Events in Wellington, New Zealand
Summer City, International Film Festival, Cuba St Carnival, Sevens
From Rugby Union at Westpac Stadium and free outdoor music concerts to arthouse movies and Maori culture, the NZ capital always has reason to celebrate.
Wellington on New Zealand’s north island likes to bill itself as something of a cultural hotspot, and the NZ capital puts on plenty of events and festivals throughout the year. These include the International Rugby Sevens tournament at Westpac Stadium, the Summer City Festival of Free Outdoor Entertainment, the New Zealand International Film Festival and the Cuba Street Carnival.
Events in Wellington, New Zealand - International Rugby Sevens
Rugby Sevens is shorter, faster-flowing and higher scoring that ordinary Rugby Union and, while you won’t see the top New Zealand internationals playing, the event in Wellington does attract good quality rugby players from around the world. Aside from the entertainment, part of the joy of the International Rugby Sevens at the Westpac Stadium is that the tournaments tend to be quite open. Smaller rugby nations such as Argentina, Samoa and Fiji hold their own against heavyweights from Australia, France and England at this February rugby event.
Events in Wellington, New Zealand - Summer City Festival of Free Outdoor Entertainment
January and February are arguably the only two months of the year where you notice the sun more than the wind in Wellington, so there’s no better time to have a festival of free outdoor entertainment. As the name suggests, Summer City is a conglomerate of various Maori cultural events, music concerts and arts performances held in parks and squares across Wellington. Entry is always free, and the festival runs during January and February.
Events in Wellington, New Zealand – New Zealand International Film Festival
The New Zealand International Film Festival grows in size and importance on the the international film festival circuit every year. The resurgence in film-making in New Zealand, led by Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings and King Kong, has helped with this, but it’s the local films and arthouse movies that add the spice to the Hollywood blockbusters. The festival takes place across New Zealand, with the Wellington leg being over two weeks in late July and early August.
Events in Wellington, New Zealand - Cuba Street Carnival
Visitors could be forgiven for thinking that this was a rum-soaked, salsa dancing celebration through the streets of Havana, but it’s merely an excuse for a good party in the NZ capital. Held every two years in late February, the carnival involves plenty of bands putting on concerts around Cuba Street (hence the name). Those on the main stage in 2007 included Kalaga’la, Solaa, The Yoots and Ricky Boyd and the Boomshack.
