A Catalogue of Closures.

Hi,

The last bricks-and-mortar purveyor of magazines in Tāmaki, Mag Nation, is closed. When we visited, at 3.20pm yesterday afternoon, its closing hours were carefully scratched off the glass door. From 10am – [   ]. It lay darkened and half-empty, coloured signs advertising discounts taped to the tables: 30% off magazines over $35, 50% off books. It wasn’t clear whether it was already closed for good, or if they just couldn’t face throwing their doors open that afternoon; we spotted someone sitting behind the counter in shaded sunlight, looking down, unroused by our rattle of the doorknob.

Through the glass I spotted magazines I may have purchased, if let in: the new MACGUFFIN, for example, which uses one of my favourite fonts (Churchward Newstype, by New Zealander Joseph Churchward). There were a few chunky editions of the new VEIL, which I hadn’t yet seen. I might have taken home GENTLEWOMAN, the one with PinkPantheress on the cover. But, if I’m really truthful with myself, I probably would have gone in, thumbed through, then slotted them right back on the shelf, an all-too-familiar ritual that got them in this situation in the first place. We are not buying magazines. How do we force people to value things they obviously just clearly don’t want?

Magazines are also an economical disaster: expensive to make, expensive to print, and also expensive to ship over to New Zealand, which is why everything in Mag Nation was $50 and over. At this point, it feels like the only people who should realistically start a magazine are WEALTHY NARCISSISTS who put themselves on the cover, which is a move that one cannot help but somewhat admire (especially when paired with a city-wide billboard campaign; if it looks familiar, that’s where you saw it). 

Cringe, as always, a catalogue of closures. Sad.

Love,
Jean

There’s a new Nigerian restaurant in Northcote, serving up dishes like jollof rice, egusi soup, nkwobi and more. It’s called AFRO FLAVOURS.

Plant-based restaurant Forest is closing dinner service for the immediate future and has reimagined itself as FOREST SCOOPS, doing plated ice-cream-based desserts with a couple savoury sides. 

Hamilton porridge purveyors OAT BROS are opening in the old Crumb space in Grey Lynn on Saturday. I’m not sure how I feel about this place; I bet the oats are tasty but they’re just so… bro-y. But 100 free coffees from 7:30am!

JADETOWN on Dominion Rd is going into liquidation but according to Chow Luck Club, they are trading through it. You can also find them in Albany and in the city, under Navat Uyghur Cuisine.

TRIDENT’S LITTLE SICILY in Onehunga has closed.

People on the Facebook group Lazy Susan are saying the new banh mi place in the lobby of PakNSave Mt Albert is good - $12.99 for a sandwich which currently comes with a free coffee.

Ano-ne (previously Mizu) has decided against reopening its Darby St digs after their summer break, but remains open on Symonds St. It’s quite a good space in our opinion if it becomes available and you are looking.

Have the blind boxes finally gone too far? I was pretty on board with the cute Bunnings bears, but ST PIERRE SUSHI has just launched a Hello Kitty and Friends collab, with blind boxes of themed cups. It just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

I saw on VIVA that Sagrado Cantina (the Mexican spot in St Kevin’s Arcade) has expanded next door into a spinoff called DEZA, which will include “parts of Mexican cuisine that haven’t really been experienced in New Zealand”, including dried chillies rellenos, mole de novias and mole rosa.

RUMOUR MILL

Apparently Charlies Bar on Krd is closing down which, if true, will be a real blow to its extremely loyal and degenerate community of regulars.

According to Cringe reader and Britomart gift card winner Dave, all the remaining retailers in the once great Queens Arcade have been told to vacate by March. Applewood Kitchen Shop, Photo Warehouse, EOS Coffee, and King of Cards – all closing down, or moving.

Lower Queen Street has been on a journey over the last 15 years, as two dollar shops and street parking bays have made way for global luxury brands and tree-lined bike paths. Haute jewellers Graff and Van Cleef & Arpels flank the approach from the waterfront, with Customs Street providing separation from the less glamorous retailers of Commercial Bay and Te Komititanga square – that is, from the stores where Aucklanders actually buy things.

