Queenstown Events, Things to Do and Festivals
(Queenstown, Otago, South Island, New Zealand)
Throughout the year, there is always a lot going on in Queenstown, with some big seasonal festivals and other similar things to do and enjoy, ranging from summer
New Zealand hiking (tramping) to winter skiing. For the latest events listings and nightlife information, refer to Queenstown's free community newspapers and flyers, which are published in the middle of the week and named 'The Mirror', 'The Source' and also the 'Lakes Weekly Bulletin'.
The Queenstown Winter Festival is one of the area's biggest annual events and is held each year from late June to early July, lasting around ten days in total and attracting some 60,000 people. First staged in the mid-1970s, those attending these celebrations can expect a string of live concerts, dancing, comedy gigs, plenty of food and drink, drag racing, mountain bike races and skiing at the Coronet Peak resort.
Queenstown Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015: General Information
Another very exciting event for Queenstown visitors to look out for is the Silverstone Race to the Sky, which is an exciting motorsport hill climb held annually during the Easter weekend, in the nearby Cardrona Valley. Other notable highlights include the:
- Peak Festival - early January, with live music at the Queenstown Events Centre and other venues
- Summer Camp NZ - early January, event for the gay community, with music, dancing and partying
- Gay Ski Week NZ - late August to early September, featuring a range of winter-related events, parties and live entertainment, around the Remarkables mountains and the Coronet Peak
- 42 Below Cocktail World Cup - throughout September, with international bartenders show off their flamboyant cocktail-making skills
- World Netball Festival - early November, usually held in the Queenstown area on a yearly basis
- Shotover Jet Remarkable Christmas Special - mid-December, Yuletide festivities, including Santa's workshop, Christmas lights and more
- Summerdaze - December 31st, with all kinds of entertainment held throughout the Queenstown, Arrowtown and Wanaka areas, with events including picnics for teddy bears, market stalls and fireworks