Enter a living canvas of words, movement, and sound.
Poetry Takeover is a vibrant, multi-sensory spoken word experience celebrating Tāmaki Makaurau’s diverse poetry communities, hosted by MC Renee Liang – playwright, essayist, and poet.

Discover an eclectic mix of styles and voices: slam, Pasifika, te reo Māori, migrant perspectives, experimental works, and youth poets.

Unleash your own creativity! Prompting poets to create spontaneous poems in real time and poetry karaoke covering classic works.

Explore a kaleidoscope of activities: wander through chalk poetry, browse a market of books and zines, create blackout poetry on the Poet-tree, and craft visual poems with collage stickers and words.

Presented as part of the 2026 Auckland Live Summer in the Square. Proudly supported by Auckland Council Events and the city centre targeted rate.

Curator: Renee Liang
Producer: Melissa Laing
Poets: Patua te Whakamā, The Dilworth Slam, Matariki Bennett, Eric Soakai, Lynda Chanwai-Earle, Shane Hollands
Musicians: Matt Reece and Gerhard Lottermoser
AV: Studio Auspicious

Poetry Lands: Illuminated Horizons by Wordcore Wayfinders; Poetry Market; Master Poets Penny Ashton, Daniel Larsen-Barr, Aiwa Pooamorn, Sophie Procter and Billy McCarthy; Poetry Forest presented by Oh No! Poetry Collective, Yellow Lamp, Poetry Snaps and Blackout Poetry; and Chalk Poetry by Poetry Live!

Photos by Jinki Cambronero