Nights

What does the future hold for Iran and who might lead it?

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Middle East expert and University of Otago lecturer Dr Leon Goldsmith joins Emile Donovan.

European correspondent Christian Smith

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Christian Smith dials in from London with news from the other side of the world.

Sociolinguist, Julia de Bres on the classic kiwi 'yeah-nah' 

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's our monthly chat with Nights' resident sociolinguist, associate professor Julia de Bres.

Should e-scooters belong in cycle lanes?

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The change us a fleet of 'common sense' transport policies being proposed by the government,

The story behind our retail crime statistics 

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Nicholas Dynon is a security risk consultant and chief editor of NZ Security Magazine, a director at Optic Security, and joins Emile Donovan.

Why were athletes from Norway so successful at the Winter Olympics?

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Geir Jordet is a Professor of Sport Psychology in Oslo and is the author of Pressure: Lessons from the Psychology of the Penalty Shoot Out. 

Shower Thoughts: Is my phone listening to my conversations?

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Chen is a technology ethics researcher and joins Nights to explain.  

Three nights in Dunedin with Pulp's Jarvis Cocker

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Bruce Mahalski from the Dunedin Museum of Natural Mystery tells Emile what it was like hosting a Britpop icon.

What's behind New Zealand's fast property market?

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Property economist at Opes Partners Ed McKnight joins Emile Donovan

Understanding the Tourette's episode at the Baftas

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

General Manager of Tourette's Association of Aotearoa New Zealand Emma Henderson joins Emile Donovan.

What the new Star Wars movie trailer reveals

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Christian Long is lecturer in film at the University of Otago and joins Emile Donovan.

Sports with Richard Irvine

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Writer and sports fan Richard Irvine joins Emile Donovan to talk about what's been happening in the world of sport.

What are your rights when it comes to neighbour's trees

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Senior Associate at Smith and Partners Lawyers,  Nathan Tetzlaff joins Emile Donovan.

Small Histories with Emma Kay

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, a tale of a sea monster spotted off the West Coast and the chaos it caused.

Why we could find ourselves caught between superpowers over global supply of critical minerals?

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Newsroom.co.nz reporter Fox Meyers has been looking into the issue, and he joins Emile Donovan.

Out Lately with Finn Johansson

20 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

He's back, and no doubt ready to inform, educate and entertain us with an array of eclectic music.

This Weekend: The Regent Theatre 24 hour book sale

20 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Convenor of the Regent Theatre 24 Hour Book Sale in Dunedin, Kathleen Wallace joins Emile Donovan.

What constitutes a superhero?

20 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Auckland-based comic book enthusiast and superman superfan Stein Dando joins Emile Donovan.

Who is Japan's new leader?

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Japan's Sanae Takaichi has been reelected as Japan's leader with her ruling party consolidating power. Takaichi won enough to take an outright majorit...

The world's only crab museum?

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We're off to Margate in the South of England to speak to Ned Suesat-Williams, who is co-founder and director of the Crab Museum.

Have fringe festivals lost their way?

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Some would say they have morphed into something quite different from the original concept.

The House

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Our report from Parliament with Louis Collins who looks at what Parliament's newest MP Georgie Dansey said in her maiden statement.

American military buildup in Middle East - is war imminent?

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

War between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States seems closer than ever, with an American military buildup underway in the Middle East. ...

The growing popularity of admin parties

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's the brainchild of American writer Chris Colin, who joins Emile Donovan.

European correspondent Christian Smith

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Christian Smith dials in from London with news from the other side of the world.

Inside the world of online prediction markets

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Weijers from Waikato University wrote his post-doctorate on the ethics of using prediction markets to forecast terrorist attacks, and joins Emile ...

The remarkable story behind the NZ Liberation Museum 

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Jacob Siermans from the New Zealand Liberation Museum joins Emile Donovan.

Shower Thoughts: Can bugs can survive in the vacuum cleaner?

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Jenny Jandt is a Senior Lecturer in Zoology at the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka and joins Emile Donovan to answer this questi...

Generational portrait project captures how we age

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Artist Charlie Fox joins Emile Donovan to discuss his time lapse portrait project.

The drive to get New Zealanders living abroad to vote

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Tracey Lee is the founder of Every Kiwi Vote Counts, an initiative to drive up overseas voting, and she joins Emile Donovan.

Update on storm and flooding

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's been another day of wild weather across the country. We update the latest information.

Outrageous backstage riders with promoter Brent Eccles

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Brent Eccles joins Emile Donovan to talk about some memorable backstage dressing room requests-

Sports with Richard Irvine

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Writer and sports fan Richard Irvine joins Emile Donovan to talk about what's been happening in the world of sport.

Small Histories with Emma Kay

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, she has love on her mind.

Why car indicators seem out of synch?

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

AA Principal Policy Adviser Terry Collins joins Emile Donovan to explain.

Are we ready for AI this election year?

