Events and Programming
The Hub, formally Toitū Pōneke Community & Sports Centre, is primarily a community sport and functions venue rather than a conventional concert hall. Its regular activity is built around club sport, training, meetings, prizegivings, fundraisers, workshops, family gatherings, conferences and private celebrations. The venue is home to five member clubs, including Pōneke Football Club, Pōneke-Kilbirnie Softball Club, Wellington Darts Association, Capital Swim Club and Wellington Diving.
Programming is consequently local, practical and community-led. Expect rugby-related gatherings, darts nights, netball and softball functions, training camps, school and family programmes, cultural events, business workshops, social dinners, quiz nights and occasional performances or markets. The venue’s published descriptions emphasise sport, active recreation, community activity, conferences, business meetings and celebrations rather than touring music or large-scale theatre.
Verified examples from 2021 to 2026 show the breadth of use. Wellington Batucada planned a live-entertainment anniversary gathering with a cash bar in August 2021. The venue hosted the Wellington Indoor Sports Club prizegiving in October 2022, and public listings record Junior Darts, a menopause information event, beginner acroyoga workshops and a Christmas market during 2022 and 2023. In 2025, The Hub promoted a fundraising quiz night, while 2026 bookings have included a jet-sport nationals prizegiving, an education-sector dinner and road-safety education sessions.
Recurring activity is more important here than a fixed entertainment season. Wellington Darts Association uses the NZCT Room, where 18 dartboards are installed in wall cabinets, with regular Thursday club play listed from 7.30pm. Pōneke Rugby and affiliated clubs use the centre for club operations, social activity and season celebrations, while the wider rooms are available for workshops, corporate events, training and community gatherings.
Published ticket examples suggest modest, organiser-led pricing rather than a standard venue scale. A 2022 prizegiving ticket was listed at NZ$25, a 2025 fundraising quiz cost NZ$20 per person, a 2026 jet-sport prizegiving ticket was NZ$40 including a buffet, and weekly darts entry has been advertised at NZ$4. Many club activities, community meetings and sports gatherings may be free, donation-based or limited to members, so each organiser sets its own price and entry conditions. ticketfairy.com
Tickets and Booking
The Hub does not publish a permanent box-office programme or a single venue-wide ticketing policy. Tickets, registrations and door entry are normally arranged by the club, school, sporting body, community organisation or private hirer presenting the event. For that reason, check the individual event information for price, age rules, whether food is included, and whether entry is limited to members or invited guests.
For popular club dinners, prizegivings and fundraising events, advance booking is the sensible option because the rooms are flexible but not arena-sized. Tables, chairs and layouts are arranged for each booking, and the venue’s published hire information confirms that room configurations can be adapted for theatre, classroom, boardroom, banquet and other formats. Door sales should never be assumed, particularly when catering numbers or licensed-bar arrangements are involved.
Private and corporate clients book rooms through the venue’s enquiry and availability process. Current published hire information describes different rates for community and sports clubs, private celebrations and non-community users. An older booking document lists community and sports-club room hire at NZ$25 per hour and non-community hire at NZ$50 per hour, plus cleaning and optional audio-visual charges; treat those figures as indicative document rates rather than a guaranteed current quote.
The venue’s current corporate packages begin at published starting prices of NZ$450 for a standard package and NZ$650 for a premium package, with inclusions varying by event. Catering, technical support, room configuration and staffing can add to the total. Bookings are subject to venue review and are not confirmed until the venue accepts them in writing.
About The Hub
The Hub is a modern community and sports centre at 49 Kilbirnie Crescent, beside Kilbirnie Park and close to the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre, Kilbirnie Recreation Centre and Ruth Gotlieb Library. It sits about 3.5 kilometres from both Wellington’s central city and Wellington Airport, making it convenient for eastern-suburbs residents and visiting groups.
Its story begins with Pōneke Football Club, founded in 1883. The club moved to Kilbirnie Park in the 1950s, and its older clubrooms were built and maintained through club effort over many years. By the early 2010s, the building was ageing, underused and expensive to maintain. Pōneke and partner clubs developed a shared-facility model so that several organisations could pool space, administration and operating costs.
The redevelopment was supported by Wellington City Council, community trusts, club savings and substantial volunteer input. Council’s 2017–18 annual report recorded a NZ$750,000 contribution towards the new community and sports hub. The facility was planned through staged works and was expected to be fully operational by early to mid-2017; the organisation records its community impact from 1 May 2017.
There is no single published venue-wide capacity in the current room information. That is important because The Hub is not a fixed-seat auditorium: maximum attendance changes with the room, furniture, fire-safety requirements, stage, bar, catering and event layout. An earlier concept document referred to a large open arrangement for about 120 people, but that should not be treated as a current certified capacity. Ask for the approved capacity for the specific room and configuration before selling tickets.
