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Visit New Zealand During the Festivals.
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The Practical Guide of the Activity.
- 1A Hundred of Festivals in New Zealand!
- 2Public Holidays in New Zealand.
- 3Which Festivals to Attend During Your Stay?
- 4The Best Festivals in New Zealand.
A Hundred of Festivals in New Zealand!
The number of festival is one of the highest in the world.
For a small country with only 4.5 million inhabitants, New Zealand offers an extraordinary number of festivals. Whatever the period of the year in which you visit the country, there will be plenty of opportunities to discover Maori culture and the New Zealand gastronomy.
With more than 100 referenced festivals, you can attend a film screening in a botanical garden, watch a sailing race or explore the local culture in a festive atmosphere with barbecues...
There are so many possibilities, but don't panic, I will help you choose!
I will, of course, give you the links to the official websites of every festival where you will get more practical details.
At the end of the page, you will also find our friend Ben the Kiwi who manage his own question and answer section.
Chinese New Year is an important event in Auckland.
But before going on with the list of festivals, I suggest you consider the list of public holidays in New Zealand.
Booking a flight to arrive in a country with all the shops closed is not the best idea one can have.
Public Holidays in New Zealand.
The national holiday celebrates the rapprochement of communities.
Public holiday often rhyme with festivals in New Zealand. And to the national festivals one must add the festivals of each region which celebrate their own anniversary dates.
The region festivals' dates being not fixed, you will pardon me for not quoting them here.
Here is the list of major public holidays:
| Public Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year's Holiday | January 1st and 2nd |
| National Day (Waitangi Day) | February 6th |
| Good Friday | March |
| Easter | April |
| ANZAC Day | April 25th |
| Queen's Birthday | First Monday of June |
| Labor Day | 4th Monday of October |
| Christmas | December 25th |
| Boxing Day | December 26th |
Public holidays are to be taken into account during the organization of your stay. Consult the list of school holidays of the year on the official website of the government.
Which Festivals to Attend During Your Stay?
Do not miss the festivals during your trip.
To help you plan your trip, I have divided the country's top festivals into three distinct categories. You can easily spot the festivals taking place during your stay or according to the season.
The Must-Do Festivals
Guaranteed atmosphere with these international festivals which justify that you plan the dates of your trip to match the festival's ones.
The Original Festivals
These festivals are worth a visit, especially if you have some free time during your stay. As the name suggests, originality makes all the difference.
The Small Festivals
These festivals are not essential, but if they are on your itinerary, you can give them a try or follow your motivated friends.
The Best Festivals in New Zealand.
- All New Zealand Festivals
- Spring Festivals (Sept, Oct, Nov)
- Summer festivals (Dec, Jan, Feb)
- Autumn Festivals (Tue, Apr, May)
- Winter festivals (June, July, August)
Open Men's International Tennis
One of the first ATP tournaments of the year is held in the ASB Tennis Center of Auckland and opposes the best players in the world.
Auckland Seafood festival
Tastings of seafood in a festive atmosphere with fireworks.
Auckland Anniversary Regatta
The biggest regatta of the year with more than 500 participants takes place on the Monday of the last week of January.
Big Day Out
The biggest festival of the year in New Zealand is famous for its concerts that attract international stars as well as artists from the alternative kiwi scene.
Music & Movies in Parks
Free concerts and films screened outdoors in the parks.
Auckland Lantern Festival
The Chinese community of Auckland celebrates the New Year in a spectacular way during three days of parades and evening shows with lanterns.
Waitangi Day
The celebrations of the national holiday which take place the 6th of February (the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi) focus on Maori culture and tradition.
Pasifika Festival
The largest festival dedicated to Polynesian culture attracts exhibitors from all the Pacific islands. Dances, concerts, tastings and exhibitions are featured in the Western Spring Parks in early March.
Auckland Festival
Do not miss the most important artistic festival of New Zealand that takes place in odd years.
Matariki Festival
The Maori New Year, which takes place from mid-June to mid-July, is a great opportunity to get acquainted with the culture of the country.
NZ International Film Festival
Screening of foreign films, some of which competed at the Cannes Film Festival.
Diwali Festival of Lights
The most important festival of the Auckland Indian community takes place in the Vidaduct Basin and has a magical atmosphere.
Farmers Santa Parade
The big Christmas parade is followed by free concerts.
Summer City Festival
A great summer festival that starts on New Year's Day and lasts two months with countless cultural activities and screenings of outdoor movies.
Cuba Street Carnival
The colorful carnival of Wellington takes place in odd years in Cuba St, the most famous street of the capital of New Zealand.
New Zealand Festival
This festival, which lasts three weeks (from February to March), is organized in even-numbered years and includes a considerable number of animations with excellent concerts and attractions (but alas paid ones most of the time).
Air New Zealand Cup
The Westpac stadium hosts the rugby championship with the best teams of every provinces.
Dunedin Summer Festival
The main festival of the region with shows, markets, exhibitions ... for almost a month between February and March.
