Articles - Regional News | Connecting Wellington
A Few More Slices of Heaven - 260 | Regional News

A Few More Slices of Heaven

Whether you’ve seen him tearing up stages across Aotearoa with his band DARTZ or you get his YeeHawTheBoys comics delivered straight to your inbox, Daniel Vernon (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa) is a creative force who is thrilled to have just released his new book A Few More Slices of Heaven.

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Searching and painting - 260 | Regional News

Searching and painting

Acclaimed Vietnamese artist Đặng Mậu Tựu explores memory, identity, and belonging while offering an intimate perspective on living between Vietnam and Aotearoa in Những Miền Đất Nhớ | Lands We Remember, an exhibition at Te Whare Manaaki o Toda until the 7th of February.

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Wellington Silver Screeners: Matthew Mawkes - 260 | Regional News

Wellington Silver Screeners: Matthew Mawkes

With a journey full of ups and downs, Matthew tells Alessia about his past and his future in film, as well as his newest Wellington-made film Blind Panic.

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A record of reinvention - 260 | Regional News

A record of reinvention

Wednesday the 11th of February is the day you’ll need to brace for when American rock band A Place to Bury Strangers detonates their explosive new album Synthesizer at Meow.

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The chosen one - 260 | Regional News

The chosen one

Do Star Wars and Star Trek have beef? They do now, thanks to the latest Caburlesque show that will see a lineup of stars perform burlesque, pole, cabaret, and belly dance acts to determine the top wookie of space travel at The Fringe Bar on the 7th of February.

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William who? - 260 | Regional News

William who?

Stagecraft opens its 2026 season with a production about one of the greatest playwrights of all time – and how we nearly didn’t know him at all. Catch The Book of Will at Gryphon Theatre from the 4th to the 14th of February.

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Testimonials

  •   Hi Alessia, thanks so much for writing such a great piece. Having you guys at Regional News helping to promote our gigs is pretty special for us performers. There’s not much point slaving away trying to produce beautiful music if there's no one there to listen to it!
     

    – Kemp English, concert organist

  •   Thank you for the wonderful publicity in Regional News. We did a small survey of people attending our first concert and it is great to hear that they had read about it in Regional News. It is a great source of information and long may it last!!  

    – Christine Healy, committee member, Friends of Pātaka Art + Museum

  •   The show was a success and your support really helps amplify our vibrant queer performance scene here in Pōneke ❤  

    – Selina Simone, local drag artist and producer

  •   I enjoy reading A Word from Maddi. I read it after reading through the whole of Regional News and thinking what a great publication it is with some really excellent writers. And a brilliant way to check out what’s on in Wellington, especially in the arts. It amazes me how much there is going on. Thank you for doing such a great job – the amount of thought and effort that obviously goes in comes through in a quality publication.  

    – Katie Chalmers, reader and founding member of Wellington choir Nota Bene

  •   Greetings, I write as someone appreciative of the scope and content within Regional News – plus as someone living in Waikanae to flag my appreciation of your delivery of your paper.  

    – Margaret, a Kapiti reader

  •   You guys do a great job of promoting all the interesting things going on. We’ve been to a number of gigs and other events we wouldn't have heard about except for through Regional News, and have also noted several things to do in different regions when on holiday. As a band, we really appreciated your support and it led to a great gig  

    – Murray Costello, reader and musician, Simple Animal

  •   Gosh you're such a wonderful writer Madelaine, really lovely way to set the tone. This review is such gold if we want to try this format out again and the cast are stoked.  

    – Dianne Pulham, local improvisor and director, Geesebumps

  •   Congratulations on your marvellous 200th edition with the inspired spread of 200 covers… I appreciate this newspaper very much. It seems like a miracle to have it delivered, connecting us with events and places all around us in this era of change. Obviously a labour of love.  

    – Lynsey, reader, Aro Valley

  •   Regional News is a key part of the cultural infrastructure in the Wellington region: it is the ‘go-to’ publication for information about all upcoming arts and cultural events. Each publication highlights and showcases the rich diversity of culture on offer, from the large to the small.  

    – Kirsten Mason, general manager, Orchestra Wellington

  •   Regional News plays a hugely valuable role in the Wellington and Aotearoa arts industry, as an integral media publication that gives Wellington key access to arts interviews, news, and information. There is very little media throughout the country, especially in Wellington, which covers arts news, and Regional News have always been hugely supportive of the arts community.  

    – Michelle Lafferty, director, Elephant Publicity

  •   No other local publication devotes as significant amount of space to the arts as Regional News. Wellington is the cultural capital of New Zealand and this newspaper truly reflects that. It is a vital part of Wellington’s arts and journalistic ecology.  

    – Salesi Le’ota, publications and events coordinator, Playmarket

  •   Thanks for all the work you're constantly doing for the arts community in Wellington – doesn't go unnoticed!  

    – Lydia Zanetti, Zanetti Productions

  •   Thank you Maddi for all you, Frances, and Regional News do for me and the Wellington arts scene! Truly awesome.  

    – Colleen McColl, publicist

  •   Let us congratulate you on a great publication. Nowhere else out there are the arts so widely and competently covered.  

    – Heather and Richard, readers from Point Howard

  •   Regional News is a great asset for the arts in Wellington. They include an entire page of visual arts coverage in each issue (which I'm sure you'll know is rare for a newspaper).  

    – Simon Gennard, communications and publications manager, Enjoy Contemporary Art Space.

  •   Congrats to Regional News for being singularly the best all round summary of what's going on in the region, by far.  

    – Andrew, president, Wellington Bluegrass Society

  •   I received my first booking from this advert totalling $1400. A huge thank you!  

    – Robin, Red Tussock Motel

  •   The what’s on pages are the first that I read whenever I receive your newspaper and influence my choice of entertainment each month.  

    – Margaret, committee member, festival singers

  •   Regional News is becoming miles away the best organ for information about local events… You have served us – and the Hutt Valley community very well!  

    – Murray Presland, president, Chamber Music Hutt Valley

  •   I’m sitting here with my coffee reading your latest terrific R News. Both my husband and I look forward to each edition. It is packed full of interesting, informative and educational articles not only local but national too.  

    – Anonymous resident, Karori