Womad festival in New Plymouth. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey
Missing out on tickets to NZ’s best events and festivals is up there with stubbing your toe on the bedpost. Avoid the pain and lock in these key dates now, writes Anna Sarjeant
KATIKATI AVOCADO FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL, KATIKATI
Uretara Domain, Major St
January 13
Early-bird tickets for this popular Katikati-based festival close on November 30, so don’t dilly-dally. Even at full-whack, tickets are a wallet-friendly $55pp and under-18s are free. Suitable for the entire family, enjoy great food, entertainment and kitchen demos with Head Chef Brad King from Falls Retreat; recipes are, of course, all avocado-inspired. Children’s attractions include giant Jenga and other games, face-painting and circus workshops. Better still, The Black Seeds are this year’s headline act. katikatiavofest.co.nz
NZ SPIRIT FESTIVAL, CHRISTCHURCH
Orton Bradley Park
January 18-21
Dubbed the “ultimate wellness festival”, kickstart your New Year’s resolution to treat your body like a temple with Christchurch’s four-day summer festival that celebrates wellness alongside art, music and that intoxicating South Island spirit. Enjoy fitness and wellbeing workshops, art exhibitions, artisan markets, an on-site wellness sanctuary and multiple music stages – it’s your one-stop shop for everything feel-good. nzspirit.com/southislandfestival
SOUNDSPLASH, RAGLAN
Wainui Reserve Bush Park
January 19-21
Dance off a month’s worth of mince pies over three days in Raglan, at Sound Splash, the (un)official sound of summer – or so say all those who have ever attended. Don’t worry about last year’s kerfuffle with hours-long waits for shuttles, this year guests can book an allocated arrival time. Enjoy an all-ages event, a diverse global food market and three stages showcasing the likes of Coterie, Delta Heavy and Tiki Taane. soundsplash.co.nz
SUNSETTER FOOD, WINE AND MUSIC FESTIVAL, AUCKLAND
North Harbour Domain
January 20
Laneway has kicked its usual January slot to the curb (see February for more details) and left a gap in Auckland’s festy calendar. No worries, here comes the return of Sunsetter in the North Harbour Domain. A one-day meeting of local music acts, wineries, breweries and the region’s best food vendors. This year’s acts include Hot Dub Time Machine and Freemasons, among scores more. sunsetterfestival.co.nz
LANEWAY FESTIVAL, AUCKLAND
Western Springs
February 6
Laneway has a new date and a new venue. Head to Western Springs this Waitangi Day for the long-awaited return of Tāmaki Makaurau’s much-loved one-day festival. After last year’s event was cancelled due to February’s notorious floods, it’s been a full four years since Laneway was last here. International headliners include the likes of Stormzy, Steve Lacy and Dominic Fike: the only place to see names as big as these in Aotearoa. They don’t get off their couches and into a private jet for just anybody. lanewayfestival.com
MARLBOROUGH WINE AND FOOD
Renwick Domain
February 10
New Zealand does many things well but none more so than good food and fine wine. Couple that with a destination that is marvelled globally as one of the most drop-dead gorgeous on the planet, and you have Marlborough Wine and Food, a celebration of everything that tastes good in a gorgeous pocket of our very own country. As NZ’s longest-running food and wine festival, expect the country’s best culinary know-how, food producers, finest drops and culinary masterclasses from NZ experts. marlboroughwinefestival.com
ART DECO FESTIVAL NAPIER, HAWKE’S BAY
February 15-18
What started as an acknowledgment of Hawke’s Bay’s unwavering resilience to the 1931 earthquake remains steadfast today, particularly in the wake of this year’s devastating cyclone and three years of tourism-battering Covid. Show your support for the little town that could at this year’s Art Deco celebration. Step back in time over four days and enjoy a beautiful lineup of Art Deco parades, vintage car tours, walking tours and plenty of good food, and (it goes without saying) great wine. Don’t forget your full 1930s clobber; flapper dresses, feather boas et al. artdecofestival.co.nz
WELLINGTON WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL
Waitangi Park
February 24
For a fun-filled one-day event in the capital, head down to Waitangi Park for food, drink and live music. Although we know it’s a medley that runs across many a summer festival, you should make this one a must-do for its classy line-up of thirst-busting attractions such as champagne offerings, gin and there’s even a cocktail bar. Of course, the wine and beer will flow just as freely. wineandfoodfestival.co.nz
SPLORE FESTIVAL, AUCKLAND
Tāpapakanga Regional Park
February 23-25
What is there left to say about this annual, boutique fiesta that (almost) leaves the entire city of Auckland deserted? She’s a popular one all right. Splore has perfected the perfect festival recipe over the years: a coastal venue on the shores of Tāpapakanga Regional Park that throbs with music, creative costumes, eco-friendly glitter and energetic partygoers. Splore tickets always sell out so if you snooze through your calendar reminder, consider Shipwrecked, a smaller boutique music and arts festival held in Te Arai from February 9-11. Or do both. YOLO! splore.net
WILDFOODS FESTIVAL, HOKITIKA
Cass Square
March 9
This is the festival for daring types, or simply those with a curious nature. Famed for its array of local natural foods, most of which are far from conventional, attendees can try anything from garden weeds to huhu grubs, as well as sheep testicles and locusts. Other tastes that won’t necessarily make you squirm include venison, wild boar and whitebait – the edible possibilities are endless. For children opposed to anything other than chips and nugs, the Kids Corner includes face painting, a massive inflatable pirate ship, a lolly shop and more. wildfoods.co.nz
Womad, New Plymouth
Taranaki
March 15-17
