The Queenstown Lakes region has a rich and vibrant cultural calendar. There’s a huge variety of arts and cultural events every year, and the 2024 -2025 line up is bigger than ever.
No matter the season, there’s plenty for art lovers to see, do and get involved in. With many events hosted over public holiday weekends, it pays to plan ahead, lock in accommodation and get ready for a cultural weekend away in Queenstown.
Here are some of Queenstown’s best arts and culture events to mark in your diary.
Year-round events
Queenstown Arts & Crafts Market
Take yourself for a stroll down Marine Parade on Queenstown’s lakefront on a Saturday morning and you’ll discover a wonderful collection of arts and crafts. Stallholders at this market are (usually) the creators, so it’s a rare chance to chat with an artist and find out more about their craft before buying a gift for someone special – or yourself!
Find hand-made handbags, fancy soaps, pounamu, ceramics and art prints here, and so much more.
Te Atamira
Te Atamira is a community arts and culture space in Frankton, Queenstown. As well as hosting regular dance and music classes, there’s a vibrant calendar of events from exhibitions to artistic workshops to film showings.
Te Wāhi Toi
Discover even more Queenstown art and cultural events and connect and collaborate with our local creative community over at Te Wāhi Toi, a dedicated online directory for arts, culture and creativity in our district.
Queenstown Markets. Credit @freethomas007
Summer events
Lyrics and Lines Exhibition
Held at Te Atamira from 5 December to 9 February 2025, Lyrics and Lines playfully explores the concept of creative mark-making, inviting you to consider the patterns that shape our lives and environment. Inspired by the Chartwell 50th Anniversary Project, this exhibition features the work of six leading contemporary artists from Australasia, each showcasing unique approaches to the use of lines and marks in their art.
Gibbston Valley Winery Summer Concert
This summer concert tour brings top international music acts to some of New Zealand’s most stunning locations. Get ready to rock and roll in the vines on January 18, Queenstown’s Gibbston Valley Winery Summer Concert will be the final stop on the tour and always delivers an electric atmosphere for all to experience.
Gibbston Valley Summer Concert
Autumn Events
Whakatipu Music Festival
Get ready for a week-long schedule of workshops and performances at the Whakatipu Music Festival help from 14 - 21 April 2025.
The festival showcases extraordinary music from international guests, Aotearoa’s leading musicians, emerging artists, and local talent. You will get to experience outstanding classical, jazz, singer-songwriting, broadway hits and more. Brought to life by locals in the community, the festival supports and stimulates the arts, cultural and events scene in the Queenstown region.
Find out more about this exceptional event that has become an absolute treasure for the community here.
Arrowtown Autumn Festival
Enjoy Arrowtown's beautiful autumn colours, sample local cuisine, watch the parade, partake in a workshop or even do some native tree planting. The Arrowtown Autumn Festival 24 - 27 April 2025 will bring a host of great events and workshops to this stunning historic gold mining town.
Queenstown theatre
ShowBiz is Queenstown’s only community theatre company dedicated to musical theatre; they have a rich history of putting on top-notch performances.
In May each year, they put on an epic musical production, and past shows have included Little Shop of Horrors, School of Rock and Legally Blonde. From 15 - 24 May 2025, ShowBiz is presenting 'Into the Woods' on Queenstown's stage. Find out more information on their website.
Arrowtown Autumn Festival
Winter events
Matariki Arrowtown Kā-Muriwai
On the Matariki holiday, Friday 28 June, Arrowtown celebrates the beginning of the Māori New Year with Matariki Arrowtown Kā-Muriwai. Featuring performances, light art and music.
NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival
For more than two decades, the NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival has showcased a range of inspirational films and books about adventurers. From 20 - 27 June 2025 The Queenstown Memorial Centre will become a hub for outdoor sports fans to be inspired.
Flow State, Credit: NZ Mountain Film Festival Charitable Trust
Spring events
At The World's Edge Festival
At The World’s Edge is a classical music festival showcasing world-class chamber music in a series of live events across the region from 5 - 18 October 2024. Performances take place in carefully chosen venues in Queenstown, Cromwell and Wanaka. Each venue lends itself perfectly to the intimate sound of chamber music.
Put together by renowned New Zealand violinists Justine Cormack and Benjamin Baker, the festival features new compositions, emerging artists and international string superstars. Explore this year's programme here.
World of Colour
The ‘World Of Colour’ is a solo exhibition by renowned Auckland artist Rachel Rush and her artistic alter ego, RUSH, right in the heart of Queenstown. Kicking off at 6pm - 9pm on Thursday 24 October, and running for four weeks until the 24 November. ‘World Of Colour’ will feature stunning original works in various sizes and mediums by Rachel Rush and Rush, all on display at 5 Earl Street.
Queenstown Writers Festival
The Queenstown Writers Festival is happening from 1 - 3 November 2024. Authors, performance poets, playwrights, children’s writers and journalists will come together to talk about their work and run writing workshops. Hosted at community arts facility, Te Atamira, expect a cosy literary weekend with some of New Zealand’s (and the world’s) best writers at this boutique festival.
Queenstown Writers Festival