Each year, Kāhui St David’s commemorates ANZAC with a series of meaningful events that bring together veterans, whānau, artists, musicians and the wider community.

Held in the beautifully restored St David’s Memorial Church — a memorial — our ANZAC events are a powerful expression of remembrance, reflection, and connection.

Through music, story, art and shared space, we honour those who served and sacrificed, acknowledge the contributions of all who supported them, and create a place for people of all generations and backgrounds to come together.

Whether through our Art of Remembrance, exhibitions, or community-led tributes, ANZAC at Kāhui St David’s is a living legacy — one that remembers the past while embracing the values that guide us forward: compassion, courage and unity.

Honouring & remembering together

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Art of Remembrance ANZAC Eve 2026

Friday 24 April 2026 | 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM

TICKET WAITING LIST

Join veterans, whānau, and the wider community for an unforgettable evening honouring all members and veterans of the New Zealand Defence Force.

The night includes a rich musical and storytelling programme. Unsung Heroes perform original songs and readings from wartime letters, including Cameron Bennett, veteran foreign correspondent, with “Letter to Darkie”, recounting a letter sent to his grandfather from the Western Front. Chris Priestley presents “3 Telegrams (Dad’s Song)”, introduced by Peter Elliott ONZM, TV star and percussionist, telling his father’s story of the battle at Takrouna Hill in Tunisia.

Hear David Harvey on Scottish bagpipes, pūoro by Riki Bennett, University of Auckland Student Choir, hymns led by soprano Michelle Thorne-McHugh, the Off Broadway Big Band and Helen Lukman-Fox on the great pipe organ, with all attendees invited to join in.

The night will begin with a parade of veterans in to the Great Hall. It will include the Last Post, Minute of Silence, and The Rouse and the ceremonial relighting of the Lamp of Remembrance for the year ahead. We will also hear from members of the New Zealand Defence Force.

Join us afterwards for hospitality, and to take a moment to thank our veterans.

Pay-what-you-can. All welcome. We will remember them.

Art of Remembrance Partners

Uptown Business Association

Waitematā Local Board

Veterans’ Affairs

Ranfurly Veterans’ Trust

Star Partners 2026

Uptown Business Association

Sir William & Lady Manchester Trust

Sir Stephen & Lady Tindall

Awhero Nui Charitable Trust

Art of Remembrance ANZAC Eve 2025

Thursday 24 April 2025 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

An inspiring evening of remembrance, with a moving programme of music, guest speakers, and the unveiling of a plaque honouring the Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps (RNZNC).

Programme Highlights:

Veterans’ Parade into the Great Hall
Taonga pūoro & Scottish bagpipes
Soprano Felicity Tomkins performs The White Cliffs of Dover & The Rose of No Man’s Land
Michelle Thorne-McHugh leads Hine e Hine and the 28th Māori Battalion Song
Off Broadway Big Band revives The Army Nurses’ Song from WWII archives
Guest addresses from Lieutenant Colonel David Foote, Georgina Greville (Middlemore Hospital), and Lieutenant Colonel Nick Jones
Plaque unveiling in honour of the RNZNC
The Last Post, Ode and The Rouse
Hospitality includes soup, fried bread, ANZAC biscuits, tea and coffee

A powerful evening for all ages to come together, reflect, remember, and honour those who served.

ANZAC Day Exhibition 2025

Friday 25 April
1:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Visit Kāhui St David’s on ANZAC Day to quietly reflect and view two powerful exhibitions:

Service + Sacrifice – Heroic stories of New Zealand women during wartime, on loan from the Western Bay Museum

28th Māori Battalion Display – Whānau are encouraged to view and help identify family members in historic photographs.

Step inside the recently restored St David’s Memorial Church, now home to Kāhui St David’s, a place for music, memory, and community.