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Public law specialist Marcus Ganley has been looking into AI regulation in elections overseas and joins Emile Donovan.

Latest on severe weather 

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

RNZ reporter Krystal Gibbens joins us with the latest information.

Short-Cuts with Dan Slevin

13 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Nights’ resident screen critic, Dan Slevin joins Emile Donovan for some picks ahead of the weekend.

House burping - social media trend or healthy habit?

13 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Vikram Niranjan joins Emile Donovan to discuss whether the trend actually makes a home healthier.

The legacy of architect Pip Cheshire

13 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Andrew Barrie from the University of Auckland's School of Architecture & Planning joins Emile Donovan.

Latest on the wild weather

13 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Tairāwhiti Civil Defence controller Ben Green and Met Service Meteorologist, John Law for the latest.

New tool to identify flood-prone Auckland properties

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It aims to give potential buyers better information about a property's flood risk level.

How the rocket lettuce reveals the history of Italian migration

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Matt Absalom is a Senior Lecturer, Italian Studies at the University of Melbourne and joins Emile Donovan to explain.

In defence of Te Papa and its unseen national art collection

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Art critic, curator, writer and academic Dina Jezdic joins Emile Donovan. 

The geography of personal tax

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen joins Emile Donovan to explain the regional variations in tax takes.

The implications of the rise in the space launch limit

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of Canterbury Laura Revell joins Emile Donovan to discuss the change, and the rise of space i...

Auckland academic on Epstein files link

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Brian Boyd joined Emile Donovan to talk about being in the files and the taint that comes with being associated with a figure like Epstein.

European correspondent Christian Smith

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Christian dials in from Amsterdam with news from the other side of the world.

The challenges of being a centrist political party in New Zealand 

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

University of Canterbury associate sociology professor Dr Mike Grimshaw joins Emile Donovan.

The death of the paperback

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What's behind the demise of what used to be the most popular reading format in the world?

Shower Thoughts: Why are we more exposed to sunburn than the rest of the world?

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Ben Liley is an atmospheric scientist at Earth Science's Lauder research station and joins Emile Donovan to explain.

Reversing the flow on toilet inequity

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Architect Daniel Thompson joins Emile Donovan to discuss the issue of inequality when it comes to toilet queues.

Why is the Christchurch mosque shooter back in court?

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Public law expert professor Andrew Geddis from the University of Otago joins Emile Donovan.

Could you be the government?

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Amidst a swathe of government shutdowns and mass redundancies in the United States of America, Alexandra Petri decided she would find out for herself...

Sports with Jamie Wall

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

RNZ sports reporter Jamie Wall joins Emile in the studio to talk about the sports stories making the news, including Super Bowl Monday.

Small Histories of New Zealand with Emma Kay

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week Emma looks at the history of school holidays and how we ended up with the four-term system in use today.

Where to now for Auckland's flip-flop housing plan?

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Bill McKay is Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland and joins Emile Donovan to discuss uncertainty around Auckla...

Trading in nostalgia

05 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Did you collect comics as a kid? Or trade Weet-bix cards? Scott Waldrom of this weekend's Card and Collectables Show explains why nostalgia is such...

Flexing it: The Push-Up Challenge

05 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Starting today, thousands of Kiwis are gearing up to get moving for mental health with the nationwide launch of The Push-Up Challenge. 

Calling all curlers in the north!

05 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Auckland is about to get its own slice of curling history - a dedicated rink is opening in the city this year. 

Nights at the Museum: The Disgusting Food Museum

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Based in the Swedish city of Malmo, the Disgusting Food Museum features more than 80 foods from dozens of countries, including fermented shark, baby m...

What words would you find in a New Zealand-specific dictionary?

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Nights' resident sociolinguist Julia de Bres spent her summer break, as all linguists do, reading a dictionary: The Book of New Zealand Words (2013...

The psychology of queuing

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Chief Social Scientist at the Curiosity Company Carl Davidson explains why human beings love forming single-file queues.

Becoming Australia

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Lawyer and political commentator Liam Hehir joins Nights to give the counter-argument for New Zealand becoming the seventh state of Australia.

Exploring the mysteries of the wild pigeon

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Nottingham University's Will Smith has been studying them in Scotland's Outer Hebrides since 2019 and joins Emile to share his research.

Shower Thoughts: What do 'best boys' do?

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, we demystify the title of best boy, as well as many other obscure film jobs, with none other than talented New Zealand filmmaker Rob Sarkie...

Kiwis find bad language on air increasingly offensive

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Broadcasting Standards Authority chief executive Stacey Wood breaks down the findings with Emile.

Te Papa's unseen national art collection

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Listener's Paul Little has spoken to critics, artists and gallerists who argue that a significant part of our visual story remains unseen and unt...

How embracing the hard tasks can actually be good for you

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Heard of 'friction-maxxing'? Director of the New Zealand Institute Wellness and Resilience Dr Denise Quinlan joins Emile Donovan to discuss whether ...

