Queenstown Winter Festival 2027
More Winter
Winter topic
Return to the Winter index for related events.
About the event
The Queenstown Winter Festival is New Zealand's largest winter celebration, held on the shore of Lake Wakatipu in the country's adventure-tourism capital and running since 1975. It functions as the official opening of the southern ski season, timed for the point when the surrounding fields at Coronet Peak and The Remarkables come into condition. The programme leans into the town's character rather than a conventional arts line-up: a street parade and Mardi Gras through the centre of Queenstown, fireworks over the lake, live music across the bars, night skiing, and deliberately absurd competitions including a birdman event in which entrants launch themselves off the wharf in home-built contraptions, plus a dog barking contest. The setting does much of the work, with the Remarkables rising directly behind the town. Accommodation is under heavy demand across the festival because it coincides with the start of the ski season. The 2027 festival runs from 11 to 21 June.
Key figures
Stay in Queenstown
Check-in 10 Jun, check-out 14 Jun 2027 — 4 nights around 11 June 2027–21 June 2027. Change the dates to stay longer.
AREA
Check hotel pricesOneSliders may earn a commission when a booking is completed through a listed partner.
Getting there
- AirportQueenstown Airport (ZQN), about 7 km
- AirportQueenstown Airport (ZQN)
- Time zonePacific/Auckland
Host country
- Currency: New Zealand dollar
- Language: English, Maori
- Driving: on the left
- Capital: Wellington
- Phone: +64
- Emergency: 111
- Electricity: 230 V, 50 Hz, plugs I
Coming years
2028
The organiser had not announced the 2028 edition as of 2026-09-03.