Whether your clients are interested in cutting-edge theatre, high-energy live music or festivals celebrating food and wine, they’ll be spoilt for choice of entertainment in New Zealand.

Entertainment

Although New Zealand is renowned for its wide range of outdoor activities – and with such beautiful scenery, who could resist the temptation? – it also boasts a broad array of other ways for visitors to enjoy their time. New Zealand’s diversity extends in every direction, from sports to culture and the arts.

Sport is often close to the heart of Kiwis. Rugby, needless to say, is the big national game. If your clients are visiting during the rugby season, encourage them to join the electric atmosphere of a stadium – or they can buy a pint in a cosy pub and watch it on the big screen. Cricket is a spectator sport which brings crowds of Kiwis out on sunny summer days, and New Zealand is also a nation of cyclists. Road cycling and mountain biking are popular as recreation and as a practical way to get around. The range of sports is ever-growing and visitors are sure to find something they’ll enjoy.

Horse racing – in both Thoroughbred and harness forms – is a hugely popular pastime. The biggest events on the racing calendar occur in spring and summer. If your clients are in Christchurch during November, there’s no way they can miss Cup Week – then there’s Mercedes Derby Day at Ellerslie Auckland Racing Club on Boxing Day, and the Auckland Cup on New Year’s Day.

When it’s time to head indoors, your clients will find no shortage of high quality entertainment. Casinos in major cities and resorts often have their own programmes of special events. Cinemas are also on offer, whether your clients want large multiplexes or an atmospheric, art-house cinema. With a large amount of local talent, New Zealand’s live theatre scene is thriving – from touring, large-scale productions to original New Zealand works and fringe theatre.
Whether your clients take in a classical concert by the world-class New Zealand Symphony Orchestra or enjoy live jazz in a bar, they are sure to be impressed by New Zealand’s varied musical tastes. Major concerts can be booked through agents such as Ticketek, and live music can be readily found in bars and clubs in big cities and small towns alike. New Zealand’s licensing laws are fairly liberal, so nightspots, bars, restaurants and cafés can serve liquor seven days a week. Whatever your clients are looking for, there is no shortage of entertainment options in New Zealand!

Events

Winter

International Rally of Whangarei (Northland, 5 – 7 Jun 2009) Round three of the 2009 Asia Pacific Rally Championship and the FIA Pacific Cup, this exhilarating annual event starts in Whangarei and races via Waipu and Paparoa. www.rallywhangarei.co.nz

Fieldays: The NZ National Agricultural Fieldays (Hamilton, 10 – 13 Jun 2009) Now in its 41st year, this agricultural show at Mystery Creek attracts more than 1,000 exhibitors and 130,000 visitors annually with competitions, livestock, trade exhibits and cooking demonstrations. www.fieldays.co.nz

Matariki Festival (Hawke’s Bay, 12 Jun – 3 Jul 2009) The Ngati Kahungunu tribe celebrates Maori New Year with events including competitions, fireworks, food, music and dance. www.matarikifestival.co.nz

Matariki – Maori New Year (Wellington, 25 Jun – 12 Jul 2009) Celebrate Matariki at the renowned Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington. www.tepapa.govt.nz

American Express Queenstown Winterfestival 2009 (Queenstown, 26 Jun – 5 Jul 2009) Queenstown’s famous winter celebration attracts thousands of visitors eager to experience ten non-stop days of sport, art, music, comedy, food and wine. www.winterfestival.co.nz

New Zealand Mountain Film Festival (Wanaka, 3 – 7 Jul 2009) The best high-adrenaline films from around the world allow audiences to experience extreme sports like base jumping, kayaking and high-altitude mountaineering. www.mountainfilm.net.nz

Bluewater Hotel Deco Decanted Jazz Festival (Napier, 17 – 19 Jul 2009) Complementing Napier’s major Art Deco Weekend each February, this smaller and more intimate wintertime event is an opportunity to experience the Art Deco lifestyle. www.artdeconapier.com

Bay Of Islands Jazz & Blues Festival 2009 (Bay of Islands, 7 – 9 Aug 2009) Every year musicians gather from all over New Zealand and beyond for this celebration of smooth jazz and sultry blues. www.jazz-blues.co.nz

Ecofest (Nelson, 15 – 16 Aug 2009) Promoting sustainability using products and services to help us all go green. www.ecofestnelsontasman.co.nz

