumn is the perfect season to stock up on fashion goodies such as coats, scarves, accessories and boots. While you’re out and about in the city, embrace your inner fashionista and check out the new season’s looks at shopping hubs, The Crossing and Ballantynes.