Is the capital’s vibecession sinking into the bucket fountain? Will the new library herald a turning point? Or will the hopes of Wellingtonians crumble into the wastewater, only to erupt out onto the footpath about a block down the road.

Join Wellington editor Joel MacManus in a conversation with politics reporter Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and special guests, as they dissect Wellington's wins and woes ahead of the upcoming local election.

-

Joel MacManus is the Wellington Editor of The Spinoff and writes the Wellington issues column, Windbag. Joel won the 2025 Voyager Media Award for Best Columnist, Opinion or Critique.

Lyric Waiwiri-Smith is The Spinoff's politics reporter, writing the Echo Chamber and One MP, One Pint columns. Lyric has worked for TVNZ and Stuff, having begun her reporting career covering entertainment and lifestyle. Her work has also appeared in RNZ, NZ Herald, The Post, Nine and Ensemble Magazine.