HERstory Voices of Courage

HERstory 2026 returns for its sixth year.

And it has become one of Nelson’s most talked-about nights.

This is not a standard evening out.

This is a room full of real women telling real stories that stay with you long after you leave.

Four speakers. Four new stories. One local singer, one unforgettable night.

This year we welcome three new voices to the HERstory stage, and a new voice!

Local women from right here in Nelson.

Not distant speakers. Not polished performances. Not stories designed to impress.

Just real lives, told with honesty, courage, and no attempt to make things look easier than they were.

Women you could sit next to at school pickup. At work. In the supermarket queue. In your street.

And that is exactly what makes this night stay with you.

Because this is not happening somewhere else.

It is happening here.

There is no pedestal here.

Just women telling the truth of what they have lived through, and what it cost, and what they learned along the way.

And when that kind of honesty is spoken out loud in a room full of people, something shifts.

One story will make you laugh unexpectedly.

And one might catch you so off guard you realise you have stopped breathing for a moment.

Stories matter because they remind us that most people are carrying far more than they ever say out loud.

And in that recognition, something opens.

Every year, HERstory has grown.

Every year, it has sold out.

And every year, people leave saying the same thing.

I did not expect it to affect me like that.

So do not leave this one too late.

Bring your friends. Bring your mother. Bring the people you love, and, yes, the guys too!

Come ready for something real.

And leave different from how you arrived, even if only in a quiet way, you cannot quite explain.

HERstory proudly supports The Nelson Women's Centre and the outstanding work they do for our lovely community.