Festivals & Things to do in the Waikato

The green rolling landscapes of the Waikato that lies to the south of Auckland forms some of the most fertile land in New Zealand. This is farming country and therefore not surprising, many of the Waikato Festivals have and outdoorsy rural flavor. Each year the Waikato communities host a variety of Festivals & Lifestyle Events celebrating the regions cultural diversity and traditions. Here is a comprehensive list of Waikato Festivals…

The Waikato is region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Lake Taupo District, and the Rotorua District

Waikato Festivals

Name festival	Date	Category
Pohutukawa Festival	30 Nov – 8 Dec	Active/art/food
Whitianga Dive Festival	29 Nov – 1 Dec	Active
Cambridge Christmas Festival	5 – 19 Dec	Christmas
Primal Getaway NYE Festival	29 Dec – 3 Jan	Active/music
Prana Festival	30 Dec – 5 Jan	Art/music
Tairua School Wine & Food Festival	4 Jan	Food/entertainment
Show Me Shorts Film Festival	6 – 12 Jan	Movies
Kiwiburn	22 – 27 Jan	Art/entertainment
Kawhia Kai Festival	8 Feb	Maori
Hamilton Gardens Art Festival	14 – 27 Feb	Art
Cambridge Autumn Festival	12 – 16 Mar	Entertainment
Thames Heritage Week	14 – 23 Mar	Heritage/culture
Echo Walking Festival	15 – 30 Mar	Active
Beach Hop Rock ‘n’ Roll Festival	26 – 30 Mar	Cars/motors
Balloons over Waikato	26 – 30 Mar	Hot air ballooning
The Great NZ Muster	29 Mar	Culture fair
Mangonui Waterfront Festival	5 Apr	Food/active/entertainment
Hamilton Fuel Fest	June	Car

For other Regional New Zealand Festivals

Auckland Festivals	Bay of Plenty Festivals
Canterbury Festivals	Hawke’s Bay Festivals
Marlborough Festivals	Manawatu Festivals
Northland Festivals	Queenstown / Otago Festivals
Southland Festivals	Tasman / Nelson Festivals
Taranaki Festivals	Waikato Festivals
Wellington Festivals	West Coast Festivals

Activities & Excursions available in the Coromandel and the Rotorua regions.

If one of these fun Waikato Festivals happens to coincides with your planned time in New Zealand and you would like to have it incorporated into a self-drive holiday or a privately guided tour of New Zealand, then please feel free to contact First Light Travel – We would love to help.