Concerts in Wellington: the venues, getting there and getting home

Wellington's concert venues are packed into a small city centre, and most of them sit within walking distance of each other. San Fran on Cuba Street hosts the most shows in our listings by a wide margin. The big seated halls, the Opera House, St James Theatre and Michael Fowler Centre, are a few blocks away in Te Aro. The larger touring shows usually land on the waterfront at TSB Arena or Shed 6 on Queens Wharf.

What catches people out is mostly the same everywhere. San Fran and the Te Aro theatres have no public parking. Age rules differ between a supervised bar like San Fran and the council-owned theatres. And Metlink's after-midnight buses only run on weekend mornings. Everything below was checked against the venues' own pages, Metlink and NZ legislation on 2 October 2026. Wellington City Council's website blocked our research requests, so we couldn't check its parking pages directly. For the full list, see concerts in Wellington.

Quick facts

Wellington's main concert venues

These are the venues with upcoming shows in our listings, with what each publishes about itself. The sizes are the venues' own performance figures.

Two venues need a note:

• Te Whare Whakarauika Wellington Town Hall has one show in our listings. The NZSO says the council has been "reconstructing and redeveloping the building since 2019" to meet earthquake standards. Venues Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre page still says the Town Hall is "due to re-open in 2025", and the NZSO says accessibility information "will be available soon". Check your event page for entry details.
• The Opera House and Michael Fowler Centre are both rated Earthquake Prone Buildings with a "yellow notice", according to Venues Wellington. It says this means the building "is safe to occupy" and the council has a set number of years to strengthen it.

Cuba Street and Te Aro, or the waterfront?

Most Wellington gigs fall into one of two clusters, and it's worth knowing which one you're heading to.

Te Aro (Cuba Street, Manners Street, Courtenay Place). San Fran is on Cuba Street. The Opera House is on Manners Street, and Venues Wellington says it's "only a short walk from Courtenay Place and Cuba Street". St James is on Courtenay Place itself. The Michael Fowler Centre is on Wakefield Street, beside Te Ngākau Civic Square. This is the bar and restaurant part of town, so eating before the show is easy. It's also where Metlink's after-midnight buses leave from.

Queens Wharf (TSB Arena and Shed 6). The two waterfront venues share an address on Queens Wharf, off Jervois Quay. Both are on an old totara wharf, built in the 1860s, according to Venues Wellington. Both are cashless. They're the venues for bigger touring acts: Venues Wellington lists past TSB Arena concerts by Ed Sheeran, The 1975, Six60, David Byrne and The Killers.

Newtown. Tāwhiri Warehouse is the outlier, in the Te Whaea complex in Newtown, away from both clusters. Tāwhiri describes it as "a warehouse. It looks and feels like one."

San Fran: what you need to know

San Fran is the venue you're most likely to end up at. It's a cosy upstairs room on Cuba Street that the venue says has been "part of New Zealand's music history since the 1960s". It sits in the "in between size" for established local acts and up-and-coming internationals.

Can under-18s go to San Fran?

Yes, with a legal guardian. The FAQ says: "San Fran holds a Supervised License, meaning minors are welcome to attend events at San Fran so long as they are accompanied by a legal guardian (this normally means Mum or Dad) at all times whilst at the venue."

That matches the law. Section 119 of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 lets licensing committees designate premises as an area "to which minors must not be admitted unless accompanied by a parent or guardian". San Fran's Conditions of Entry are stricter on wording: under-18s "must be supervised by a court appointed legal guardian at all times". An older friend or sibling doesn't count. Minors can't buy alcohol "under any circumstance". All children need their own ticket unless the event page says otherwise.

What ID does San Fran accept?

Its event pages say: "Remember to bring your photo ID (a valid NZ driver's license, passport or Kiwi Access Card)." The Conditions of Entry list "A valid passport, New Zealand Drivers Licence or Kiwi Access/HANZ/Hospitality NZ 18+ card" as "the only accepted forms of ID for the purchase and consumption of alcohol."

Bags, doors and the coat check

• Bags: the event pages say "We'd prefer it if you leave your bags at home, but if you do need to bring one, please keep it small. Bags will be subject to a quick inspection before you enter." The Conditions of Entry allow bags of 30cm x 30cm and under.
• Not allowed: outside food and drink, bottles of any kind, alcohol, tablets and laptops, professional cameras, GoPros, selfie sticks, laser lights and glowsticks, among others. Smoking and vaping aren't allowed either, and vapes used inside will be confiscated.
• Shoes: "Closed toe shoes must be worn at all times."
• Doors: the FAQ says the time on your ticket is when doors open. Set times "vary between shows" and can change without notice.
• Coat check: there's one "at the bar at every show", for a small fee per item.
• Payments: San Fran is cashless. EFTPOS and PayWave are accepted.
• Door sales: "Door sales are available on the day of the event, subject to availability."

Food

San Fran has a kitchen. The FAQ says it's "open during every event". The venue's About page mentions imported and New Zealand beers, "delicious food & snacks" and an "extra-long bar".

Accessibility at San Fran

This is the main drawback. The FAQ says: "Unfortunately, due to the second floor location of the venue, accessibility is limited." The venue asks you to contact it before the event "so we can try to organise assistance for you to attend". All tickets are GA standing, so if you need a chair, let the venue know and it will tell you if it can help.

What ID do Wellington venues accept?

Under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Regulations 2013, the approved evidence-of-age documents are "any current passport", a current NZ driver licence, a Hospitality New Zealand (HANZ) card, and, since 28 May 2026, a qualifying credential from an accredited digital identity service.

