Auckland Writers Festival

These events generally consist of an author, commentator or creative who is the subject of the event and a Chair. These events also include panel or discussion events with a number of participants. 

• Location: Main venues inside the Aotea Centre. Varies by event.
• Duration: 1 hour.

Different to previous years, events will be held at Q theatre this year. These are events are located within 3 rooms within Q Theatre; Loft, Vault and Rangatira. 

These only take place on the Sunday of the festival and are a mixture of General Events and Masterclasses

• Location: Q Theatre rooms; Loft, Vault, and Rangatira. Varies by event.
• Duration: 1 - 1.5 hours, varies by event.

Feature events come in many varieties, including theatre events, performances and occasionally food events at external venues. Feature Events are not eligible for ticket bundles, with the exception of Ockham NZ Book Awards.

• Location: Varies by event, check your ticket or the event programme for further information.
• Duration: Varies by event, check your ticket or the event programme for further information.

Lunch with Patrick Radden Keefe.

Hear Patrick Radden Keefe in conversation over a two-course lunch.

• Location: Metita.
• Duration: TBC.

Unique to the Auckland Writers Festival, and strictly limited to 45 people. Masterclasses create an intimate setting for participants to improve their own writing skills and hear authors talk about their creative process and the craft of writing.  

• Location: Waihorotiu Room, Level 4 Aotea Centre.
• Duration: 1.5 hours.

No tickets are required. General Admission seating is available first come, first served. Reserved tickets aren't available. Venue capacities will be managed by venue staff.

• Location: Varies by event, check your ticket or the event programme for further information.
• Duration: Varies by event, check your ticket or the event programme for further information.

School Events can only be booked through the Ticketmaster Groups team. For any enquiries, please email the Groups team at groups@ticketmaster.co.nz.

Ticket Bundles are an alternative to purchasing multiple General Event tickets, and provide a discount on each General Event ticket. They can be purchased as either a Take 10. Take 5 or Take 3 Pass. Upon purchase, you can access your bundle in your account and select which events you'd like to attend. 

Ticket Bundles can only be used for General Events, and aren't applicable for Masterclasses, Catered Events or Feature Events. Sessions are subject to availability.

Early Bird tickets will be available from Friday, 13th March 2026 to Friday, 10th April 2026. Early Bird tickets aren't available for Masterclasses and certain feature events.

Adult tickets will be available for all event from Saturday, 11th April 2026.

Student tickets are available for most events, excluding Masterclasses and Restaurant events. Proof of eligibility required, subject to availability.

Patron and Friend tickets are available for all events for Patron and Friend members. These tickets include reserved seating, and access to the Patron's Lounge. 

Patron and Friend tickets can be purchased by emailing the Ticketmaster Groups team at groups@ticketmaster.co.nz. Please include your Patron name or Friend membership number in the email. 

Platinum and Gold Patrons can contact Kate Meere at kmeere@writersfestival.co.nz. 

Alternatively, tickets can be purchased by calling the dedicated phone lines below:

• Patrons: 09 970 9745, available Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm 
• Friends: 0800 335 769, available Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. 

You can access your ticket details through the new Auckland Writers Festival app. The Auckland Writers Festival app lets you exclusively access, and manage all your tickets to the festival in one place. Download the app through the App store or Google Play.

The Auckland Writers Festival (AWF) app can be downloaded in Australia, New Zealand, U.S and the U.K. If you're located outside of these places, you'll need to access your tickets through the Ticketmaster App or website for single session tickets, or through https://am.ticketmaster.com/awf/ for bundle tickets. 

How do I access my tickets?

To find your tickets follow these steps:

1. Open the AWF app.
2. Sign in using the same Ticketmaster Account credentials that you purchased with.
3. Open the menu and select My Tickets. 
4. Select your event, then select your ticket. 
5. You'll be able to view your ticket and ticket details. We recommend adding your tickets to a mobile wallet so that you’ll always have your ticket on hand even without internet connection.
6. Present your tickets to get scanned for entry and you’re in!

You'll receive an email containing your PDF tickets to the email address associated with your Ticketmaster Account. This should appear in your inbox shortly after purchasing. If you’re unable to locate the email in your main inbox, please check your spam or junk folder. 

If you’re unable to locate the email, please contact Fan Support. 

How do I transfer tickets?

To transfer your tickets in the AWF app, follow these steps:

1. Once signed into the AWF app, locate your tickets in My Tickets.
2. Select Transfer.
3. You'll receive a text with a one-time code to verify your identity. Type in the code and select Confirm. If you did not receive your code, visit our help page to learn more.
4. Select the tickets you'd like to transfer and select Transfer To.
5. Enter your recipient's contact information. Tickets can be transferred through email or SMS.  
6. Review your selection and tap Transfer Ticket.

Your transferred tickets will show in your account as sent. Once the recipient has accepted them, you’ll receive a notification confirming the ticket has been accepted. After a successful Ticket Transfer, the ticket in your account is no longer valid for event entry.

How do I know if the tickets have been accepted?

Once you send a ticket, you’ll see either:

• Transfer pending: your friends haven't accepted the transferred tickets yet. Remind them to check their email or text messages for the transfer invite.
• Transfer accepted: the transfer has been successful.

How do I cancel a Ticket Transfer?

Only the sender can cancel a Ticket Transfer if the ticket hasn't been accepted. To cancel, follow these steps:

1. Open the AWF app.
2. Sign in using the same Ticketmaster Account credentials that you purchased with.
3. Open the menu and select My Tickets. 
4. Locate your event, then select Manage Ticket.
5. Select the bin icon. A notification will appear asking if you'd like to Cancel Transfer? Select Yes I'm sure.

Your recipient will receive an email or SMS notifying them.

Resale is available through our official resale platform. For step by step instructions, visit our help page.