Wanaka Events, Things to Do and Festivals

(Wanaka, Otago, South Island, New Zealand)

During the entire year, Wanaka plays host to a number of surprisingly impressive events and enjoyable festivals. National holidays in New Zealand include Waitangi Day on February 6th, Anzac Day on April 25th, and Labour Day on the fourth Monday each October, all of which are very much celebrated in Wanaka.

Some of the most notable things to do here tend to fall around Easter, with the Warbirds Over Wanaka international air show event, taking place at this time every other year (on evenly numbered years only). The Warbirds Over Wanaka is amongst Otago's biggest festival and has been known to attract in excess of 100,000 people to this popular township, with crowds coming to see iconic planes, such as the Spitfire and the Tiger Moth, flying high above the Southern Alps of New Zealand.

Wanaka Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015: General Information

The Southern Lakes Festival of Colour is another biennial event held in Wanaka and is staged on odd-numbered years over a six-day period, from the very end of April to early May. With concerts, dancing and exhibitions of art, the Southern Lakes Festival of Colour is also held in the surrounding towns of Arrowtown, Bannockburn, Hawea and Luggate, amongst other destinations.

If you are holidaying in Wanaka during the middle of September, then you can't possibly miss the vibrant attractions lining the town's lakefront as part of Wanakafest. These form part of Wanakafest, an established event now dating back more than 20 years. Expect to find carnival processions, food stalls, sports events and evening fireworks.

Those who prefer winter sports may be interested in attending the NZ Freeski Open event. Hosted by the Freeski Association of New Zealand (FSANZ), the NZ Freeski Open festival takes place towards the end of August at the winter resort of Treble Cone.