Michelangelo: a different view
Te Pae, Christchurch | 18 December 2026 to 17 January 2027
TICKETS: STETSONGROUP.COM

Under license from the Vatican Museums, this exhibition offers the most complete and authentic reproduction of Michelangelo’s beautiful ceiling frescoes of the Sistine Chapel to be shown outside the Vatican

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 Christchurch!
Michelangelo – A Different View will be presented at Te Pae, Christchurch’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 18 December through to 17 January, 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 View invites 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 21 years as an operatore didattico at the Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s Basilica, and the Vatican Museums’ Papal Art Galleries.