Looking for what’s on in Queenstown? Discover light festivals, mountain races, live music and lakefront gatherings that make every visit memorable. Our guide brings together the best events in Queenstown. Stay with either Heartland Hotel Queenstown or Scenic Suites Queenstown, both located near popular venues and the Queenstown city centre so you can enjoy more time exploring and less time traveling.

Queenstown Market

Every Saturday
Queenstown Lakefront
Discover a vibrant lakeside market filled with handmade treasures, live entertainment, and local artisan flair
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Tiny Room Concerts

Every Thursday
The Blue Door
Tiny Room Concerts is a weekly Thursday night series featuring intimate, themed music and storytelling, where talented local and visiting musicians share the unexpected stories and soundtracks behind the music they love
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NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival

25 – 26 June 2026
Featuring epic stories of adventure, resilience, and nature
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Coronet Peak Night Ski

26 June – 4 September 2026
Coronet Peak Night Ski runs 4–9pm every Wednesday and Friday, plus Saturday 11 and Saturday 18 July during the school holidays, offering the chance to ski under the stars with DJs, outdoor fires, hot food, and après‑ski vibes

Ayrburn Winter Wonderland

1-31 July 2026
Ayrburn, Arrowtown
Ayrburn’s Winter Wonderland is a magical winter experience featuring festive light displays, ice‑skating under the stars, and cosy seasonal treats, creating a must‑visit atmosphere in the heart of winter

Mardi Gras

11 July 2026
Mardi Gras Queenstown is a classic winter festival highlight, delivering a high‑energy, multi‑genre music line-up and vibrant après‑ski atmosphere in the heart of Queenstown

Snow Machine Festival

8 – 13 September 2026
Four days and three nights of music, snow, après, and adventure with four après stages across Coronet Peak and The Remarkables
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At the World’s Edge Festival

3-16 October 2026
At The World’s Edge is a classical music festival showcasing world-class chamber music in a series of live events across the region from 3 – 16 October 2026. Performances take place in carefully chosen venues in Queenstown, Cromwell, Bannockburn and Wanaka. Each venue lends itself perfectly to the intimate sound of chamber music

The Remarkables Market

Every Saturday from 5 October 2026 until 11 April 2027
Held at 23 Hawthorne Drive, Frankton (just beside the airport).
The Remarkables Market is the place to discover Queenstown’s best locally-made food, handmade crafts and fresh produce. Located in a large red barn, framed by the Remarkables mountain range, the event is the perfect spring Saturday morning excursion

Glenorchy Gravel Grind

17 October 2026
The Glenorchy Grind is a grassroots cycling adventure set in the awe-inspiring landscapes of Glenorchy — a small community nestled at the head of Lake Wakatipu, just 40 minutes from Queenstown. Born from local passion and a love of the land, this event isn’t just about riding bikes — it’s about connection: to nature, to community, and to a greater purpose. Riders from all over are invited to challenge themselves on our stunning backcountry gravel roads, from scenic family-friendly rides to true sufferfests deep in the southern alps. Race distances start at 57km and go up to 160km

Queenstown Writers Festival

6-8 November 2026
The Queenstown Writers Festival brings readers together over a shared love for stories, kupu and kōrero. Held over three days at Te Atamira, this year’s festival will be the biggest yet with 20 visiting writers, including non-fiction writers, poets, novelists, children’s writers, Kiwi icons, and literary legends. Get excited for writing workshops, a book launch, panel discussions, a writing competition and the return of the popular Sampler Session featuring local writers

Queenstown Marathon

14 November 2026
The ‘World’s Most Beautiful Marathon’ incorporates 42.2km, 21km and 10km events and a 2.2km kids run option. The course takes in the best highlights of the Queenstown Lakes region on mostly hard-packed cycle trails. Afterwards, celebrate your achievements at one of Queenstown’s restaurants or bars
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Rythym & Alps Festival

29-31 December 2026
Cardrona Valley, Wanaka
Rhythm and Alps returns in 2026. One of Aotearoa’s longest running and most iconic multi-day music festivals, R&A takes place annually from 29-31 December in the stunning Cardrona Valley near Wānaka. Join the thousands of legends who make the trip to the Alps to celebrate the New Year

New Zealand Golf Open

25-28 February 2027
Millbrook Resort, Arrowtown
The New Zealand Golf Open returns to Millbrook Resort for its 106th edition in 2027, bringing together top professional and amateur golfers in a world‑class Pro‑Am tournament set against a stunning alpine backdrop