Your acronym for World of Music, Arts and Dance, you can hazard a guess what this festival is all about. With beginnings in the UK, Womad is now one of the longest-running and best-established festivals on Planet Earth. If you’re keen to embrace cultural diversity and immerse yourself in the very best sounds, scenery and good vibes, surrounded by like-minded people, this one’s got your name all over it. Buy tickets now for a stellar lineup of eclectic music, inspirational workshops, dozens of food stalls and inspiring creatives. womad.co.nz
BALLOONS OVER WAIKATO, Hamilton
Innes Common, Hamilton Lake
March 19-23
Who doesn’t love a hot-air balloon? It’s the all-pleasing mode of air travel that brings a smile to your face no matter your age. As does this all-age festival in Waikato. Spread over an entire week, it’s the penultimate Zuru Nightglow that draws the biggest crowd: a four-hour fete on the common with live entertainment, carnival rides, food stores galore and an all-dancing hot-air balloon finale, choreographed to music and topped off with fireworks. balloonsoverwaikato.co.nz
F.A.W.C – Hawke’s Bay, March 15-24
SCULPTURE ON THE GULF, Waiheke Island, February 24-March 24
WAIHEKE JAZZ FESTIVAL, Waiheke Island, Easter, March 31
HOMEGROWN FESTIVAL, Wellington, March 16
MARCHFEST CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL, Nelson
Founders Park
April 6
Marchfest isn’t solely for beer lovers, there’s plenty of local wine, cider and non alcoholic bevs to get your lips around. Held in early April, this one-day get-together celebrates all things craft beer, but what makes this event extra special is that all the beers have never previously been tasted by the public. Every year around 15 craft breweries conjure something new for the event. Other highlights include a popular beer and food-matching dinner and plenty of live music. Better yet, it’s a family-friendly affair. https://www.marchfest.com/
AUCKLAND WRITERS FESTIVAL
Auckland wide
May 14-19
Back for another year of literary gold, the Auckland Writers Festival brings together the very best contemporary for fiction, non-fiction, poets, journalists and other experts for a jam-packed week of events, book launches, talks and awards. There is an event to inspire everyone, and there’s plenty to go around, so it pays to take a deep dive into the 2024 programme and earmark your faves. https://www.writersfestival.co.nz/
STEAMPUNK NZ
Ōamaru
May 31-June 3
You can rely on the good folk of Ōamaru for something a little different, obscure even, and this one (an add-on to the famed Steampunk attraction), certainly delivers that. Held over three days, attendees enjoy a selection of steampunk marvels, as well as workshops, events, a fashion show, gala ball and a steampunk market. In the past, there has also been a spot of teapot racing and tea duelling – the art of dunking a biscuit and eating it without causing too many drips or soggy bits. Like we said, Ōamaru dares to be different. Hurrah. steampunk.org.nz
THE MARLBOROUGH BOOK FESTIVAL 2024
July 26-28
Calling all bookworms, get your nose out of your latest novel and take a look at this. Marlborough’s annual weekend of book appreciation falls over the last weekend in July. Attend author talks and interviews, and hobnob with literary masters at the top of their game. If you’re a really keen reader, The Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival is also a wonderful event for book lovers, taking place from May 9-12, 2024, on the North Island. Featherston is also home to seven whimsical bookstores that are every bibliophile’s dream hangout. marlboroughbookfest.co.nz, wairarapanz.com
AUGUST
WELLINGTON ON A PLATE
City-wide
August 1-31
It’s midwinter and we’re all fed up – a very good reason to plan a trip to Wellington for the capital’s month-long festival for foodies, including the coveted Burger Wellington, which will be the talk of the town between August 5-25 when the region’s best chefs go head-to-head to devise the best burger imaginable – the perfect opportunity to taste as many as you can and vote for a winner. Elsewhere, expect myriad ticketed and non-ticketed events under the overarching theme: Play with your Food. visawoap.com
SNOWBOXX NZ
Cardrona & Treble Cone ski fields
September 7-14
A firm favourite in the French Alps, this ski and snow-themed music event returns to Aotearoa for seven days of apres-ski joviality next September. The lineup currently includes perennial crowd-pleasers Shapeshifter as well as Kora, Melodwonz and plenty more. The mountains and the music are just the beginning at Snowboxx, also on the agenda are disco brunches, inflatable races, a fancy dress day and enough food and drink to reimburse all the calories burnt on the slopes. snowboxx.nz
WORLD OF WEARABLE ART/WOW, Wellington
September 25-October 13
An appropriate name for an event that will make you say just that: Wow. Head down to the capital in October for a meeting of creativity and ingenuity where fashion meets theatre and designers bring their A-game to a stage show like nothing else you’ve ever seen before. Or at least, that’s the objective! worldofwearableart.com
TOAST Martinborough
Dates TBC
Hop between several Martinborough vineyards at the annual Toast festival, a culmination of the region’s best wineries and their harvest, all of which sit in close proximity to one another. Attendees can look forward to a fun-filled day of award-winning wine held across several esteemed vineyards. Make your way from winery to winery, tucking into seasonal fresh fare to a backdrop of delicious Martinborough views and music from across NZ. toastmartinborough.co.nz
RHYTHM AND VINES and RHYTHM AND ALPS
Gisborne and Cardrona Valley
December 29-31, 2024
Two epic music festivals to say farewell to 2024 and see in 2025. We’re yet to experience the 2023 festivities so you’ll have to keep an eye on what’s happening for 2024′s big end-of-year bash. Watch this space - you’ve got 12 months. hythmandalps.co.nz rhythmandvines.co.nz
When there's nothing as far as the eye can see, you may appreciate the company.