
The Academy is available for hire for a full range of arts events, conferences and social functions. To enquire about the availability and cost of hiring any of the Academy rooms, or for any other further information, please contact the Academy Manager, Jeremy Bell:
Tel: +64 7 858 5105
Fax: +64 7 858 5113
Email: jjbell@waikato.ac.nz
If dates and rooms are available the manager will forward you the Academy hire form by email.
Venue Hire Rates
Dr John Gallagher Concert Chamber
The Dr John Gallagher Concert Chamber (340 seats, 289 in front of stage) is the largest of the Academy's four main venues. Its high ceiling, attractive wall panels and wooden floors are designed specifically for acoustic chamber music.
Playhouse Theatre
The Playhouse Theatre (183 seats in “end-on” tiered seating configuration, 200 seats for formal dinner at round tables, 300 in banquet style) is a flexible, multi-use, flat floor theatre, ideal for a wide range of events.
Te Whare Tapere Iti
Te Whare Tapere Iti (seating 50 – 150 capacity) is an open floor studio space with beautiful native bush and lake views through its 5 metre high ceiling-to-floor windows. The most intimate of the Academy venues it is designed primarily as a dance studio with a sprung floor for Māori performing arts and dance.
Dance Studio
The Dance Studio (max 112 capacity) is an open studio space with a sprung floor, mirror wall and dance barre. Primarily designed for dance rehearsal it also contains a lighting grid, demountable tiered seating system and black curtains on tracks to enable small-scale theatrical and dance productions.
Upstairs Lounge
The Upstairs Lounge is situated on the first floor of the Academy and looks out over the tree-lined University campus lake. It is an ideal executive venue for a wide range of events such as seminars, workshops, cocktail functions and dinners.
Perry Foundation Playhouse Foyer
The Perry Foundation Playhouse Foyer is situated in front of the Dr John Gallagher Concert Chamber and the Playhouse Theatre with views through the Academy's large glass frontal windows on to the University lakes.
Concert Chamber Foyer
The Concert Chamber Foyer is situated on the ground floor of the Academy in front of the Dr John Gallagher Concert Chamber and is an an ideal venue for executive lunches and smaller scale functions such as awards ceremonies and book launches.
Lake Stage
The Lake Stage (120 seats) is a spectacular open-air circular stage extending over the university lake with an arc of amphitheatre seating.