Whitianga Scallop Festival (Coromandel, 26 – 30 Aug 2009) Food and wine stalls, cooking demonstrations and entertainment, as well as themed dishes at local restaurants. www.scallopfestival.co.nz

Spring

Air New Zealand Fashion Week (Auckland, 21 – 25 Sep 2009) This world-class fashion event offers visitors a chance to experience the best of New Zealand’s fashion, music, design and top creative talent. www.nzfashionweek.com

Montana World of WearableArt Awards Show (Wellington, 24 Sep – 4 Oct 2009) Spectacular event featuring the amazing wearable creations of artists from New Zealand and beyond presented in a highly theatrical two-hour show. www.worldofwearableart.com

Kaikoura Seafest (Kaikoura, 3 Oct 2009) Kaikoura’s premier food and wine festival, Seafest is an annual celebration of the abundance of the ocean and the surrounding region. www.seafest.co.nz

Nelson Arts Festival (Nelson, 15 – 26 Oct 2009) Celebrate the arts in this famously creative city with 12 days of theatre, dance, music, sculpture and family events. www.nelsoncitycouncil.co.nz/artsfestival

ASB JazzFest Queenstown (Queenstown, 16 – 26 Oct 2009) More than 100 musicians from around the world contribute to a diverse programme of workshops, ticketed concerts and free gigs. www.asbjazzfest.co.nz

Taranaki Rhododendron and Garden Festival (New Plymouth, 30 Oct – 8 Nov 2009) This annual festival features numerous stunning gardens – including several national and regional significance. www.rhodo.co.nz

New Zealand Cup and Show Week (Christchurch, 7 – 14 Nov 2009) Horse racing, fashion, food and local lifestyles converge in this hugely popular, high-energy festival. www.nzcupandshow.co.nz

Royal New Zealand Show (Christchurch, 11 – 13 Nov 2009) The country comes to town in this showcase of New Zealand rural life featuring livestock, competitions, trade exhibits, food and wine, live music and activities. www.theshow.co.nz

Toast Martinborough Wine, Food and Music Festival (Wairarapa, 15 Nov 2009) Vineyards feature new and limited release wines matched to culinary delights from Wellington and Wairarapa restaurants. www.toastmartinborough.co.nz

Timaru Festival of Roses (South Canterbury, 20 – 29 Nov 2009) An action-packed week of activities including walks, talks, tours, exhibitions, displays, art and theatre in celebration of Timaru’s beautiful roses and the coming summer. www.festivalofroses.co.nz

Summer

Pohutukawa Festival (The Coromandel, 20 Nov – 6 Dec 2009) Celebrate the start of summer and the flowering of the Pohutukawa trees with a programme of events including art exhibitions, café crawls and an opening night party. www.pohutukawafestival.co.nz

Blues, Brews and BBQ’s (Mount Maunganui, 14 Jan 2010) Annual summertime celebration attracting large crowds keen to celebrate summer in New Zealand with live music, boutique beer and food. www.bluesbrews.co.nz

Speight’s Coast to Coast (West Coast – Canterbury, 12 – 13 Feb 2010) New Zealand’s iconic multi-sport event sees more than 800 competitors cycling, kayaking and running 243 km from the West Coast to the East Coast of the South Island. www.coasttocoast.co.nz

Brightwater Wine & Food Festival (Nelson, 21 Feb 2010) Enjoy a wonderful choice of local wines and boutique beers, quality food from some of Nelson’s best restaurants and cooking demonstrations. www.bwff.co.nz

Autumn

Ellerslie International Flower Show (Christchurch, 10 – 14 Mar 2010) Christchurch City’s iconic annual garden show is a showcase of superb display gardens by talented garden designers. www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz

Hokitika Wildfoods Festival (Hokitika, 13 Mar 2010) A hugely popular and unforgettable event combining live entertainment with a totally unique menu of wild foods from venison and Huhu grubs to deep-fried grasshoppers. www.wildfoods.co.nz

New Zealand International Comedy Festival (Various, May 2010) Running in Auckland and Wellington, and in various locations around New Zealand as the Comedy Convoy, this festival features over 250 international and local comedians. www.comedyfestival.co.nz

New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards (Gore, May 2010) Every year Gore plays host to the New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards, an event that attracts artists from around the world. www.goldguitars.co.nz