Seating and Layout
The South Lounge is the principal event room. It measures 15.4 by 11.6 metres and has a polished concrete floor, a stage, a licensed bar, projection facilities, two televisions, tables, chairs and high tables with stools. It opens directly on to the viewing deck overlooking Kilbirnie Park. The North Lounge measures 10.9 by 11.9 metres and has matai floorboards, café-style furniture, projection facilities and views towards the indoor training area.
A mechanical sound-proof folding wall allows the North and South Lounges to operate separately or as one larger open space. The NZCT Room measures 12.4 by 15.7 metres, is carpeted, has a private entrance, a mobile bar or servery, projection and audio-visual facilities, and connects through to the two main lounges.
There are no permanent audience tiers, balcony boxes or fixed theatre seats listed in the venue’s specifications. Theatre-style seating, banquet tables, classroom layouts, boardroom arrangements and open-floor events can be created with movable furniture. For a presentation or small performance, a centred position facing the South Lounge stage should provide the most balanced view; for social events, the deck and bar make the room feel more like a clubhouse than a formal theatre.
The Green Room is a ground-floor indoor training centre measuring 15 by 22.8 metres. It has artificial turf, wall padding, indoor netting, LED lighting, power points and its own access and lobby. It is principally a training space, not a conventional spectator room, and food and drink are not permitted inside it.
Architecture, Sound and Technical Facilities
The building combines a refurbished sports-club character with a contemporary multi-purpose fit-out. Distinctive features include polished concrete in the South Lounge, polished matai floorboards in the North Lounge, large windows overlooking the park, a first-floor deck, sporting memorabilia and club display cabinets. Air conditioning provides heating and cooling in the main rooms, and a lift connects the ground-floor lobby with the first floor.
Published technical information covers practical presentation and event support rather than a full concert production specification. Selected spaces have projectors, display screens, televisions, microphones, sound systems, presentation support, basic lighting and music-playback assistance. Livestream and hybrid-meeting support may be available by arrangement. The available information does not identify a house console, speaker brand, microphone inventory, lighting plot, rigging points or stage dimensions, so touring productions should request a technical assessment before confirming a booking.
Getting There and Parking
The address is 49 Kilbirnie Crescent, Kilbirnie, Wellington. The building is beside Kilbirnie Park, near the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre and Kilbirnie Recreation Centre. From the Kilbirnie shopping and bus-interchange area, walk towards Kilbirnie Park and the aquatic centre along Kilbirnie Crescent; the surrounding sports precinct makes the building easier to identify than its street number alone.
Kilbirnie is a major eastern-suburbs transport hub. Current Metlink network information identifies routes serving Kilbirnie, including routes 2, 3 and 14, with additional services and variations operating through the wider network. Bus stops around Kilbirnie shops and the interchange are the most practical public-transport arrival points. Check the live timetable on the day, especially for late-night and weekend travel, because service patterns can change.
There is no published dedicated The Hub parking tariff. Local Kilbirnie guidance describes free parking in the district, while parking maps show that time limits vary by street and that some nearby facilities have their own conditions. The surrounding aquatic-centre, recreation-centre, park and shopping areas provide the main parking options, but spaces can be busy when several sports activities overlap. Read signs carefully rather than assuming a nearby car park is unrestricted.
Rideshare and taxi passengers should use the Kilbirnie Crescent frontage for drop-off and follow event staff directions if the main entrance is busy. The airport is nearby by road, but the venue is not connected directly to the rail network; visitors arriving by train will need to transfer to a bus or taxi.
Inside the Venue
Inside, the atmosphere is closer to a well-equipped community clubhouse than a formal performing-arts venue. The first-floor rooms are light, open and oriented towards the sports fields. Sporting memorabilia and club displays reinforce the building’s local identity, while the bar, deck and flexible furniture allow an event to move easily between formal seating, socialising and standing areas.
The venue offers a fully licensed bar and in-house catering options. Self-catering may be possible only by prior arrangement and approval. BYO beverages are not permitted. Food, non-alcoholic drinks and free drinking water are covered by the venue’s licensed-premises terms, while the specific menu depends on the event or booking.
Toilets are provided in the main first-floor rooms, including accessible facilities. The NZCT Room has three toilets, and the ground floor includes changing rooms, showers and toilets associated with the sporting facilities. The published information does not confirm a staffed coat check, lockers or a dedicated merchandise counter, so bring only what you need and keep valuables with you.
High-speed fibre Wi-Fi and Sky TV are listed for the first floor. The venue also has projectors, televisions and audio-visual equipment for presentations and entertainment. Connectivity and equipment access may depend on the room and booking package.
