The Kiwi Tavern on Britomart Place is currently home to Auckland’s weirdest nightlife experience: Carnival42, a three-ring circus-in-a-bar from ringmasters 42Below.

Declaring itself ‘the real party central’, Carnival42 promises ‘a magical, mystical land of world-class cocktails, served alongside a crazy contingent of contortionists, magicians and fortune tellers’.

Opening for just six weeks over the Rugby World Cup period, Carnival42 pledges to provide ‘the ultimate in Kiwi hospitality, while providing a haven from that other big event, taking place around the same time.’

They promise that the only odd-shaped balls will be the bar staff’s, there won’t be a rugby jersey or a big-screen plasma TV in sight, and if you’re looking for something ‘all black’, it will be served without milk.

There’s a different series of spectacles planned every night, with unicyclists, acrobats, jugglers, burlesque dancers, fire breathers and lion tamers all on the bill – and of course, lashings of freakishly good vodka.

Carnival42
Kiwi Tavern
23 Britomart Place
Tuesday-Sunday 5pm-late

Check out the pics on Facebook