Our March issues sort of write themselves: it's the kind of autumnal content that our city is extremely good at. The balloons and both the Boon Street Art festival and the Festival of the Weird are all annual staples, and they all happen in March. There’s also a heap of sporty things, as the heat eases, like the half marathon and the five-bridges swim.

February is all about the Arts Festival, and we are in time to be your discerning guide: our theatre editor Louise Drummond (herself a staple on the Kirikiriroa theatre scene for many years) puts together her picks for what is likely to be very good.