Most visitors come to New Zealand for the landscapes, and leave surprised by the culture. The truth is, the festivals of New Zealand are just as spectacular as the scenery. From Māori star-gazing ceremonies in midwinter to wearable art spectacles in Wellington, from wild food challenges on the West Coast to Pacific dance festivals drawing 200,000 people in Auckland — there’s something here for every kind of traveller.
This is your complete New Zealand festival list, organised by experience type so you can plan around what actually excites you.
Festivals of New Zealand Rooted in Māori Culture
If you want to understand New Zealand, start with Matariki.
Matariki – The Māori New Year
Matariki marks the rising of the Pleiades star cluster (called Matariki in te reo Māori) in the winter sky, signalling the Māori New Year. It became a New Zealand public holiday in 2022 — a landmark recognition of indigenous culture.
Celebrations typically take place in June or July and span the entire country, with the largest events concentrated in Auckland and Wellington.
What to expect: Dawn ceremonies, hāngī (earth oven feasts), kapa haka performances, lantern-making workshops, and community stargazing events
Auckland highlights: Night markets at SkyCity, light projections on Auckland War Memorial Museum, and the interactive Te Ara o Matariki trail
Why it matters: Matariki is not just a festival — it’s a living cultural tradition. Attending dawn ceremonies alongside local Māori communities offers an experience no tourist itinerary can replicate
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New Zealand’s Famous Festival Picks for Music Lovers
New Zealand’s music festival scene punches well above its weight for a country of five million people.
WOMAD New Zealand — New Plymouth
WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance) takes over Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth each March, transforming it into a global village of sound. Six stages host artists from across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and the Pacific over three days.
Unique to WOMAD: instrument swap workshops, cooking masterclasses, and collaborative performances where artists from different countries play together on stage
It draws both international tourists and local families — a genuinely cross-generational festival in a beautiful outdoor setting
[STAT: WOMAD was founded globally by Peter Gabriel in 1982 — WOMAD official records]
Splore Festival — Auckland
Held at Tapapakanga Regional Park on the Hauraki Gulf, Splore runs each February and is widely described as New Zealand’s most eclectic summer celebration. It combines music, arts, sustainability workshops, and a dress-up culture that encourages attendees to treat the whole weekend as a creative performance.
Camping is central to the Splore experience — most attendees stay on-site for the full weekend
Known for its family-friendly atmosphere despite the party energy
Rhythm & Alps — Near Wānaka
If you want to ring in the New Year in the Southern Alps, Rhythm & Alps delivers one of the most dramatic New Year’s Eve settings in the world. Held in a mountain valley **near Wānaka**, it combines electronic and live music with camping under the Southern Alps. A firm fixture on the music festival auckland today and South Island festival calendar alike.
Food and Wine Festivals of New Zealand Worth the Trip
New Zealand produces world-class wine and deeply local food — and its festivals prove it.
Marlborough Wine & Food Festival — Marlborough
Held every February at the Renwick Domain in Marlborough, this is New Zealand’s longest-running wine and food festival. With over 30 wineries and 20 food providers in attendance, it’s the definitive showcase for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc — arguably the wine style that put New Zealand on the global map.
Live music from top local bands runs throughout the day
Festival-goers can meet the winemakers and growers directly — not just pour and walk
Marlborough produces approximately 77% of New Zealand’s total wine [STAT: New Zealand Winegrowers annual report]
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Hokitika Wildfoods Festival — Hokitika, West Coast
Started in 1990 by West Coast locals who wanted to celebrate regional produce, the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival has grown into one of the most distinctive events in the southern hemisphere. Held in March at Hokitika, it attracted over 22,000 visitors at its peak — extraordinary for a town of around 3,500 people.
The menu is the attraction: huhu grubs, whitebait, wild venison, possum pâté, and items far too unusual to list here without losing readers. It’s adventurous, irreverent, and completely New Zealand.
The festival runs on the second Saturday of March each year
Hokitika itself is worth the detour — the pounamu (greenstone) carving tradition is concentrated here
Arts & Cultural New Zealand Festival List
World of WearableArt (WOW) — Wellington
The World of WearableArt Show is unlike any other event on earth. Every year in September–October at TSB Arena, Wellington, it presents a theatrical spectacular in which every garment on stage is a wearable art piece — a finalist from a global competition that draws entries from dozens of countries.