Nearby Amenities
The strongest nearby amenity is the Kilbirnie recreation precinct itself. The Hub sits alongside the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre, Kilbirnie Recreation Centre, Ruth Gotlieb Library, Kilbirnie Park and other sports facilities. This makes the area useful for families, sports groups and daytime workshops, although visitors attending a private evening function should confirm which neighbouring facilities are open at that time.
Kilbirnie’s shopping centre and local hospitality businesses are within the wider walking area, but dining and late-night options vary. For an evening event, arrive with enough time to park, walk from the shopping precinct and find the correct room. If your event includes a licensed bar, confirm whether food is included rather than assuming the venue operates as a restaurant on every night.
What Makes This Venue Special
The Hub’s significance comes from the way it reimagined traditional clubrooms. Instead of allowing one ageing building to serve one club for limited hours, Pōneke Football Club and partner organisations created a shared base for sport, recreation, meetings and community life. The model preserves club identity while sharing facilities, costs, administration and social space.
Pōneke Football Club gives the building a substantial sporting heritage. The club was founded in 1883, has produced 20 All Blacks including six former captains according to its current member-club information, and continues to operate senior and junior teams from the Kilbirnie base. The result is a venue where a conference, darts night, rugby gathering and family celebration can occupy the same rooms at different times.
Wellington City Council’s Community Facilities Plan identifies Toitū Pōneke as an example of successful collaboration between neighbouring facilities. The centre’s value is therefore cultural and economic as well as practical: it keeps club activity local, gives community groups an affordable venue, supports volunteer organisations and brings more regular use to an existing sports precinct.
Visitor Tips and Information
Accessibility is a central part of the current facility description. The building has a modern lift, accessible facilities and accessible toilets in the main event rooms. The emergency plan specifically requires staff and wardens to identify people with disabilities and arrange assistance during an evacuation. However, detailed information about hearing loops, tactile signage, sensory facilities, door widths and room-by-room accessible seating is not published, so contact the venue or event organiser before booking if you need a particular accommodation.
The main rules are straightforward: follow the booking agreement, finish within the booked time, remove decorations and hired equipment, do not bring dangerous or hazardous materials, and do not attach structures or fixtures without written approval. Smoke and dry-ice machines require prior arrangement. Media, photography and videography personnel also require management approval.
Alcohol rules are closely controlled. BYO alcohol is prohibited, intoxicated or disorderly people may be removed, accepted identification is limited to a current New Zealand driver licence, current passport or Kiwi Access Card, and alcohol must not be consumed on the surrounding street, footpath or grassed area. There is no general dress code; clothing should suit the particular sporting, business or social event.
For general admission events, arriving 15 to 30 minutes early is sensible. It gives you time to locate the correct lounge, use the facilities, check whether seating is allocated and order food or drinks before the programme begins. For private functions and club events, arrival times are set by the organiser rather than by The Hub itself.
History and Future Plans
The centre’s current chapter focuses on maintaining and improving the shared facility. The Hub and Pōneke Football Club have announced upgrades to ground-floor changing, shower, toilet and storage areas, along with an extension to the viewing deck, planned across the following 12 to 36 months. These works point towards continued investment in club sport, accessible facilities and event use rather than a change into a conventional touring-performance venue.
For 2026 and beyond, the clearest confirmed direction is therefore ongoing sports programming, club activity, community hire, training, workshops, prizegivings, social events and private functions, supported by facility upgrades. No major recurring commercial concert series or fixed theatre season is identified in the published material reviewed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of venue is The Hub in Wellington?
The Hub is a community and sports centre with flexible rooms for club activity, training, meetings, workshops, conferences, celebrations and social events. It is not primarily a touring concert venue or fixed-seat theatre. Its programming is closely connected to local sport, community organisations, private functions and events held by schools, clubs and businesses.
Where is The Hub located?
The Hub is at 49 Kilbirnie Crescent, Kilbirnie, Wellington. It is beside Kilbirnie Park and close to the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre, Kilbirnie Recreation Centre and Ruth Gotlieb Library. The site is approximately 3.5 kilometres from Wellington’s central city and Wellington Airport, making it convenient for eastern-suburbs visitors and travelling groups.
Does The Hub have a published capacity?
No single current venue-wide capacity is published. Attendance depends on the selected room, furniture, stage, catering, bar and approved safety configuration. An earlier planning document referred to an open arrangement for about 120 people, but that is not a current certified capacity. Event organisers should obtain the approved capacity for the exact room and layout before selling tickets.
Are there fixed seats at The Hub?
The published room descriptions list movable tables and chairs rather than permanent audience seating. Events can use theatre-style, banquet, classroom, boardroom, cabaret or open-floor arrangements. The South Lounge has the main stage and is the most likely room for a performance or presentation. Seating style and whether seats are reserved are decided by the individual organiser.
What is the largest event room?
