Wellington’s Tāwhiri Warehouse is open for business
Wednesday, 3 December 2025
Tāwhiri Warehouse, the 1000sqm arts venue that’s been in development in the Wellington suburb of Newtown for several years, will finally be available to hire from next year.
The warehouse, situated at the southern end of the Te Whaea National Dance and Drama Centre complex off Hutchison Rd, will be able to be leased for performances, rehearsals, workshops and other creative activities.
Since 2020, Tāwhiri ‒ the charitable organisation that produces the Aotearoa NZ Festival of the Arts, Wellington Jazz Festival and the Kiri Te Kanawa Song Quest ‒ has raised about $4 million to revamp the space.
Its official reintroduction to the public will be with the upcoming Festival of the Arts that runs from February 24 to March 15.
It can host a maximum of up to 1000 people for larger events like raves, however the ideal seating capacity is 400 to 600 people. It is on several major city bus routes and also offers on-site car parking.
The $4m was put towards a smooth black rubber tiling floor, black wall paint, new accessible bathrooms, an air conditioning system, roofing improvements (the city council replaced the ageing roof of the entire complex), a new roller door, flexible seating blocks, and trussing for hanging lights or other equipment.
The space also features a sound system, kitchenette, washing machine and dryer, a small room for producers, dressing room areas, and a mezzanine floor.
Tāwhiri Warehouse plugs a much-needed gap in Wellington’s venue ecosystem, of a mid-sized performance space.
Owned by the city council, the venue will be managed by Tāwhiri. It was formerly a utility gymnasium used by Wellington Indoor Sports and Capital Gymnastics.
Discussions about transforming the building began in 2020, but the project only took shape in 2022. Now, nearly four years on, the venue is ready to be unveiled to the public.
“It’s a place … where people can develop, iterate, experiment, grow, make, manufacture,” said Angela Green, the executive director of Tāwhiri. “It feels like a blank canvas, almost, for an artist.”
While the original plans were more ambitious and to the tune of $7.5m in upgrades, Tāwhiri reshaped the vision based off what it was able to fundraise.
Green said it was important the space was flexible for artists and arts organisations. It would allow creatives to dream big and make lots of noise ‒ or mess.
“The options are kind of endless, within reason. … It will offer a place for people who want to test their boundaries.”
She hoped it would become a regional destination for touring artists who may have previously decided to skip Wellington because of its lack of a mid-sized venue.
It also would add to the suburb of Newtown’s artistic energy and cultural vibrancy, and create synergy opportunities for its adjacent drama and dance schools.
While Tāwhiri would be using the warehouse for its own events throughout the year, for the rest of the time it would be open for hire.
Rates would depend on the size of an event, the length of hireage, and if any other support was required. Tāwhiri owns some staging material, including raised platforms and theatrical draping, which can help with acoustics and can aid in turning the space into different sizes.
Tāwhiri was able to help connect artists to suppliers for specialist equipment, if needed.
The organisation was next hoping to fundraise for permanent performance lighting for the venue.
Green said: “It’s really important to look after creative infrastructure. … When we get new bits in the puzzle, we have to look after them. If we really believe in Wellington being a cultural place, and an invigorating, creative city, and that’s what we love about it, we have to tell people how much we love these places so that we can protect them.”
Interested parties can get in touch with Tāwhiri.