Date: Event Start: 5 September 2025 — Event Stop: 5 October 2025 
Venue: Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre
50 Cable St, Te Aro, Wellington
10:00am – 5:00pm
Cost: $21 adults, $11 under 14 – includes booking fees

The popular World Press Photo Exhibition returns to Wellington, bringing the best and most important photojournalism and documentary photography from around the globe to the capital.

Presented in more than 60 cities each year, the exhibition invites viewers to step outside the daily news cycle and think critically about important topics in our world. Key themes presented this year range from politics, gender meaning and migration, to conflict and the climate crisis.

New Zealand was well represented at the contest this year. Julia Durkin MZNM – Founder and CEO of Auckland Festival of Photography – served on the judging panel for the Asia Pacific & Oceania region as the first ever New Zealander appointed a judge and  Nelson-based photographer Tatsiana Chypsana was the Asia-Pacific & Oceania – Long Term Projects winner, with her powerful series Te Urewera – The Living Ancestor of Tūhoe People.

The global winners were selected from 42 regional winners, which were chosen from 59,320 entries from 3,778 photographers across 141 countries. They were judged first by six regional juries, and the winners were then chosen by an independent global jury of regional jury chairs plus global jury chair.

World Press Photo 1955-2025

Since 1955, the annual World Press Photo Contest has been recognising and celebrating the best in photojournalism and documentary photography and 2025 marks the 70th anniversary of World Press Photo. In addition to the winning photographs, this year’s exhibition will include a special display of 70 years of World Press Photo.

Alongside these two exciting exhibitions of the best from photojournalism from around the globe, there are a dozen other exhibitions presenting the best of photography nearer home.

UNESCO Memory of the World Aotearoa New Zealand Programme

Profiling items of New Zealand’s recorded heritage which have national significance, and cultural or historic value to our country.

UNICEF Children Behind the Headlines

The World Press Photo Exhibition opens our eyes to uncensored realities and the essential role of a free press in showing the world as it is. Children Behind the Headlines continues this journey, shining a light on the lives of children caught in crisis, yet still finding moments of joy, resilience, and stolen childhood. Through UNICEF’s lens, these photographs reveal not only the struggles children endure but also the hope and dignity that carry them forward. Behind every image is a child whose story deserves to be seen - and whose rights must be protected.

TŪHOE Exhibition: Te Rangimoaho Iti (Tūhoe, Maniapoto, Te Arawa, Tainui)

The work of Tama Iti’s grandson profiling his grandfather’s life and activity.

“My world revolves around capturing moments through film and photography. I’m a kōhanga and kura kaupapa kid, so Te Reo Māori and our tikanga are at the core of everything I do. I’ve also developed my skills in traditional Māori art, which has deepened my connection to Toi Māori.”

“For the past three years, I’ve been working with my whānau as part of the Te Mira Collective, focusing on the works of my koro, Tame Iti. This experience has allowed me to contribute to his kaupapa, including ‘I Will Not Speak Māori’ (2022) ‘Tawharautia Mataatua’ (2023) and ‘Haki Ateā’ (2024).”

TE UREWERA: THE LIVING ANCESTORS OF TŪHOE PEOPLE

Tatsiana Chypsanava’s award-winning photographic story of the Tūhoe people of the Te Urewera region, who have maintained a staunch independence. Tūhoe have never lost their connection to their language and cultural identity, and in a groundbreaking 2014 agreement, the New Zealand government opened the way to Tūhoe managing their ancestral lands according to their cultural values.

TAKU AHIKĀROA by Te Wharewaka o Poneke

Practical expressions of manaakitanga passed down by Te Wharepōuri and Hōniana Te Puni.

FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND PERMANENT COLLECTION

Promoting Photography as an art, science and activity since 1953, the society’s collection contains work from some of New Zealand’s greatest photographers, including Brian Brake, Ronald Woolf and George Chance. 

KINDRED SPIRITS

A Collection of Award Winning New Zealand Photographers: Barry Durant, Graham Stewart and Melanie Burford.

PETER BUSH COLLECTION

Recognised as New Zealand’s greatest rugby photographer for more than 50 years, he also (from the late 1940’s onwards) focused his lens on some of Aotearoa’s most important political, social and cultural moments.

“HUMANITY AND EARTH”

A compelling look at the impact of human beings on, and their interaction with, our planet.

TE PAPA COLLECTION

The famous Spencer Digby Ronald Woolf Collection with imagery covering mainly 1934 – 1970.

NATURE SOCIETY

Champion images from the world of nature photographed by members of The Nature Photography Society of New Zealand.

WOOLF 90th ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION

Featuring “Wellington Viewed VIII”, “A Royal Tour”, “Images of Dignity and Hope”, “The Red Chair Project” and “Through a Fathers Eye” plus “The Wellington Photographers” - an invitation exhibition of work by photographers who regularly feature our city and region, including Mark Gee, Neil Price, Mary Livingston and Garry Keating.

THE POST

Images of Wellington’s people and places.