Dying Matters Week connects people across Aotearoa to start conversations in a safe space, learn from local experts and seek support to plan for later life and end-of-life and to navigate grief and loss.
Shaping Your Legacy
In 2026, Dying Matters Week is focusing on empowering you to make informed and meaningful decisions about the future, for yourself and for those you care about. We recognise that everyone’s perspectives, beliefs, and experiences are different, so we’ve created a range of ways for you to connect with and explore this important topic. You can download and print event posters and other marketing material from our event toolkit.
Dying Matters Week 2026
– Get Involved!
Get involved in Dying Matters Week, running events, volunteering, giving talks or sponsoring programmes. Stay up to date with the latest events, resources, and discussions via our monthly newsletter.
What’s happening in your location?
2026 programmes coming soon. Click on the images below to take a look at last year’s events in your region.
For more information on hosting events in your region, please check out our Event Toolkit or email [email protected]
2026 event activities
Every region designs their programme based on the needs of their communities. Some of the activities happening this year include:
Whangārei Expo Event
A FREE two-day expo bringing together 100+ local organisations, service providers, a speaker series, interactive workshops and many experts.
Taranaki Rural Community Event
An expert panel bringing together trusted local organisations, rural professionals, and real-life experiences to help farming families navigate the conversations that matter most, before crisis forces them.
Hands-on Workshops
Take part in practical workshops on Advance Care Planning, DIY Funeral Workshops, memory box making, coffin-making, navigating grief, and more.
Educational Talks & Presentations
Attend free talks from experts on topics including: natural death care, what happens to the body near end-of-life, wills and getting your affairs in order, and more.
Online Events & Podcasts
Join from anywhere in New Zealand for new perspectives on grief, death in different cultures, the end-of-life journey and more.
Conversation Spaces
Connect with others and start important conversations at a local Death Cafe or as part of a Grief Circle or Support Group.
Book Displays
Browse books for adults and children, about end-of-life, health journeys and grief in local libraries and bookstores.
Go with Grace is a treasure box of stories, resources and knowledge to help people prepare for death, care for the dying and live with grief and loss. Offering comfort, honesty and practical advice, Go with Grace shows real leadership in opening up kōrero that matter and stands as a trusted, compassionate guide when people need it most.
Hospice New Zealand
In the media
Click on the links below to listen to podcasts, watch tv shows and read articles about Dying Matters Week.
- Dying Matters Week is all about facing one of the inevitable parts of life: death
- Dying Matters Week 2025 Podcast
- Community Event Discusses Death, Dying & Grief
- Dying Matters Week events in Gisborne
- Doulas Helping People Treat Death as a Journey
- RNZ with Kathryn Ryan on the Nine to Noon show
- End of Life Doula Alliance Aotearoa Interview with TVNZ
- Dying Matters Week – Pacific Days Interview
- Tangihanga: Stage show opens Dying Matters Week 2025
Videos and recordings from Dying Matters Week
View copies of visual presentations and video recordings made at events and workshops during Dying Matters Week 2025 or visit the Go With Grace YouTube channel…
2025 Dying Matters Week Photo Gallery
2025 national partners
It was wonderful to see national organisations around New Zealand sharing Dying Matters Week events with their communities – this really helps spread the word. A special thanks to our national partners; Hospice New Zealand, The Eldernet Group, and ELDAA (End of Life Doulas Alliance Aotearoa).
“Go With Grace has been a partner of North Haven Hospice’s for almost 3 years now, and a beneficial contributor to our services and mission of expanding knowledge, conversations and compassionate communities around death and dying.
North Haven Hospice has been a key participant in the inaugural event of Dying Matters Week NZ, and it has been wonderful to see Katy Mandeno and her team extend this into wider New Zealand regions and communities. We have engaged with the event with key staff members speaking and presenting at both events
held in the last 2 years and will continue to support the development of the event as part of the “Shaping Your Legacy” event to be held in September 2026.
We remain an ongoing partner of Go With Grace and their endeavours to educate and support our communities in a space where the conversations are hard, people feel lost and often don’t know where to turn.”
Dr Warrick Jones, Medical Director, North Haven Hospice