Auckland’s annual ANZAC Eve commemoration returns to Kāhui St David’s, offering a powerful evening of music, reflection and shared remembrance.
To mark Anzac Week, Kāhui St David’s in Grafton will once again host Art of Remembrance on Thursday 24 April 2026. A place where history, culture and community converge, the venue continues its legacy as a living memorial – honouring those who have served while creating space for contemporary connection and reflection.
Originally dedicated as The Soldiers’ Memorial Church, St David’s Memorial Church was founded on Anzac Day 1927 to honour those who served in World War One. Today, as Kāhui St David’s, it remains a place of remembrance for all branches of the New Zealand Defence Force, as well as a vibrant hub for music, storytelling and community gathering.
Honouring the Royal New Zealand Engineers
This year’s commemoration places a special focus on the Royal New Zealand Engineers (RNZE), recognising both past and present members alongside all veterans and serving personnel. Their long-standing connection to St David’s dates back nearly a century and is reflected throughout the space – from memorial plaques to the Sappers’ Chapel and the striking Sappers’ Memorial Window.
At the heart of the service is the Lamp of Remembrance, which burns daily within the chapel. On ANZAC Eve, it is ceremonially re-lit by members of the RNZE for the coming year – a deeply symbolic act representing continuity, service and collective memory.
Paul Baragwanath, Director of Friends of St David’s Trust Kāhui Rangi Pūpū, says the connection remains as meaningful today as ever.
“The relationship between St David’s and the Royal New Zealand Engineers spans nearly a century. This is a place where that history is not only preserved, but actively remembered.
Art of Remembrance allows us to honour the RNZE, alongside all veterans, in a way that brings their legacy into the present – through ceremony, music and community.”
A powerful programme of music and reflection
The 2026 programme brings together leading performers and community voices to create a moving, immersive experience. Through music, spoken word and ceremonial elements, the evening invites attendees to pause, reflect and connect – both with history and with one another.
Set within the beautifully restored heritage space, known for its exceptional acoustics, Kāhui St David’s offers a uniquely intimate way to mark ANZAC Eve – where every note and moment resonates with meaning.
A living ANZAC legacy
Now in its eleventh year, Art of Remembrance continues to evolve as a deeply personal and collective experience. It brings together veterans, whānau, artists and the wider community in a shared act of remembrance – honouring service and sacrifice while carrying those stories forward.
Following the service, attendees are invited to stay for hospitality and explore the Art of Remembrance installation programme, extending the evening’s themes through contemporary art.
Event: Art of Remembrance 2026 – We Will Remember Them
When: Thursday 24 April | 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: Kāhui St David’s, 70 Khyber Pass Road, Grafton, Auckland
Tickets: Free entry – all welcome . To secure tickets, click HERE
Highlights include:
- National Anthem and hymns, led by Soprano Michelle Thorne-McHugh, the Off Broadway Big Band (Bandmaster Paul Radden), and Helen Lukman-Fox (organ)
- Taonga pūoro by Riki Bennett
- Unsung Heroes, performing works reflecting on Passchendaele and the Siege of Tobruk
- Music led by whānau of the 28th Māori Battalion
- University of Auckland Student Choir
- Laying of the wreaths, including:
- 28th Māori Battalion (at plaque)
- Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps (at plaque)
- Royal New Zealand Engineers and other wreaths (Sappers’ Chapel)
- RNZE members will also play a central ceremonial role, including leading the procession, supporting the lighting of the Lamp of Remembrance, and laying a wreath within the Sappers’ Memorial Chapel.
