The Wellington Advent Calendar Has Started

There are, in fact, advent calendars for adults. Boozy month-long deliveries of beer, wine, gin and whiskey; 24 days of different tea leaves and fresh bean grinds; advent face scrubs; Christmas perfumes; December days of incense, hands creams and sex toys. There’s something for nearly every taste. And for those who really dig Wellington (yep, right here), there’s the Wondrous Wellington Advent Calendar.

The Wondrous Wellington Advent Calendar, as its affectionately and officially known, has 24 treats hiding behind 24 of Welly’s street art-covered walls. Each day in the lead up to Christmas, people are invited to digitally open a wee door to find the next Wellington-based Xmas present.

Five local artists were commissioned to do their thing across the 24 secret CBD locations, which are now up on the website and getting ravaged by locals and visitors alike.

At the time of writing (December 5), we’d already been treated to $2 bao buns at The Old Quarter, 2-for-1 cupcakes at Sweet Bakery & Cakery, a Spring Spa discount, and beer and cheese tasting paddles at Fortune Favours. And there plenty more days in the month to open doors and receive more.

Meet the Wellington Advent Calendar artists:

Gina Kiel

A regular at international group shows, Gina’s reputation is built around her astoundingly gooey flow and the fact she’s hand-painted some of Wellington’s most recognisable street art.

Sean Duffell

A former graphic designer turned graffiti artiste, Duffell is all about flavoursome large-scale murals. His art is somewhat totem-poley, a little BEASTMAN-esque and totally mesmerising.

Xoë Hall

The artist behind the massive Bowie installation on Ghuznee Street, this self-professed “bespoke decorator of second skins” is into sparkles, glitter and new age pop art.

Dside

Dside’s intricate and detailed character-based murals are like a more artistic and less frantic Rocco’s Modern Life. Very quirky and very pleasing to the eye.

Mica Still

This American-born artist/drawer/painter/muralist/tiger mum/Goonie/Endo advocate has splashed her wolves and tigers all over Wellington and the city is better off for it. Colour meets temperament with her t-shirt-worthy artworks.

words by niall roeder