The venues set their own lists, though, and they're shorter. San Fran's list is above. Venues Wellington's pages for the council venues don't publish an ID list, so bring one of the same documents to be safe. The venues don't mention digital ID, so bring a physical card or passport.

How do I get to concerts in Wellington?

Bus

Every Venues Wellington page says there are Metlink bus stops near the venue. St James has stops "directly outside the St James Theatre and across the road". San Fran lists the routes that run near it, including the 1 (Island Bay), 2 (Seatoun/Miramar), 3 (Lyall Bay/Rongotai), 14, 29, 39, 81, 83 and the Airport Express (AX). That's the venue's own list, so check the route numbers in the Metlink journey planner before you travel.

Train

Metlink trains run into Wellington Station on five lines: Kāpiti, Hutt Valley, Melling, Johnsonville and Wairarapa. San Fran says it's "a few minutes' walk" from the station. The council venues don't give walking times, so check the journey planner and allow time.

Metlink regularly replaces trains with buses for planned maintenance. It says replaced trips are shown in pink on its online timetables, with a PDF bus timetable for those days. Check before you travel, especially at weekends.

Taxi, rideshare and drop-off

• Michael Fowler Centre: a drop-off and pick-up area at the front, from Wakefield Street.
• St James Theatre: limited space outside for drop-off and pick-up.
• TSB Arena and Shed 6: a drop-off zone close to the entrance, from Jervois Quay.
• The Opera House: no allocated drop-off zone.

Getting home after the show

This is the part to plan before you leave.

After-midnight buses. Metlink says it runs after-midnight bus services "on both Saturday and Sunday mornings, but not on public holidays except 1 January". They're labelled with an N: N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6, N8, N22, N66 and N88. Metlink says most leave "between 12am and 4.30am from either Courtenay Place or Manners Street". That's handy for the Te Aro cluster. Since April 2022, after-midnight fares have been the same as standard off-peak fares.

Weeknights. Saturday and Sunday mornings means after a Friday or Saturday night out. There are no after-midnight services listed for Sunday to Thursday nights. Neither Metlink's pages nor the venues give last-bus or last-train times, so look up your last service in the Metlink journey planner before the show.

Trains. Allow time to get from Te Aro or the waterfront to Wellington Station, and check your line's last train on the day.

Is there parking at Wellington concert venues?

Not at the Te Aro venues. The waterfront and Newtown venues are easier:

• San Fran: "There is no venue car park". The venue mentions coupon parking on Cuba Street and nearby streets, plus public car parks at 26 Marion Street, Care Park at 16 Bute Street, Primeparking at 25 Garrett Street, Wilson Parking on Victoria Street and Taranaki Street Parking at 68 Taranaki Street.
• The Opera House, St James and Michael Fowler Centre: no public parking. Venues Wellington says there's "convenient street parking and parking buildings nearby", and links to Parkopedia for options.
• TSB Arena and Shed 6: the Wilson car park at Queens Wharf is under the venues and has mobility parks. Wilson lists it at 1 Jervois Quay, with the entrance off Jervois Quay and a 2.00m height limit. It's paid by card or EFTPOS, so check rates with Wilson Parking.
• Tāwhiri Warehouse: Tāwhiri says there's "free, non-reserved carparking" in the Te Whaea complex.

Wellington City Council's website blocked our requests, so we couldn't confirm street parking rules or hours from it. Check the signs where you park.

Accessibility at the council venues

Venues Wellington publishes far more access detail than San Fran:

• The Opera House: eight accessible spaces and eight companion seats in the ground-floor stalls. There's no lift: the Dress Circle is two flights of stairs up and the Gallery four more. The Gallery is "high and steep". It has an infrared hearing system with 10 headsets covering all seats.
• Michael Fowler Centre: eight accessible spaces and eight companion seats in the stalls, with lift access from the ground floor. The gallery isn't wheelchair accessible. The audio loop works best in stalls rows O to V and gallery rows A to D.
• St James Theatre: eight accessible spaces and eight companion seats in the stalls, with stair-free entry. The Dress Circle has a lift but a few steps into the seating. The Grand Circle is stairs only. An infrared audio loop covers all levels.
• TSB Arena: wheelchair access to the ground floor. Accessible seats vary by event. Block 8 can be steep, and the audio loop covers Block 8.
• Shed 6: wheelchair access to the ground floor and ramps inside. There's no audio loop.

All five welcome guide dogs, and wheelchairs can be borrowed with advance notice. For accessible tickets, contact Ticketmaster. For other questions, email guestexperience@wellingtonnz.com.

On public transport, Metlink says wheelchairs and mobility aids are welcome on buses and trains "on a first-come, first-served basis as space allows".

Tickets and box offices

• Council venues: Venues Wellington says Ticketmaster is the ticketing agent for all its venues. You can buy online or at the Wellington i-SITE. It warns that resellers "on Viagogo and TradeMe often sell fake tickets", and it doesn't have to let you in on one.
• Box office: at all five Venues Wellington venues, it opens 60 minutes before the event starts.
• San Fran: buy online in advance, or at the door on the day if it isn't sold out.

Before you go

• Check which venue, and which cluster, your show is in.
• Check the age rule. Under-18s at San Fran need a legal guardian with them the whole time.
• Bring a passport, NZ driver licence or Kiwi Access Card if you want to drink.
• Bring a card or phone. San Fran, TSB Arena and Shed 6 are cashless.
• Pack a small bag, or none.
• Friday or Saturday night? Check the N bus home from Courtenay Place or Manners Street.
• Weeknight? Look up your last bus or train before you leave.
• Driving? Plan your car park. San Fran and the Te Aro theatres have none of their own.
• Need access help? Contact the venue before the show.

Upcoming concerts in Wellington