European correspondent Christian Smith

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Christian Smith joins Emile to discuss the latest news from Europe including Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor facing more scrutiny over the release of the l...

Sport with Jamie Wall

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Nights sports ace Jamie Wall joins Emile in our Auckland studio to talk about Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the men’s T20 World Cup and New Zeala...

Epstein files expose power and influence

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Field, who is Associate Professor and Head of the School of Humanities at Canterbury University, joins Emile to discuss.

Short-Cuts with Dan Slevin

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Nights' resident screen critic, Dan Slevin, is back for the first edition of Short-Cuts for 2026! Tonight he's taking a look at It Was Just an Acciden...

The Weekend: Latin Festival

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Time to highlight a weekend event - and we're heading to Christchurch! Tomorrow you can feel the beat of salsa and cumbia, and smell fresh empanadas a...

Are trading card thefts being taken seriously enough?

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Trading cards might sound like child games - but some are worth more than a house. One Pokémon card sold for nearly nine million dollars. And where t...

A new public work for Wellington

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

City Gallery Wellington is on the hunt for a crowning glory to sit atop its reclaimed site in Ngakau Square, inviting pitches from local artists for a...

Ockham New Zealand Book Awards longlist revealed

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The 2026 longlist for The Ockham New Zealand Book Award was announced today, with familiar names like Dominic Hoey, Duncan Sarkies and Catherine Chidg...

Wētā FX put their mark on Stranger Things

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In the midst of receiving Academy Award and BAFTA nominations for their work on Avatar: Fire and Ash, Wellington's own Wētā FX have been celebrating...

AI building tools come with risks

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's never been easier to design your dream home using AI-generated tools. But a leading construction expert warns that New Zealand homeowners coul...

What is hyrox and why is everyone talking about it?

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Gary Moodie, owner of Flex Fitness gyms in Kaiapoi and Rangiora is about to compete in his very first Hyrox race.

Nights Science with Ezzy Pearson

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Nights science correspondent Ezzy Pearson joins Susana Lei'ataua to talk clever cows and moon landings.

Young New Zealanders say the system is broken and they feel powerless to fix it

28 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Susana Lei'ataua talks to Outward Bound CEO Malindi MacLean.

Humanity’s oldest known cave art

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Renaud Joannes-Boyau led the team that discovered handprints more than 67,000 years old in Indonesia.

Shower Thought: Why are agapanthus everywhere?

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

To help us unpack Nights speaks to Murray Dawson - a botanist at Manaaki Whenua  Landcare Research who has spent years breeding low‑fertility a...

Legs out, rain or shine: Just the Kiwi way?

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

New Zealanders are famous for many things, but apparently nothing makes us stand our more than wearing shorts in the freezing rain or snow while out i...

Two thirds of New Zealanders have seen extreme content online

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The internet has long been seen as a wild west and a new report shows it might be even worse than previously thought.

Our enduring fascination with Stonehenge

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Stonehenge expert Julian Richards will be at the Whanganui Regional Museum this Thursday to give a public talk about one of the world's enduring my...

BBC World Service Lookahead with Rob Hugh-Jones

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We cross to the BBC World Service to take a look at some of the events making international headlines.

Sport with Jamie Wall

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a whirlwind few weeks in New Zealand rugby with the shock sacking of All Blacks coach Scott Robertson after a couple of years that were mayb...

Small Histories with Emma Kay

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight she's talking about our somewhat complex web of provincial anniversary days.

In a changing world, how does New Zealand find its way?

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Leishman speaks to Nicholas Ross Smith, a senior research fellow at Canterbury University's National Centre for Research on Europe.

Out Lately with Finn Johansson

19 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

He's back for the last time in 2025, and no doubt ready to inform, educate and entertain us with an array of eclectic music.

Short-Cuts with Dan Slevin

19 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nights' resident screen critic joins Emile Donovan to review the year in movies. 

When things go wrong for Santa

19 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

RNZ Producer Angie Skerrett has been looking at times when things haven't quite gone according to plan.

Why does time seem to go so fast? 

19 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hinze Hogendoorn is a Professor in Visual Time Perception at the Queensland University of Technology and he joins Emile Donovan..

How do I stop spiders living in my wing mirrors?

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Pest control expert Heiko Kaise joins Emile Donovan to answer this question.

Science with Ezzy Pearson

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, some Xmas themed science research, including the science of cooking the perfect turkey.

Christopher Tubbs on DJing, the vibe, the music and why dancing is for everyone

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The DJ, producer, and 'godfather of Kiwi club culture' joins RNZ Nights.

Philosophy Now with Dan Weijers

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight's question: Is advertising actually a good idea?

End of year reflections with RNZ Nights' Tim Miller

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our executive producer pops along with some sage reflections on the nature of sport and success in this his final show of the year