Time to tag in your best festy friends and start filling your summer diary. Here’s our guide to 10 of the season’s most essential music and food festivals.

Electric Avenue

This highlight of the summer festival calendar celebrates double figures by doubling its days and doubling down on the dub-uliciousness of it all. Electric Avenue launched on Waitangi Day 2015 with local headliners including Shapeshifter, Fat Freddy's Drop and Ladi6. Those O.G.s bring their beats back in 2025, joined by 20 international acts, a who’s who of kiwi awesomeness and an expected 60,000 punters. UK duo Chase and Status headline Friday; Saturday it’s EDM legends The Prodigy. 

Where Hagley Park
When Friday/Saturday 21/22 February
Why ‘Cos we love to dance
Info electricavenuefestival.co.nz

World Buskers Festival

It’s out with the Bread & Circus and in with the Hooha this year as the annual Buskers Festival gets a new team for season #32. Hooha Productions promises a festival lineup that spotlights local talent and showcases Māori and Pasifika arts and culture. Old favourites return with The TAPE FACE Show, Shay Horay as bingo caller Keith Preene, and MulletMan and MiM. New faces include wahine Māori comedian Kura Turuwhenua, the sword-swallowing and hula-hooping Dangerous Darlings, Ireland’s juggling, acrobatic Tumble Circus, and Estonia’s explosive Fire Ninja.

Where Various venues
When 24 January – 2 February 2025
Why Being amazed is good for the soul
Info worldbuskersfestival.co.nz

Great Kiwi Beer Festival

Four words that spell heaven for dedicated suds lovers and their circle of fellow sophisticates. This is the big one, with over 50 craft breweries and 300 beers and ciders on tap. Plenty of ka pai kai from Canterbury’s street-food finest, and a lineup of sweet Kiwi music headlined by legends The Exponents.

Where Hagley Park
When Saturday 25 January
Why It’s in the name
Info greatkiwibeerfestival.co.nz

Hidden Lakes Festival

Music, art and nature come together in the fourth edition of this lakeside festival nestled in the heart of Hagley Park. Eat, drink and dance to the beats and breaks of LUUDE, Sammy Virji, Shy FX, Interplanetary Criminal, Kiwi duo Lee Mvtthews and heaps more as they perform across three stages.

Where Hagley Park
When Saturday 28 December
Why 10 hours of the doofiest doof
Info hiddenlakesfestival.com

Nostalgia

With its setting in the 1900s replica township of Ferrymead Heritage Park, Nostalgia captures the same time-travel experience as the best of the world’s heritage festivals. Join the party and dress to the theme! The lineup for 2025 is a cracker, with Boy & Bear, Dave Dobbyn, Leisure, Casual Healing, The Butlers and Wax Mustang leading the charge. All set against a backdrop of local food, craft drinks, roving theatre, markets and more.

Where Ferrymead Heritage Park
When Saturday 8 Feb
Why Ah yes, the good old days...
Info nostalgiafestival.co.nz

North Canterbury Wine & Food Festival

From being a bit of an oenological backwater, North Canterbury’s reputation as a wine region has exploded on the strength of its world-class pinot noir, rieslings and chardonnays. For those in the know, though, this festival has long been a fixture on the calendar, a chance to sample the region’s best. Joining the celebration of excellence are the best chefs, bakers, makers and food trucks in Canterbury.

Where Glenmark Domain
When Sunday 9 March
Why World-class wine from just up the road
Info ncwineandfood.co.nz

Gindulgence

This celebration of all things gin returns to leafy Ilam Homestead, bringing together 22 distillers and showcasing more than 80 gins from New Zealand and around the world. All the big names will be there, as well as a few you may not have heard of. So give those tastebuds a tickle with the finest botanics, meet the makers, take part in tastings and masterclasses, and relax with some live entertainment. 

Where Ilam Homestead
When Saturday/Sunday 15/16 March
Why Gin, sunshine and nature – the perfect cocktail
Info gindulgence.co.nz/christchurch-gin-festival/

Ripe: The Wanaka Wine & Food Festival

Here are 26 of Central Otago’s finest wineries all in one place, paired with exclusive dining options or a wide range of food trucks, entertainment headlined by Ladyhawke and a chance for a deep dive into the excellence of the region’s pinot noir, rosé and aromatic whites. The mountains and the lake look all right too.  

Where Glendhu Station
When Saturday 22 March
Why Location, location, location
Info ripewanaka.nz

Selwyn Sounds

Lincoln’s annual party just gets better and better with its winning family-friendly formula of a lineup studded with the stars of yesteryear and an all-ages rating. The food trucks will be out in force to keep up the energy levels, and two bars and plenty of water will keep everyone hydrated. Acts include UK synth-pop pioneers OMD, Tom Bailey of the Thompson Twins, Jon Stevens, Diesel and The Narcs. 

Where Lincoln Domain
When Saturday 1 March
Why ‘Cos you won’t get another OMD moment
Info selwynsounds.co.nz

Scape Public Art

Slip on your favourite pair of walking shoes and head out on a tour of the city’s public artworks installed as part of the SCAPE programme. The theme for SCAPE Season 2024 is Material/Immaterial Worlds, in which selected artists were asked ‘How does an unseen world affect your physical world?’ Download the map and set out on a tour of permanent artworks from earlier seasons and this season’s new arrivals.

Where Citywide
When Right now
Why Because it’s art, that’s why
Info scapepublicart.org.nz