The South Lounge measures 15.4 by 11.6 metres and is the principal event room. It has a stage, bar, projection facilities, televisions, movable furniture and direct access to the viewing deck. It can also be opened to the North Lounge by moving the sound-proof folding wall, creating a larger combined event area.
What events are usually held at The Hub?
Regular and recurring uses include club sport, darts, rugby gatherings, netball and softball activity, training, community workshops, prizegivings, quiz nights, markets, dinners, education sessions and private celebrations. Public examples from recent years include acroyoga workshops, a Christmas market, a menopause information event and sporting prizegivings. Programming is local and varied rather than built around a fixed entertainment season.
How much do tickets usually cost?
There is no standard venue ticket price. Published examples include NZ$4 for a weekly darts session, NZ$20 per person for a fundraising quiz, NZ$25 for a sports prizegiving and NZ$40 for a 2026 prizegiving with buffet food. Other events may be free, donation-based or restricted to members. Always check the organiser’s price, inclusions and age requirements.
Does The Hub have its own box office?
The venue does not publish a standing public box office or permanent ticket calendar. Ticketing is normally handled by the club, organisation, school, business or event producer using the room. Some events may offer door entry, while others require advance registration because of seating, catering or capacity limits. Do not assume tickets will be available on arrival.
Is The Hub suitable for concerts?
It can accommodate small performances, live entertainment and music playback, particularly in the South Lounge, which has a stage, sound system and flexible floor. However, it is principally a community and sports venue. Detailed concert-production information such as speaker brands, lighting plots, rigging and stage dimensions is not publicly listed, so performers should request a technical assessment before booking.
Does The Hub have a bar?
Yes. The South Lounge has a fully operational licensed bar, and the venue can arrange beverage packages, bar tabs and customised options. BYO beverages are not permitted. Alcohol service is subject to New Zealand licensing requirements, accepted identification rules and responsible-service conditions. Food and non-alcoholic options depend on the particular event or catering arrangement.
Can visitors bring their own food?
Self-catering may be possible, but it must be discussed and approved before the booking is confirmed. The venue also offers in-house catering and can discuss dietary requirements and event-style menus. Food and drink are specifically prohibited inside the Green Room training space, which is used for indoor sport and activity.
Is The Hub wheelchair accessible?
The venue describes a modern lift, accessible facilities and accessible toilets in the first-floor event areas. Its emergency plan also includes procedures for assisting people with disabilities during an evacuation. Detailed information about hearing loops, tactile guidance, accessible parking and exact room clearances is not published, so visitors needing specific support should confirm arrangements before attending.
What public transport reaches The Hub?
Kilbirnie is a major Metlink bus hub served by several routes, including routes 2, 3 and 14 in current network information. Alight around Kilbirnie shops or the bus interchange, then walk towards Kilbirnie Park and the aquatic centre. Service numbers and evening frequencies can change, so check the live timetable before travelling.
Is parking available at The Hub?
No dedicated venue parking tariff is published. Parking is available in the surrounding Kilbirnie area, but time limits and conditions vary between streets and nearby facilities. Local guidance describes much of Kilbirnie as free parking, while parking maps identify time-restricted areas. Arrive early for busy sports nights and read every sign before leaving your vehicle.
Does The Hub have Wi-Fi?
High-speed fibre Wi-Fi is listed for the first floor, along with Sky TV. Projectors, televisions, microphones and other audio-visual support are available in selected rooms. Access may depend on the event package or booking arrangement, so conference organisers should confirm whether Wi-Fi and technical assistance are included in their quotation.
Are there toilets and changing facilities?
Yes. The first-floor lounges have separate male, female and accessible toilets, while the NZCT Room has three toilets. Ground-floor changing rooms include shower and toilet facilities for sporting use. The exact facilities available to spectators may depend on which rooms are open for a particular event.
What are the main venue rules?
Hirers must protect the venue and equipment, finish within the booked period, remove decorations, avoid dangerous materials and obtain approval before attaching structures or using smoke or dry ice. BYO alcohol is prohibited, intoxicated or disorderly people may be removed, and alcohol consumption outside the premises is not allowed. Media and commercial photography require management approval.
What improvements are planned for The Hub?
The Hub and Pōneke Football Club have announced upgrades to ground-floor changing, shower, toilet and storage areas, together with an extension to the viewing deck. The published plan covers the following 12 to 36 months. These improvements support the centre’s continuing role as a shared sports, community and event facility.
Is The Hub the same as Toi Pōneke Arts Centre?
No. Toitū Pōneke Community & Sports Centre, known as The Hub, is the Kilbirnie venue at 49 Kilbirnie Crescent. Toi Pōneke Arts Centre is a separate creative arts organisation in central Wellington. The similar names can cause confusion, so check that an event listing identifies Kilbirnie Park and the community sports centre before travelling.
