New Zealand Festivals — The Ultimate Guide for NZeTA Visitors

New Zealand is not just a land of breathtaking landscapes — it is a country that loves to celebrate. Spread across the North and South Islands, New Zealand hosts some of the Southern Hemisphere's most exciting music, food, wine, and cultural festivals every year. Whether you are planning a summer road trip over New Year or a foodie escape in August, there is a festival to match every travel style.

Most international visitors from visa-waiver countries need a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) before they fly. The NZeTA is valid for 2 years with multiple entries, so once approved you can plan festival trips across multiple seasons. Apply online — approval typically arrives within 12 to 72 hours.

Best New Zealand Festivals to Visit with Your NZeTA

From world-class music events to unique food festivals celebrating the wild produce of the West Coast, here are the 10 best festivals in New Zealand that every NZeTA traveller should add to their bucket list.

1. Rhythm and Alps — New Year's Eve, Wanaka (December–January)

Rhythm and Alps is one of New Zealand's most beloved summer music festivals, held each year over New Year's Eve in the stunning Cardrona Valley near Wanaka in the South Island. Set against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains and alpine meadows, the festival brings together world-class DJs, live bands, and thousands of festival-goers to ring in the New Year together.

The camping village includes hot showers, a food court, a chill-out zone, a swimming hole, phone charging stations, and much more. Rhythm and Alps is a uniquely New Zealand experience — there is simply no better way to celebrate New Year than dancing under the southern stars surrounded by the Southern Alps. International visitors need a valid NZeTA to attend — apply well in advance of the December holiday season.

2. WOMAD New Zealand — New Plymouth (March)

WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance) is a globally renowned festival that celebrates the world's diverse musical traditions, arts, and dance forms. The New Zealand edition is held annually in March at the beautiful Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth, Taranaki — widely considered one of the best outdoor concert venues in the world.

The festival's mission is to inspire, educate, and promote appreciation of global culture and music. A highlight unique to WOMAD is the Taste the World session, where performing artists swap their instruments for cooking utensils and prepare dishes from their home countries. WOMAD New Zealand has become one of the country's most respected and anticipated annual events and is a must-visit for NZeTA travellers arriving in autumn.

3. Rhythm and Vines — Gisborne (December–January)

Gisborne is the first city in the world to greet the New Year, sitting on the East Cape of New Zealand's North Island. It is only fitting, then, that it hosts Rhythm and Vines — a multi-day international music festival held across New Year's Eve in a stunning vineyard setting. Rhythm and Vines is widely recognised as the first major festival in the world to welcome each new year.

The festival features a world-class lineup of DJs and live acts across multiple stages, all set among the vines of the Waiohika Estate. Glamping packages and general camping are available on-site. If you love music and want to ring in the New Year in a uniquely New Zealand way, Rhythm and Vines is one of the best festivals in New Zealand to experience with your NZeTA.

4. Homegrown — Wellington (March)

Homegrown is New Zealand's flagship domestic music festival, held annually in March in Wellington — the country's creative capital. Now one of the longest-running and most prestigious music festivals in New Zealand, Homegrown features five stages and around 50 New Zealand artists performing on the same day across Wellington's waterfront.

The festival is a celebration of homegrown Kiwi talent, showcasing the best of New Zealand music from hip-hop and reggae to rock and electronic. It is the definitive event for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in New Zealand's vibrant music scene. Wellington is a compact, walkable city and is easy to explore between festival sets — a perfect destination for NZeTA visitors exploring the North Island.

5. Marlborough Wine and Food Festival — Blenheim (February)

The Marlborough Wine and Food Festival is New Zealand's original and longest-running wine festival, held each February at the historic Brancott Estate vineyard in Blenheim. Marlborough is New Zealand's largest and most celebrated wine-producing region, internationally famous for its world-class Sauvignon Blanc.

The festival brings together over 40 local wineries for a spectacular outdoor celebration of wine, food, and live music. Visitors can taste an extraordinary range of wines, enjoy gourmet local cuisine, and relax on the lawns of one of Marlborough's most beautiful vineyards. The Marlborough Wine and Food Festival is a must-visit for food and wine lovers travelling New Zealand with an NZeTA.

6. Hokitika Wildfoods Festival — West Coast (March)

The Hokitika Wildfoods Festival is one of the most adventurous and unique food festivals in New Zealand, held each March in the small town of Hokitika on the West Coast of the South Island. The festival is a celebration of wild, unusual, and challenging foods sourced from the rugged West Coast environment.

Expect to find delicacies such as huhu grubs, whitebait patties, smoked salmon, marinated venison, wild boar, and a traditional Maori hangi — all served alongside a range of craft beers and wines. The festival also includes a Feral Fashion Competition, live music performances on the Mainstage, and an After Party. Hokitika Wildfoods is an extraordinary cultural experience for adventurous NZeTA travellers visiting the South Island.

7. Wellington on a Plate — Wellington (August)

Wellington on a Plate (WOAP) is an acclaimed city-wide food and drink festival held every August across Wellington. Unlike a single-venue event, WOAP transforms the entire capital city into a culinary celebration — restaurants, bars, laneways, and pop-up venues all participate with exclusive set menus, creative cocktails, and experimental dishes.

The festival's famous Burger Wellington competition sees the city's top chefs create imaginative, limited-edition burgers that foodies queue for across the two-week event. With over 100 events, Wellington on a Plate is the perfect reason for NZeTA visitors to plan a mid-winter trip to New Zealand's food capital.

8. MarchFest — Nelson (March)

MarchFest is Nelson's beloved craft beer and music festival, held each March in the sunny Nelson region at the top of the South Island. What makes MarchFest genuinely unique among New Zealand festivals is that every beer poured at the event is brewed exclusively for the festival — no beer served at MarchFest has ever been tasted before.

Nelson is the craft beer capital of New Zealand, producing more hops per hectare than anywhere else in the country. Over 20 brand-new craft beers are unveiled at MarchFest each year, alongside a strong live music lineup. It is a relaxed, friendly event set in beautiful surroundings and is ideal for NZeTA travellers exploring the top of the South Island.

9. Victorian Fete — Oamaru (November)

The Victorian Fete is a charming and one-of-a-kind festival held each November in Oamaru's beautifully preserved Victorian Precinct on the South Island's east coast. Oamaru was one of New Zealand's earliest European settlements, and its historic limestone buildings have been remarkably preserved, creating a genuine Victorian-era atmosphere.

Festival-goers dress in full Victorian costume for the grand parade, and the streets fill with penny farthing bicycle races, vintage performances, artisan stalls, antique dealers, and tastings of fine wine, whisky, and craft beer. The Victorian Fete is one of New Zealand's most distinctive cultural festivals and offers NZeTA visitors a fascinating glimpse into the country's colonial heritage.

10. World Buskers Festival — Christchurch (January)

The World Buskers Festival is one of Christchurch's most popular annual events, held over ten days each January in the heart of the city. The festival transforms Christchurch's streets, squares, and gardens into an open-air performance space featuring world-class street performers, comedians, acrobats, magicians, musicians, and visual artists from across New Zealand and the globe.

All performances are free to attend, making the World Buskers Festival one of the most accessible and family-friendly festivals in New Zealand. It is also one of the best ways for first-time NZeTA visitors to explore the rebuilt, creative energy of post-earthquake Christchurch. January is an ideal time to visit New Zealand on your NZeTA — the summer weather is at its best and festivals are in full swing.