The iconic event returns to K Rd featuring music, art, late-night shopping and hospitality, new artist residencies along the street AND an exclusive, limited-capacity Vogue Ball inside the brand-new Karanga-a-Hape Station before it officially opens to the public later this year.
Presented by The International Kiki House of IMAN, THE UNDERGROUND BALL will bring the energy, artistry and culture of Ballroom.
Serving high fashion lewks, pumping down the platform and voguing down under, IMAN invites our community and allies into one of Auckland's newest public spaces, offering a limited number of people the opportunity to experience the station before it officially opens.
ARTISTS MOVE INTO EMPTY SHOPS ALONG K ROAD
K Road is also proud to announce a new artist residency programme, delivered in association with Artspace Aotearoa.
The programme brings together five artist residencies, with three selected by Artspace Aotearoa - Moat (Ziggy Humberstone, Reuben Gabor), Mirror Spectrum Journal Division (Millie Dunstall), and Haumi e Studios (Carmel Aroha Salmanzadeh, Maraky Vowells, Kaliyah Lima)—and two selected by the Karangahape Business Association: Nayesha Waiti-Mulholland and Olivia McGregor.
The artists will be given the freedom to use the spaces as galleries and working studios, with the proviso that the public will have opportunities to see what they are creating and experience the spaces as the residencies develop. All five artist spaces will open to the public for the first time as part of First Thursdays on Thursday 6 August.
Three of the residencies are located in Ironbank, with the two others located across the road in the former Smoove/Thrift Away shops.
The programme has been made possible through the generosity of landlords and property owners, including Samson & Bayleys who have made empty spaces available for artists.
FIRST THURSDAYS: THE STREET COMES ALIVE
Alongside the station event and artist residencies, First Thursdays will see businesses, artists, musicians and the wider K Road community come together for an evening of activity across Karangahape Road including Celestial markets.
Expect live music, street activations, shops open late, food, art and more.
THURSDAY 6 AUGUST 2026
First Thursdays on K Road
Free | Across Karangahape Road
K Road Artist Residencies - Gallery Openings
Free | Locations across Karangahape Road
THE UNDERGROUND KIKI BALL - Presented by The International Kiki House of IMAN
Vogue ball inside Karanga-a-Hape Station
6:30pm - 10:00pm Limited tickets available online on 27th July 2026 - via our KRoad Instagram.
For more information and more, visit: https://www.karangahaperoad.com/
Local tip
He tīwhiri mō te rohe
Getting there
Te huarahi ki reira
Karangahape Road is easy to reach by train, bus, bike or on foot from the city centre. Karanga-a-Hape Station has entrances at Mercury Lane and Beresford Square, placing you within walking distance of the neighbourhood’s shops, eateries and nightlife.
Frequent bus services run along Karangahape Road and nearby Pitt Street, including the CityLink and InnerLink. Use the AT Journey Planner to plan your trip. For more transport information, check out our Getting Around page.
More info
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