This September, Auckland Live launches We The Young, a new performing arts festival created especially for young audiences and their whānau. Running from 16–28 September 2025, the festival will transform central city venues – including the Auckland Town Hall, Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre, The Civic and Aotea Square – into vibrant spaces of creativity and play.

The pilot festival is designed for ages six months to 16 years, offering more than 19 live performances, interactive art installations, workshops, and free outdoor events – from sensory theatre for babies, to dance-theatre, circus workshops, and imaginative installations. 

“At its heart, this festival is about celebrating young people and upholding their right to access high quality and age-specific arts and cultural experiences – and having a bunch of fun along the way,” says Rosa Strati, creative producer at Auckland Live and the festival’s co-creator. 

While other children’s festivals have existed in Aotearoa, We The Young is the first multi-venue event of its kind in Auckland, including international and local performances and artwork. 

One highlight is Paper Planet, an immersive installation where children enter a forest of giant cardboard trees and choose how they want to participate – exploring, making sound with performers, or sitting quietly to create sculptures and costumes from paper. 

“It’s a truly child-led experience,” Rosa says.

Accessibility and inclusivity have been embedded in the festival from the start. More than half the shows are free, with the rest affordably priced so families can attend multiple events in one day. Every performance includes relaxed sessions, and venues are fully wheelchair accessible. The programme also features NZSL-interpreted works, highly visual and audio-based performances, and participatory workshops.

“We wanted to make the festival as welcoming as possible for everyone,” she says. “Young people’s needs are also accessibility needs. Having relaxed spaces, where people can move around, make sounds, or just sit quietly, naturally overlaps with the needs of disabled and neurodivergent audiences.”

Creating We The Young wasn’t without its challenges. The team had to navigate the pressures of programming for a wide age range, from babies to teens, while ensuring every performance was accessible and engaging at the same time. Embedding accessibility authentically required careful consultation and iteration, such as adapting Creation Creation – which initially included Australian Sign Language – to use New Zealand Sign Language. Limited time and staffing also meant some plans for branding, communications, and accessibility enhancements had to be scaled or delayed. 

Despite these hurdles, the pilot has given the team a valuable opportunity to learn and refine the festival. They see many opportunities to further expand accessibility and inclusivity across programming, branding, communications, and online presence. By building on this year’s foundation, the festival can continue to grow rather than remain a one-off event. The team also actively encourages feedback, aiming to create a space where all young people in Auckland feel welcomed, included, and represented.

"We want every child and young person in Auckland to feel welcome here, to explore, create, and discover the joy of the arts in their own way," says Rosa.