Auckland Live presents
Summer in the Square
15 January – 27 February 2021
FREE in Aotea Square
Auckland Live’s Summer in the Square is a must-visit destination on the festival circuit this summer.
After sailing through the holiday season, Summer in the Square returns for 2021 with a splash, recommencing on Friday 15 January. The programme boasts an incredible array of live
music and performances, film screenings and America’s Cup racing on the Auckland Live Digital Stage, plus live
activations and interactive experiences, in Aotea Square.
Music brings the party all season long with an eclectic range of sonic delights pumping from the Summer in the Square stage. Kicking off the first weekend back in style is Ijebu Pleasure Club, transporting you to alternative 80s Nigeria with the Afro-funk stylings of a horn-laden 11-piece band!
Throughout the season every Friday and Saturday evening sees the iconic DJ sets in partnership with Base FM. Catch Wendy Douglas, Grassmouth, Ian Beatmaster Wright, and more in action, bringing the chill vibes as the sun goes
down. For those who like to create their own sound, the interactive Aotea Symphony experience runs throughout the Summer in the Square season - simply step on the buttons in front of the Auckland Live
Digital Stage to make your own masterpiece!
As the summer evenings stretch on, settle into Aotea Square’s outdoor lounge on a comfy beanbag to catch an impressive
line-up of free films. From the family-friendly Ponyo and Hairspray, to inspiring biopics I am Greta, Yellow Is Forbidden, The Sapphires, and The Personal History of David Copperfield, and homegrown heart-warmers Take Home Pay and Whale Rider, the movie offerings get interactive on Valentine’s Day with a people’s choice! La La Land starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling or Marilyn Monroe's Some Like It Hot playing on the big screen. Vote for your choice from the 22nd Jan on the Auckland Live Facebook page. Plus, Aotea Square is the perfect chill zone to anchor for the day and enjoy the action of the 36th America’s Cup Races, broadcasting live on the Auckland Live Digital Stage.
Winners of Best Circus at the 2018 Auckland Fringe, Manubrium Circus Theatre hits the Aotea Square with their brand spanking new show Towel You What!? Spilling flips, slips and balloon tricks, this whānau show is an acrobatic ode to the unsung hero of our time - the
humble towel! This show will be performed in conjunction with Auckland Live’s Fringe Town 2021.
Auckland Pride Festival celebrates in style, as the Auckland Pride March winds its way into Aotea Square to dance the night away with the huge
all-ages Auckland Pride Party. Hosted by Drag Extraordinaries Hugo Grrrl and Miss Geena, headlined by queer icons, the phenomenal DJ HalfQueen and
rap legend Randa, with performances from incredible DJ’s BrownBoy Magik and Jordan Eskra - the Auckland Pride Party
promises an unforgettable night of queer celebratory splendour! Food trucks aplenty will complement the delectable
offerings from Summer in the Square’s resident Hello Sailor container-top bar, keeping the crew fed and watered over the 5-hour and dual-stage extravaganza by Tāmaki Makaurau
Auckland’s rainbow communities.
Come and celebrate with Summer in the Square during January and February to fill your long hot summer days in the City of Sails.