Queenstown offers entertainment year-round with a range of incredible annual events.
Discover the major annual events held in Queenstown, from music festivals to sporting events and everything in between. We celebrate the seasons, the landscapes and all the things that make Queenstown unique.
For the music lover, don't miss the annual Gibbston Valley Summer Winery Concert. For sports lovers, make sure to make a trip for the Winter Games NZ, the New Zealand Golf Open, the Queenstown Marathon and the iconic Macpac Motatapu off-road event. Or celebrate all things food, wine, people and colour at the Arrowtown Autumn Festival, LUMA Southern Light Project and Winter Pride Festival.
Explore the best annual events below.
Summer
December
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Crankworx Summer Series: Crankworx has announced the addition of a summer series festival in New Zealand with two days racing in Queenstown and categories for Pros, Amateurs and CWNEXT racers. For spectators who want to watch it all go down, the Crankworx Summer Series New Zealand will be free to attend.
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New Years Eve: Bring your friends and family and join us by the lakeside at Queenstown Bay to bring in the new year with a bang as fireworks light up the sky.
January
- Gibbston Valley Winery Summer Concert: Set against the stunning backdrop of Gibbston, the vibe at this concert is something to behold with an exciting new lineup of acts every year. Sadly due to the uncertainty around securing international artists, the Gibbston Valley concert has been cancelled for 2022. We look forward to welcoming this event back next year.
February
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Shotover Moonlight Marathon: Experience the challenging and diverse terrain of Ben Lomond Station. Choose from the ultra (56km), marathon, 30km, half marathon or 10km option.
Autumn
March
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Macpac Motatapu: Held on one epic day, this is your one chance a year to traverse the breathtaking high-country terrain between Wānaka and Queenstown. Choose from the 47km Mountain Bike Race, 15km Miners Trail, 42km Off-Road Marathon and 52.5km Ultra Run.
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NZ Golf Open: An iconic event on the New Zealand sporting calendar, the 102nd edition of the New Zealand Open has been shifted from February to late March for 2022.
April
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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 four day festival brings a host of great events and workshops to this stunning historic gold mining town and fun for the whole family.
Winter
June
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LUMA Southern Light Project: Held over Queen's Birthday weekend, LUMA is a sensory experience bringing together illuminated art, light sculpture, performance and community over four days in the Queenstown Gardens.
August
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Winter Games NZ: New Zealand's most elite free-ride and freestyle snow sports competition. Hosted at The Remarkables and Cardrona, this 14 day athlete show-down is not to be missed.
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Winter Pride: The most popular Winter Pride Festival in the Southern Hemisphere. Held over 10 days from late August to September with over 40 events, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Spring
September
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Peak to Peak: A scenic one-day multisport race that challenges competitors to test both their physical and mental strength. Peak to Peak is New Zealand’s longest running winter multisport race incorporating an exciting line up of five race stages.
November
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Cyclorama: New Zealand’s first e-Bike festival. Held in Arrowtown, there are curated rides themed for wine, beer, food, art or bird watching and plenty unique experiences on offer.
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New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty Queenstown Marathon: Known as the 'world’s most beautiful marathon' incorporating 42.2km, 21km, 10km and 3km kids run options, taking in the highlights of the Queenstown Lakes region. Due to the current Covid-19 Alert Levels, the 2021 event has been postponed until March 2022.