Most New Zealanders will never get the chance to see Michelangelo’s breath-taking Sistine Chapel frescoes in person, so this summer under licence from the Vatican Museums, they’re coming exclusively to Wellington!
Michelangelo – A Different View will be presented at Tākina, Wellington’s premier convention and exhibition centre, and brought to you by The Stetson Group — the team behind the record-breaking The Art of Banksy exhibitions in Auckland (2018) and Wellington (2025).
This once-in-a-lifetime event runs from 22 December through to 8 February, featuring over 50 stunning pieces, including a life-sized reproduction of The Genesis, famously painted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. But instead of craning your neck to look up, A Different Viewinvites you to experience Michelangelo’s genius from an entirely new perspective – from above and up close.
This immersive experience, complete with audio guide, allows visitors to admire every intricate detail of Michelangelo’s work, many from just two metres away – offering a far more intimate and comfortable viewing experience than in the Vatican itself, where some 20,000 people queue daily for a glimpse.
Enhancing the exhibition further, VIP guided tours will be led by Dr Christopher Longhurst, a theologian and aesthete who served for 17 years as an operatore didattico at the Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s Basilica, and the Vatican Museums’ Papal Art Galleries.
Dr Longhurst says Michelangelo –A Different View offers an up-close and personal view of one of art history’s most extraordinary, complex, and timeless visual masterpieces.
| Tākina, Wellington, | 22 December 2025 to 8 February 2026 |
| Tickets on sale TODAY via Stetsongroup.com Early Bird $39* | From 22 December $45* Children 12 and under FREE (must be accompanied by an adult) |