‘Coolest little capital’ Wellington celebrates 150th birthday

Wellington – New Zealand’s ‘coolest little capital in the world’ – celebrates its 150th anniversary as being the nation’s capital this month, and there’s no better time to visit.

Pay homage to the birthplace of the flat white, discover the city’s thriving craft beer scene or explore the area on two wheels. With supposedly more bars and cafés per capita than New York, and a packed festival calendar for 2015 / 2016 there is plenty to keep visitors entertained in this awesome city.

Wellington will mark her 150th birthday on July 26 with a two-day long party kicking off with performances from Kiwi musician Dave Dobbyn and the Orpheus Choir of Wellington, and a 3D sound and light show. Visitors can also enjoy a free hop-on hop-off bus tour and gain a rare glimpse of New Zealand’s national treasures, including the Supreme Court, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Mount Cook Police Barracks and the Katherine Mansfield House and Garden.

Open House: The Treasures of Wellington

To celebrate Capital 150, Wellington’s historic institutions are opening their doors free of charge over the weekend of 25-26 July, revealing some of our nation’s rarest and most significant treasures.

Freshly minted bank notes will be on display at the Reserve Bank Museum and Education Centre, Parliament is running special ‘150 years of the People’s Parliament’ tours, City Gallery is building the Beehive out of white Lego, and the Prime Minister’s official residence, Premier House, will be open to view for the first time in 30 years.

A free hop-on hop-off bus, sponsored by Go Wellington, will be running the Open House circuit, stopping at each destination. Parliament is also hosting free concerts from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and New Zealand School of Music, while the Opera House has rehearsals from the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and a special New Zealand Opera masterclass led by Dame Malvina Major. 

The Big Birthday Party

Dave Dobbyn and the Orpheus Choir will lead the capital’s 150th birthday celebrations on Parliament’s Grounds from 5-7pm on Saturday 25 July. Parliament House will be lit up with 3D projections to tell the capital’s story and the Beehive will come complete with candles.

To celebrate the milestone anniversary, Tourism New Zealand has rounded up its top tips and little known facts on the world’s southernmost capital, together with some reasons why 2015 and 2016 are the years to visit.

Find out more about how Wellington became the capital and 150th anniversary events at WellingtonNZ.com/Capital150th