Action-packed events calendar in Queenstown this summer
Queenstown is heating up for an action-packed summer with a huge range of concerts, street parties, free community
events, art exhibitions, international sporting matches and special New Year celebrations.
And with the sun rising at 5am and setting as late as 10pm in the summer months there’s plenty of time to make the most
of the warm sunshine and long twilights Queenstown is famous for.
New Year’s Eve goes off with a bang in central Queenstown with a spectacular fireworks display, live music and parties
in the streets and by the lake. The celebrations are part of a month-long Summerdaze Festival which features sporting,
arts, cultural, musical and family entertainment throughout January.
For a true southern Kiwi experience, don’t miss the Glenorchy Race Day in early January. This iconic event has been
running for more than 40 years and the locals turn out in force to cheer on the competitors, many of whom are local
horse trekking staff and stockmen/women so the competition is fierce!
Wine and food enthusiasts from all over the world come together in late January for one of New Zealand’s premier wine
events, the Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration which features Central Otago’s best wine, cuisine and sights.
There’s plenty of sporting action for the whole family in January and February with the hugely popular national Rugby
Sevens competition, One-Day International cricket match between the Black Caps and Pakistan, and some of the world's
best netballers competing at the Southern Steel’s annual pre-season tournament.
The Lake Hayes A Show is the perfect summer family day out with heaps of great attractions including a petting zoo, parades, show
jumping and wool shearing as well as live music, a BBQ cook off and a variety of food, wine and craft stalls. ‘World
famous in NZ’ comedian Te Radar is back by popular demand as MC.
Two new major outdoor concerts have been added to the summer line-up this year. The inaugural Gibbston Valley Winery
Summer Concert in March will be headlined by the legendary Dr Hook and Creedence Clearwater Revisited (CCR). The
Shotover Sunshine Festival on 5 February is set to be a celebration of Kiwi music, culture and landscape and feature
Ladi6, Opensouls, Rhythmonyx, Taos Sound System and British DJ Jstar.
The Motatapu, New Zealand’s premier mountain bike and off-road running event, is in March and offers a range of
categories for recreational runners, riders, walkers and elite athletes. The course passes through the magnificent
landscapes of the Motatapu and surrounding valleys between Wanaka and Arrowtown.
Destination Queenstown CEO Tony Everitt says the diversity of events during summer really adds to the buzz of
Queenstown.
“There’s plenty to appeal to locals and visitors alike and the warm days and long evenings are the perfect motivator for
getting out and about and enjoying the events on offer. Add to that Queenstown’s huge activity offering, hiking and
biking trails, water sports, vibrant social and dining scene, and 200 wineries and you have all the ingredients for a
great summer holiday,” he says.
For a full calendar of summer events plus the low down on where to stay, play, shop, eat and drink please visit www.queenstown-nz.co.nz. For more details of the above events click here.
ENDS