Queenstown Events

Queenstown is host to a myriad of fantastic events every year, each season offering a different selection of festivals and competitions to participate in. Whether you’re visiting the lower South Island for an extended period, or just for a weekend getaway, make sure you’re in Queenstown for one of the following events.

Few destinations could boast as busy a winter season as Queenstown, and the vast array of festivals that fall in the colder months certainly supports this maxim. With crowds already drawn for the skiing and snowboarding that accompany the winter months, Queenstown puts on music events and gastronomic festivals galore. The Queenstown Winter Festival is the forerunner of these, drawing thousands of visitors worldwide thanks to its full schedule of street parties, homegrown music, fireworks, comedy, and sports activities.  Moving through the seasons, the Queenstown Jazz Festival is in order to get you primed for springtime, and always promises a stunning line-up of local and international jazz acts. And when the warmer season is in full swing, the Summerdaze Festival is put on to please the entire family, offering top-notch entertainment and food for an entire month every January.

Photo by: Jens Thekkeveettil on Unsplash

In terms of summer running events, the Queenstown International Marathon is one of the most popular entries on the yearly calendar. Occurring right when summer hits – in November each year – the Marathon attracts keen runners from far and wide to traverse the beautiful surrounds of the town (whether that be for the full distance of 42km, or for one of the smaller run options available). If you’re keen on snow sports, on the other hand, then the Wintergames – a bonanza of skiing, snowboarding, and curling, featuring the world’s leading athletes – is a must. The two-week-long Wintergames have been judged one of the globe’s top 5 winter sports comps, and Queenstown brings a Kiwi vibe to the competition that can’t be beaten.

To bring in the New Year in style, Queenstown is the place to stay on December 31. The town always puts on a great show of live music and fireworks on the lakefront, and the Rhythm and Alps Music Festival in nearby Wanaka is within throwing distance for those keen to camp out in style over New Years. And if you haven’t had quite enough to drink over the festive period, don’t miss the Queenstown Beer Festival in mid-January to sample all the best craft beers from across the country.

To ensure you don’t miss out on any of the region’s must-see festivals and events, pick up a rental car from either Omega’s Queenstown Airport Depot or Queenstown Central Depot.