For decades, Queens Arcade has remained a slice of how things used to be amongst the cruise ship-forward shops, holding onto a slowly diminishing number of retailers that, happily, don’t require a doorman in a black suit to deter the merely curious. After Marbecks ended their 90 year presence late last year it was perhaps only a matter of time until the owners, Praesto Property, decided to move the remaining tenants on, presumably in order to refurbish and start again. Hopefully this is an opportunity for rejuvenation via a clutch of new independent shops and eateries, much as STRAND ARCADE HAS DONE, but only the brave would bet against yet more high-end boutiques brought to you by those Queen Street stalwarts, LVMH and RICHEMONT. – Mike

FRIDAY 30TH

MANUEL BUNDY & BOBBY MUKAI
Kemuri Hi Fi, Free
Manuel Bundy is a national treasure.

JULIAN DASHPER MIDWESTERN UNLIKE YOU AND ME
Michael Lett, Free
A restaging of a mid-career Dashper show on its 20th anniversary to start the year off at Michael Lett. Runs till 7 March and it looks like there’s a few Dashper-related events scheduled throughout.

SUMAC
Whammy, $70
Experimental, American post-metal supertrio on their first tour of NZ. According to Pitchfork, their 2024 four-song, 76 minute long album, The Healer is ‘dense and invigorating’.

INFINITE ICON: A VISUAL MEMOIR
In Cinemas
A candid documentary about Paris Hilton, who you will be shocked to hear is, according to the blurb, misunderstood.

SATURDAY 31ST

AFTER THE UNDERCURRENTS
Artspace, Free
Two-fer with Emily Karaka and one of the only good 20th century Australian artists, the late, great Gordon Bennett. Runs till 11 April.

OPERA IN THE PARK
Manurewa Botanic Gardens, Free
A bit of outreach from the NZ Opera with Michaela Cadwgan, Katherine Winitana, Ipu Laga’ia and Joel Amosa, accompanied by keyboardist David Kelly.

L.A.B., STAN WALKER, NESIAN MYSTIK, AARADHNA, TE WEHI
Trust Arena, $137
Nesian Mystik are back!

VOOM + GUESTS
Whammy, $25
Always good.

SUNDAY 1ST

PET FIRST AID COURSE
Pukekohe St John, $189
I’ve never heard of this before and I’m surprised it’s not more of a thing. It seems like a good idea that could save you a fortune at the emergency vets. 

AUCKLAND PRIDE
Various, Till Feb 28
Big programme this year with a lot of interesting looking shows as well as some missed opportunities, like THIS from the Arts House Trust, which is showing an assortment of literal paintings of rainbows – amazing, considering the amount of kooky gay art in their collection. More coverage to come on specific events closer to the date, BTW.

MONDAY 2ND

A EVENING WITH STEVEN PINKER
Bruce Mason, From $56
One of the great American liberal public intellectuals and I suspect he will have some complaints about the current state of things.

WEDNESDAY 4TH

ACES V CANTERBURY
Eden Park, Free
A quirk of cricket economics is that, while going to a domestic T20 game will cost you $20, going to an ODI with the same teams doing the same things for 150% longer is free.

LURKER
Neon Rentals
Alex Russell directs this Talented Mr Ripley-esque thriller about a retail worker who insinuates himself into the life of a popstar. IMDB user evanston_dad says it’s the cringiest movie of 2025! 

THURSDAY 5TH

LANEWAY
Western Springs, From $229
Not sold out so you’ve still got time to get yourself sorted out. Featuring Chappell Roan, Geese, Benne, PinkPantheress and more! Editor’s note: The clash between Wet Leg and PinkPantheress is criminal. And Alex G and oklou?!

SUNSET SOUNDS
Aotea Square, Free
Free, genre-messy show from the council. For everyone too broke for Laneway: TUSEKAH, Club Ruby, Louisa Micklin and PRINS with DJ Tandra holding it all together.

IS THIS THING ON?
In Cinemas
Bradley Cooper is giving it another crack with this well reviewed dramedy (apart from misery factory, IndieWire who called it overlong and self-indulgent). Will Arnett and Laura Dern’s marriage breaks up, so Arnett turns to performing stand up comedy for solace which does not seem like a good decision making to me.