Spring is here, and the Festival of Design Aotearoa programme is growing.
We’ve added a fresh round of events across Whanganui and Palmerston North, bringing new conversations, exhibitions and experiences into the mix: from architecture, adaptive reuse and landscape design to technology, innovation, art and the stories that have shaped our design culture.
Take another look at the programme: there’s plenty more to discover and more reasons to start planning your festival visit.
Design Review Journal Covers (1947-1953) Exhibition Opening and Book Launch
The combined exhibition opening and book launch for Design Review. Between 1947 and 1953 the Architectural Centre in Wellington published New Zealand’s first design magazine.
To mark its 80th anniversary, Whanganui publishing house Small Bore Books is releasing a selection from the Design Review archives.
Design Review was also notable for its innovative graphic covers and the book launch will be marked by an exhibition of some of the most striking of those designs.
Exhibition
20-25 October 2026, 10:00am - 4:00pm
Lockett Gallery, 62 Guyton Street, Whanganui
Exhibition Opening and Book Launch
Tuesday 20 October 2026, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Lockett Gallery, 62 Guyton Street, Whanganui
FREE, bookings required
Beyond Boundaries: Technology, Design and the Future of Innovation
Networking and conversation at HIVE HQ for the evening with four respected leaders in design and technology. They will share insights on the future of creativity, innovation and emerging technologies.
Hive HQ Whanganui, 120 Victoria Avenue, Whanganui
Tuesday 20 October, 6:00pm – 9:00pm
FREE, bookings required
REGISTER HERE
LandLAB: Landscape as Operating System, Exhibition and Talk
Join the LandLab talk, as they draw on selected projects from the exhibition, the talk will explore how a landscape-led approach can operate across scales and project types. Through these examples, they will look at how ecological systems, cultural narratives and urban infrastructure can be integrated to create places that are more resilient, adaptive and meaningful.
Exhibition
23-25 October, 10:00am – 5:00pm
Palmerston North Conference & Function Centre, 354 Main Street, Palmerston North
FREE
Talk
Sunday 25 October, 10:15am – 11:45pm
Palmerston North Conference & Function Centre, 354 Main Street, Palmerston North
FREE, bookings required
Whanganui Mūmū: Curator Talk
What makes Whanganui one of New Zealand's most creative cities? Curators Eruera Rerekura and Maeve Egan explore the rich history of design and innovation that has shaped Whanganui over centuries, from the ingenuity of Māori engineering and environmental design along Te Awa Tupua (the Whanganui River), through the city’s architectural, artistic, and industrial heritage, to its recognition as New Zealand's first UNESCO City of Design. Discover how creativity, craftsmanship, technology, and community have shaped Whanganui's distinctive identity, and how design continues to inspire its future.
EXHIBITION
Ongoing
Whanganui Museum, Whanganui
TALK
Friday 23 October, 12:15pm – 1:15pm
Davis Lecture Theatre, Whanganui Museum, Whanganui
FREE, bookings required
Re:Using the City–Reimagining Whanganui’s Built Heritage
Show and Tell: Join us for six case studies spotlighting the creative re-use of Whanganui’s heritage infrastructure by architects, designers and developers. Why finding new uses for old buildings makes sense economically, environmentally and culturally.
Keynote and Public Forum: Hosted by Bill McKay–Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture University of Auckland and RNZ commentator on architecture and design.
Show and Tell session: 3:30pm-6:30pm
Keynote Speaker Bill McKay: 7:00-9:00pm
Thursday 22 October 2026 3:30pm - 9:00pm
Whanganui War Memorial Centre, 2 Watt Street, Whanganui
FREE, bookings required
MORE INFORMATION