PLAN AROUND OUR BEST EVENTS
From food festivals to music festivals and everything in between, there's always something happening in the Bay of Plenty! Whether you are planning a visit next week or next year, the list of events below will help you find what's happening during your stay in the Bay of Plenty.
Summer
WAIHĪ BEACH SUMMER FAIR
Wilson Park, Waihī Beach
The annual Waihī Beach Summer Fair is home to over 200+ stalls, 12,000+ punters, gourmet food plus fun for the kids and entertainment for everybody.
KATIKATI AVO FEST
Katikati
Katikati is the Avocado Capital of New Zealand and hosts the Katikati Avo Fest each year. Great food & wine, lively entertainment, product displays, kitchen demonstrations and more.
MOUNT FESTIVAL OF MULTISPORT
Mount Maunganui
The Mount Festival of Multisport includes the Tauranga Half Marathon, AquaBike, Mount Run and Pilot Bay Swim.
NEW YEAR'S EVE
Various locations
Fireworks, food trucks and more - join New Year's Eve celebrations across Tauranga.
Autumn
FLAVOURS OF PLENTY FESTIVAL
Various locations
The Flavours of Plenty Festival is a celebration of the Coastal Bay of Plenty’s world-class food scene. Expect all kinds of mouthwatering fun, from workshops and demonstrations, degustations and pop-ups, cultural events and more.
NATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
Tauranga
The longest running Jazz Festival in the Southern Hemisphere showcasing New Zealand’s top jazz musicians.
Winter
MATARIKI EVENTS
Bay of Plenty
Each year, the winter stars of Matariki signal the arrival of the Māori New Year. To honour Matariki traditions, more than 40 annual and one-off events are held around the Bay of Plenty every winter to celebrate our cultural heritage and unique national identity including workshops, exhibitions, live performances and family events.
MOUNT MAUNGANUI HALF MARATHON
Mount Maunganui
Lace up for one of the Bay’s most scenic running events! The Mount Maunganui Half Marathon is a running festival with something for everyone – from the full 21km challenge to 10km and 5km options. Soak up the coastal vibes, take in epic views of Mauao, and feel the buzz of crossing the finish line with the mountain at your back.
Spring
ZESPRI AIMS GAMES
Various venues
The Zespri AIMS Games give 11, 12 and 13 year olds an opportunity to compete as an individual or in a team against their age group in 27 different sports.
TAURANGA STEM FESTIVAL
Tauranga City Centre
Tauranga STEM Festival (STEMFest) is a free, family-friendly science, technology, engineering and mathematics festival.
TAURANGA ARTS FESTIVAL
Tauranga
Tauranga Arts Festival is 10 days of music, theatre, comedy and visual arts. Escape is delivered in alternate years to the festival and is a readers and writers weekend with thought-provoking talks.
VEGAN VIBES
Soper Reserve, Mount Maunganui
Vegan Vibes is a celebration of all things vegan. A great combination of street food, food products, clothing, health and more.
BAY OF PLENTY GARDEN & ART FESTIVAL
Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Te Puke, Katikati
The Garden & Art Festival celebrates the beauty and diversity of our region’s gardens and the creativity of talented artists.