Summer Events Guide

From New Year's Eve fireworks on the waterfront to trail runs across the high country, there's plenty on in Queenstown this summer. Here's your guide to events from December 2026 to March 2027, covering concerts, food and wine festivals, markets, golf, biking and trail running.

Planning the rest of your trip? See our guide to summer in Queenstown for more ideas, or browse the full Queenstown events calendar for what's on year-round.

Remarkables Market

3 October 2026 - April 2027

Arrowtown Farmer's Market

The Arrowtown Farmers’ Market is a seasonal, Sunday market held on the Library Green in historical Arrowtown, on the corner of Buckingham Street and Wiltshire Street. Here you'll find a range of local goods sold by the artists and artisans themselves. As well as fresh, delicious, locally-made food you can enjoy in the gorgeous park alongside the Library Green, or as you wander the nearby Arrow River Trail. 

Queenstown New Year's Eve Fireworks

Bring in 2027 on the Queenstown waterfront. The free New Year's Eve celebration runs from the afternoon until after midnight, with live music, family entertainment and fireworks over Lake Whakatipu.

Kids can start with face painting and roaming entertainers in the afternoon. Local bands then take over the main stage at Earnslaw Park into the evening, and DJs play on Marine Parade. At midnight, fireworks light up the lake to welcome the New Year.

Queenstown Bike Festival

10 days, over 30 events for top pros to the youngest shredders, and the most amount of stoke you've seen in one mountain town. 

The ideal combination of bikes, beers and barbeques with 100% of proceeds from the Queenstown Bike Festival going towards the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club.

McGazza Memorial Festival

The McGazza Memorial Festival kicks off in late January with a jam-packed weekend to celebrate the 11th anniversary of the legendary Kelly McGarry. The whole idea around the celebration is to live the weekend how he would live each day, action packed and high energy, in all his favourite riding spots. 

The line up includes the mass start Mega Train, Chainless race, Kids air bag jam, Dream jam, Gorge Road jam, and last but not least the McGazza memorial ride. Featuring the Gorge Road Jump Park and technical rides of Ben Lomond Trails, the festival showcases the world-class quality and variety of the Queenstown trails.

The festival aims to celebrate the local legend Kelly McGarry, bring awareness to the benefits biking offers Queenstown's people and community and raise funds for the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club. Whether you’re riding, volunteering or spectating, this is a summer event not to be missed. Keep an eye out for updates here.

The Valley

7 February 2027

This summer, Gibbston comes alive for a day of great wine, good food, live music and even better company.

Sip your way through local wines, craft beers and cocktails, then graze your way around 15 food trucks in the summer sun.

With Drax Project, Leisure, Ladi 6, Mel Parsons, Big Sima & Boomtown, and Fiona & the Glow on the lineup, you'll be dancing from afternoon till sunset at The Valley.

Find out more and get your tickets here.

Gin Fest Arrowtown

Saturday 6 February 2027

Gin Fest Arrowtown is back for its fifth year. Spend a summer afternoon tasting gin from distilleries around New Zealand, and hear the stories and craft behind each one. There's whisky, rum, vodka and cocktails too.

Pair your tastings with food from local vendors, and settle in for live music in the heart of Arrowtown.

New to gin or already know your favourite? There's plenty to try either way. Find out more at Gin Fest Arrowtown and get your tickets here.

Natural Selection Bike Tour Aotearoa

2027 Dates to be announced

A hand picked selection of the best big mountain, slopestyle, freeride, and downhill riders in the world are lining up to ride in the Natural Selection Tour Bike Aotearoa at Mt Dewar in Feb 2027.

The event will also feature a ‘Dream Ticket’ qualifier at the Dream Track in central Queenstown, giving local riders the opportunity to compete for four spots in the finals.

Be inspired by the best in the world under the backdrop of The Remarkables.

New Zealand Golf Open

25 February - 28 February 2027

The New Zealand Open has been played since 1907, and it's had plenty of history and drama along the way. In 2027, the 106th New Zealand Open returns to Millbrook Resort, near Arrowtown, with play across the Coronet and Remarkables courses.

Professionals and amateurs play alongside each other. The pros compete for the New Zealand Open title. At the same time, each pro is paired with an amateur for the New Zealand Open Pro-Am Championship, played in a best-ball format.

The tournament is part of The Open Qualifying Series again in 2027, so places at The Open are up for grabs.

Spectator entry is free for all ages. Find out more here.

Shotover Moonlight Mountain Marathon 

20 February 2027

The Shotover Moonlight Mountain Marathon is back for its 15th year, running across the backcountry terrain of Ben Lomond Station.

Expect sheep tracks, historic gold-mining water races and old mustering routes. The course takes in tussock, mountain ridges, beech forest, creeks and scree. There's also a ladder climb beside a waterfall and a run through a tunnel before the finish near Moke Lake.

Choose from the 56km Moonlight Ultra, 42km Marathon, 30km Adventure Run, 21km Half Marathon or the 10km Run. Find out more and enter here.

Motatapu

6 March 2027

The Motatapu is back for its 23rd year. It's your one chance each year to cross the private high-country stations between Wānaka and Arrowtown, including Motatapu, Mt Soho and Glencoe.

There are six events to choose from on the day: the 52km Rab Ultra Run, the 42km Trail Marathon, the 47km Emerson's Mountain Bike, the Emerson's E-Bike, the 15km UDC Finance Miners Trail Run and the 4km Jennian Homes Junior Trail Run.

Motatapu gives back to Queenstown Trails after each event, helping look after and grow the local trail network. To find out more or enter, see here.

Make a trip of it

Stay a few extra days and see more of the region with our 6-day slow travel itinerary, then find somewhere to stay. Heading to an event? Tag your photos #QueenstownLive on Instagram.