Gaiety Theatre and Wairoa Maori Film Festival

By Caitlin Lynch

The Gaiety Theatre is an icon of historical and contemporary film culture in Wairoa. The Gaiety was built to entertain the people of Wairoa in 1925 but was damaged in the 1931 Napier Earthquake. It was quickly rebuilt in art deco style and served its purpose faithfully until the 1960s, when it closed for nearly 30 years, reopening after a community push in the 1990s.

The theatre closed again in 2009 due to financial technical challenges. Realising the value in a local cinema the Wairoa District Council's Te Matarae o Te Wairoa Trust committed to restoring the theatre, and the Gaiety opened its doors again in 2017. The heritage listed theatre is now open Wednesday-Sundays and primarily shows film from the mainstream circuit.

The Gaiety is also a host of the annual Wairoa Maori Film Festival. Established in 2005, the Wairoa Maori Film festival is the longest running indigenous film festival in the country. The festival aims to showcase Maori and other international indigenous filmmakers and stories. The festival began screening at Kahungunu marae but has since expanded to include screenings at the Gaiety. The festival is held over Queen's birthday weekend around the eve of Matariki. It’s not to be missed if you're in the area at that time!

NZPlaces would appreciate a picture submission of this special place.