Entertainment & Events

Events

For a real taste of New Zealand, make sure your clients take in some of the local events. Whenever they visit, somewhere in the country there will be a festival or sporting event in full swing!

Matariki Festival (Hawke’s Bay)
1 Jun 2008 – 14 Jul 2008
The Ngati Kahungunu tribe celebrates Maori New Year with events including competitions, fireworks, fashion shows, music and dance.
www.matarikifestival.co.nz

Fieldays: The NZ National Agricultural Fieldays (Hamilton)
11 Jun 2008 – 14 Jun 2008
Now in its 40th year, this agricultural show at Mystery Creek attracts more than 1,000 exhibitors and 120,000 visitors annually.
www.fieldays.co.nz

Rotorua MUD Festival (Rotorua)
4 Jul 2008 – 13 Jul 2008
Celebrate this geothermal wonderland with events including quad biking, an obstacle course, ‘mud rugby’ competitions, Matariki celebrations and special mud experiences.
www.mudfest.co.nz

Bluewater Hotel Deco Decanted & Jazz (Napier)
18 Jul 2008 – 20 Jul 2008
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 2008 (Bay of Islands)
8 Aug 2008 – 10 Aug 2008
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

Whitianga Scallop Festival (The Coromandel)
27 Aug 2008 – 31 Aug 2008
Food and wine stalls, cooking demonstrations and entertainment, as well as themed dishes at local restaurants.
www.scallopfestival.co.nz

Air New Zealand Fashion Week (Auckland)
16 Sep 2008 – 21 Sep 2008
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 2008 – 5 Oct 2008
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 2008
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

Otago Festival of Arts (Dunedin)
3 Oct 2008 – 12 Oct 2008
Dunedin’s arts festival features a programme of music, theatre and dance by local and international acts.
www.otagofestival.co.nz

Nelson Arts Festival (Nelson)
16 Oct 2008 – 27 Oct 2008
Celebrate the arts in this famously creative city with 11 days of theatre, dance, music, sculpture and family events.
www.nelsoncitycouncil.co.nz/artsfestival/

ASB JazzFest Queenstown (Queenstown)
18 Oct 2008 – 27 Oct 2008
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)
31 Oct 2008 – 9 Nov 2008
This annual festival features 49 stunning gardens – including 16 of national and regional significance.
www.rhodo.co.nz

New Zealand Cup and Show Week (Christchurch)
7 Nov 2008 – 16 Nov 2008
Horse racing, fashion, food and local lifestyles converge in this hugely popular and high-energy festival.
www.nzcupandshow.co.nz

Royal New Zealand Show (Christchurch)
12 Nov 2008 – 14 Nov 2008
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)
16 Nov 2008
Vineyards feature new and limited release wines matched to culinary delights from Wellington and Wairarapa restaurants.
www.toastmartinborough.co.nz

Pohutukawa Festival (The Coromandel)
21 Nov 2008 – 7 Dec 2008
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

Timaru Festival of Roses (South Canterbury)
22 Nov 2008 – 30 Nov 2008
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

Speight’s Coast to Coast (West Coast – Canterbury)
6 Feb 2009 – 7 Feb 2009
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

Ellerslie International Flower Show (Christchurch)
11 Mar 2009 – 15 Mar 2009
For the first time, Christchurch will host this iconic annual garden show – a showcase of superb display gardens by talented garden designers.
www.ellerslieflowershow.co.nz

Hokitika Wildfoods Festival (Hokitika)
14 Mar 2009
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 2009
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 – Jun 2009
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

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.

Horseracing – 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!