How to get the most out of this year's Festival

Here We Go

Tip 1: Getting there

For information on bus, train and ferry services visit maxx.co.nz, or telephone MAXX on 09 366 6400.

 

Tip 2: Parking At The Aotea Centre

The easiest and closest parking is directly underneath the Aotea Centre at The Civic Car Park. Please allow extra time to find parking to avoid missing the starts of the sessions.

Other near-by car parks can be found at the Crowne Plaza (128 Albert Street), adjacent to the Rendezvous Hotel (corner of Mayoral Drive and Vincent Street), and Tournament Car Park (Greys Avenue at Mayoral drive).

Tip 3: Buying tickets

Tickets can be couriered to you if you order before the end of Wednesday 2 May.

From Thursday 3 May, tickets can not be posted to you when you order them. You must either collect them from the Aotea Centre Box Office, or you can still (until the end of Friday 4 May) ask to have them couriered direct to you (for an additional $5.50 courier charge, $6.00 rural).

Tip 4: Collecting Tickets

If you plan to collect your tickets from the Aotea Centre Box Office immediately before your festival event, we’d advise you to allow 45 minutes before the festival event’s start time to make sure you take your seat in a relaxed and happy state (with coffee).

Tip 5: What can I take into the sessions?

You can take drinks (coffee!) into the ASB Theatre, Lower NZI Room and the Upper NZI Room at the Aotea Centre during the events – but no glass items are allowed. Please make sure you put any rubbish in the bin when you leave.

Tip 6: Getting a Seat

Ticketed events: All seating for ticketed events is General Admission. Friends and Patrons have reserved seats at the front. Note: You can leave belongings on your seat if you’re attending two consecutive events in the same venue but at your own risk.

Free Events: It will be first come, first served – it is not possible to reserve seats either in advance or on the day. Please be advised that queues start to form as early as 45 minutes prior to a Free Event session start time.

Tip 7: Festival Bookshop

Do your browsing at the Festival Bookshop while events are on (if you have time to wait and you’re not rushing direct from one event to another). The Festival Bookshop accepts Eftpos, Cash, Cheque and Credit Cards, and they will have all available books by all festival authors on site for sale.

Tip 8: Book Signing

Just a thought, but if you’re waiting in a signing queue (and some can be very long!), you will be asked to write down any special wording you want in the front of your book on a post-it to hand to the author when you get to the front of the queue. You could get super-organised and do this beforehand on a post-it and have it ready to go … (picture trying to juggle a book, your bag, your coffee and an umbrella (!) while you write on your post-it).

Tip 9: Coffee!!!

Allpress coffee carts will be in operation in the Owens Foyer this year – hooray – caffeine fueling stations at the ready!

Tip 10: Feed your Body as well as your Mind

Food and other beverages will be available for sale at the BOX cafe in Aotea Centre. In addition, there are many great places to eat and drink in and near to the Aotea Quarter.

Water coolers are available at THE EDGE.

Tip 11: Last-minute tickets

A friendly reminder that Standard (door) Prices start 9:00 Wednesday 9 May:

  • $25.00 for all core Aotea Centre events (instead of $20).
  • $40 for NZ Listener Gala Night (instead of $35).

Tip 12: Concession Passes

Take 5 ($80 - 36% discount) and Take 10 ($150 - 40% discount) concession passes can be purchased from the Aotea Centre Box Office.

You can then select tickets you want to apply them to during the Festival (excludes Special Events). Enjoy the flexibility of deciding what you want to attend as you go. 

This is a great way for groups to enjoy the Festival and get great value together (i.e with a  Take 10 pass a couple attends five sessions or a book club with 10 members attends one session).

Concession passes can be purchased all the way up until Sunday 13 May, purchased and redeemable online. 

Find out more here.

Tip 13: 50% Student Discounts are good throughout the Festival

Students get a 50% discount on events excluding events 01, 03, 33, 39 and concession passes.

Student ID and proof of eligibility may be required and are subject to availability. Service fees do apply.

Tip 14: Festival Information Desk

If you need help with anything, go to the Festival Information Desk to the right of the Stalls Entrance to the ASB Theatre. Lost items, friends and family, general queries, directions etc will be answered thanks to our dedicated volunteers manning ‘Mission Control’.