Fantastical, mystical, transformative _{by Madelaine Empson}

Nestle into the darkest nights of the year with the eighth wintery offering from Lōemis, an annual Pōneke festival that celebrates the winter solstice, Maruaroa o Takurua. This year’s festival begins on the 10^th of June with the immersive Leaving Party at Katherine Mansfield House and Garden, and culminates in Atonement :: Metamorphosis, during which ceramics will be baked over open fires in a night of poetry and music at Freyberg Beach on the 21^st of June.

In between, there’s a vibrant array of new shows, foodie events, art installations, comedy, and so much more.

A festival highlight this year is Miranda Manasiadis’ Lemons [Prelude], where Auckland physical theatre artist Arlo Gibson will drag a giant fallen statue head through Wellington’s CBD in a seven-night odyssey from the 12^th to the 18^th.

Pictured here is Circle, hosted by the world-famous Lance McMahon at Dom Polski Club on the 16^th. The 57^th World Circle Drawing Championship invites attendees to compete in short circle-drawing group heats, where they’ll be judged on i) technical ability, ii) artistic merit, and iii) speed by some of the best in the game.

Another highlight is Greathall, a large-scale experiential art market at Shed 6 on the 17^th that features over 40 artists. Using clever lighting design by Marcus McShane, the space will be lit from light to dark and split into three main sound zones controlled by a dozen installation sound artists, including the likes of Riki Gooch (Cave Circles), Toby Laing (Fat Freddy’s Drop), and Cory Champion (Clear Path Ensemble).