Prizes exceed NZD $200,000
It started as a small local competition in Nelson in 1987 and grew into an internationally recognised phenomenon
Expect live music, cirque performance, dance, and lighting design at a level that rivals major Broadway productions
The 2026 WOW Show (theme: GLO!) runs 17 September – 4 October 2026 at TSB Arena, Wellington
[QUOTE: “WOW is the only show in the world where fashion, performance, and sculpture collide at this scale.” — suggested source: Vogue Australia or Wallpaper magazine]
Pasifika Festival — Auckland
Held every March at Western Springs Park in Auckland, Pasifika is the world’s largest celebration of Pacific Island cultures. The park transforms into eleven distinct cultural “villages” — each representing a Pacific Island nation including Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands, Niue, and more.
Attendance regularly exceeds 200,000 people over two days
Each village offers traditional food, music, dance performances, and craft stalls
Free entry makes it one of the most accessible festivals in Auckland — a genuine community celebration, not a ticketed event
Festival Guide by City — Auckland, Christchurch & Beyond
Planning around a specific city? Here’s a quick guide to where the action is:
Auckland festivals Pasifika (March), Splore (February), Matariki events (June–July), Auckland Diwali Festival (October). For a festival in Auckland today or upcoming, check Auckland Council’s events calendar — there are usually multiple events running across the city in any given weekend.
Christchurch festivals: The Lakes Festival rings in New Year in the South Island, and Christchurch hosts regular arts and cultural events through its Arts Centre and Ōtākaro Avon precinct. Search christchurch festival today on EventFinda for real-time listings.
Matakana: Just 60 km north of Auckland, Matakana is known for its Saturday Country Market and annual film festival. The Matakana festival scene is boutique — wine, arts, and local produce in a scenic vineyard setting. Worth combining with a broader Northland road trip.
Wellington: World of WearableArt in September–October is the centrepiece, but Wellington also hosts the New Zealand International Arts Festival (biennial, even years) and Homegrown — a music festival auckland rival that showcases entirely New Zealand artists.
Conclusion about Festivals of New Zealand
Whether you’re chasing the beats of a music festival auckland setting, looking for a festivals of new zealand calendar to build a trip around, or searching for something more unexpected like wildfoods or wearable art — New Zealand delivers.
Here’s your quick-reference list:
Matariki (June–July, nationwide) — Māori New Year, cultural ceremonies
Marlborough Wine & Food Festival (February, Marlborough) — world-class wine
Splore (February, Auckland) — eclectic summer celebration
WOMAD (March, New Plymouth) — global music and arts
Pasifika (March, Auckland) — Pacific cultures, free entry, 200,000+ visitors
Hokitika Wildfoods (March, West Coast) — adventurous eating
WOW Show (Sep–Oct, Wellington) — wearable art spectacle
Rhythm & Alps (New Year’s, Wānaka) — mountain music festival
Discover every festival, every city, every adventure — download the Explurger app and never miss what’s happening near you.
New Zealand’s festival calendar is packed. The only question is which one you’re attending first.
FAQs about Festivals of New Zealand
2. When is the best time to attend festivals in New Zealand?
February to April is the richest festival season in New Zealand — Marlborough Wine Festival (February), Splore (February), WOMAD (March), Pasifika (March), and Hokitika Wildfoods (March) all fall within this window. September–October brings the World of WearableArt in Wellington. June–July is Matariki season. There is genuinely no dead month for festivals — the new zealand festival list runs year-round.
3. Is the Pasifika Festival free to attend?
Yes — Pasifika Festival at Western Springs Park in Auckland is free entry. It is one of the largest free cultural events in the Southern Hemisphere, drawing over 200,000 visitors over two days. Food and craft stalls within the festival operate on a pay-per-item basis, but entry to the grounds, performances, and cultural villages costs nothing.
4. What is the Matariki Festival in New Zealand?
winter sky — typically in June or July. It became a New Zealand public holiday in 2022. Festival events include dawn ceremonies, hāngī feasts, kapa haka (traditional Māori performing arts), lantern-making, and stargazing. Auckland and Wellington host the largest public events, but celebrations happen nationwide.
5. Are there music festivals in Auckland specifically?
Yes — Auckland has a strong music festival auckland scene year-round. Major events include Splore (February, Hauraki Gulf), Laneway Festival (summer), and Rhythm & Alps nearby for New Year's. Auckland also hosts numerous one-day music events throughout autumn and spring. EventFinda and Bandsintown are the most reliable real-time sources for an auckland festival today
6. What is the World of WearableArt Show?
The World of WearableArt (WOW) Show is an annual theatrical event in Wellington where wearable art pieces — chosen from a global design competition — are presented on stage as part of a full theatrical production featuring dance, cirque, live music, and dramatic lighting. It began as a small Nelson competition in 1987 and now attracts entries from across the world, with prize money exceeding NZD $200,000. It runs September–October at TSB Arena in Wellington and is widely considered New Zealand's most distinctive arts event.