Rippon Vineyard
Every year this world-famous triathlon attracts athletes who compete in one of the most beautiful panoramas in the world.
Queenstown Bike Festival
This 376 km race is to be traveled on foot, by mountain bike or by kayak along the old path of the gold diggers.
Warbird Over Wanaka
Come and admire the greatest mountain biking champions on the vertiginous slopes of Queenstown near Lake Wakatipu.
Winter Festival
A great arts festival (music, dance, theater ...) is held every two years for a whole week.
Marlborough Wine Festival
Tastings of the best wines of the Hawkes Bay with producers of Napier and Hastings.
Rotorua Bike Festival
Come and admire the champions of mountain biking compete and achieve spectacular jumps on the trails of the Redwoods forest.
Women's International Tennis
The ASB Classic is a women's tennis tournament where the best players in the world compete.
Big Gay Out
New Zealand legalized gay marriage in 2013, but there is still a long way to go and the New Zealand Gay Pride organizes parades and open-air concerts.
Starlight Symphony
The Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra performs classical works and pieces of the Lord of the Rings for free in the Auckland Domain Park.
NZ International Comedy Festival
From mid-April to early May, this festival of laughter takes place in most major cities of the country.
NZ Boat Show
Anyone who owns a boat (or any floating object) is invited to join.
HSBC Coastal Classic
At the end of October, a hundred sailboats race from Devon Port to Russell in the Bay of the islands.
Adidas Auckland Marathon
This marathon borrows the Harbor bridge closed to traffic for the occasion.
Manukau Festival of Arts
Musics, dances, films, arts and crafts in the honor of the Pacific arts.
Christmas in the Park
A great party for all ages is held in the Auckland Domain Park before Christmas.
NZI Sevens
The Rugby World Cup is a major event in Wellington, with the 16 best teams of the country, at the Westpac Trust Stadium.
The Fringe NZ Festival
A great festival dedicated to theater and dance.
NZ International Comedy Festival
The festival of laughter presents local and international comedians for three weeks.
The Food Show
The festival of the arts of the table where every kind of kitchen are in the honor.
Christchuch Art Festival
Christchurch celebrates the arts every odd year and the ice dome is set up in Cathedral Square for two months.
Cardbury chocolate Carnival
Innovative and experimental arts are honored.
Challenge Wanaka
For almost 40 years this festival has existed, the formula is still not used and the folk music is doing well.
Festival of colour
One of the largest aviation meetings is held for three days in even years when the warplanes of the Second World War are flying again.
WOMAD
New Plymouth hosts artistic performances in the outdoor concert hall of Brooklands Bown.
Wild Food
This festival proposes to you to test the flavors of larvae or insects in a festive atmosphere conducive to challenges between friends.
Luminate Festival
From the end of February to the beginning of March, this festival of sound and light encourages the original visual creations.
HSBC Round The Bay
The largest marathon in the world held in mid-March and attracts over 70,000 participants on the 8.4-kilometer seafront of Auckland.
Auckland Cup Week
The largest horse race of the year takes place at Ellersie.
Royal Easter Show
A small festival dedicated to farmers and farm products.
Out Takes
This festival of gay and lesbian cinema is held from the end of May to the beginning of June.
Air New Zealand Fashion Week
Organized around the Viaduct Basin of Auckland, the festival of fashion reunites the best creators of the country.
Heritage Festival
Free visits of the country's heritage places.
Sovereign Harbour Crossing
The best swimmers in the country swim across the port of Auckland.
World of Wearable Art Awards
A festival of colorful fashion where artists dare the most eccentric creations.
Toast Martinborough
Come and taste the best White Sauvignons produced in the Marlborough region.
World Buskers Festival
Street art in Christchurch during the last week of January.
NZ Cup and Show Week
The racecourses at Addington Raceway and Riccarton Raceway host horse races, fashion shows and concerts punctuated by fireworks.
Splore
One of the biggest New Zealand wine festivals where more than 50 producers participate!
National Jazz Festival
The most important Southern Hemisphere Jazz Festival featuring international stars.
Orientation Week
Older students organize city tours for newcomers and it's an interesting approach to make friends and discover Dunedin from another angle.
A Guide Written by William.
Founder of Kiwipal, New Zealand Travel Guide.
Questions & Answers.
What can I do for you? You'll always find me on the street during the big summer festivals. If I can help you choose activities, do not hesitate to contact me.
- How to get more info about cultural shows?
The "Event Finder" website which lists every concert, show or festival is fantastic.Event Finder
- Is there a gay pride in New Zealand?
Yes, and I recommend you to check the Auckland Pride Festival website for more information. Remember that New Zealand legalized gay marriage in 2013.Auckland Gay Pride
Ask Questions to William.
Without planning your whole stay around a festival, I advise you to watch at least the agenda before your departure.
It would be a shame to miss the start of a great regatta or an opportunity to taste the best wines of the country (to give only a few examples).
