Top Paddock, Tussock Country Music Festival

Southland's Unmissable Events

Unmissable Events LogoExplore Southland’s fantastic line-up of unmissable events "You won't Want to Miss". Appreciate reading each event’s tale, told through the eyes of a storyteller and enjoy a sneak peek highlight which is sure to entice you to come along.

No matter the season, Southland has an events calendar packed with colour, fun and adventures “you won’t want to miss”. Events explore every angle of what it is to be alive and what better time than now to discover the region’s stunning seasonal showpieces. Get together, go solo and look on in awe, have a go – we’re only limited by our imagination, and in Southland, the sky is most definitely not the limit.

Delve deeper into Southland's Unmissable Events

ALL EVENTS A-Z

Burt Munro Challenge

The life of the legendary motorbike racing legend Burt Munro is celebrated every year in Southland with the Burt Munro Challenge.

Fiordland Big 3

If you’re looking for an event that sums up New Zealand - Fiordland’s The Big 3 will hook you for sure.

ILT Kidzone Festival

Southland’s most popular family event is jam-packed with hundreds of hands-on activities, rides and experiences for kids of all kinds.

ILT Southland's Darts Masters

See some of the best darts players in New Zealand — each entering the arena to the sounds of their unique walk-on music. There’s a huge party atmosphere coming to the Ascot Park Hotel in October. 

Men's Muster Fiordland
Great South

Men's Muster Fiordland

Laugh your way to a newer you at the Men’s Muster Fiordland. The annual event is set in the picturesque lakeside location of Te Anau, with the majestic and jaw-dropping World Heritage Area of Fiordland as your backdrop.

MLT Moonshine Trail

There’s a little bit of magic waiting for you at the MLT Moonshine Trail. Grab the running shoes or mountainbike and take to the saddle for the day.

Night of the Arts

Night of the Arts (NoTA) is a mid-winter celebration of Murihiku Southland’s vibrant, local arts scene. It’s perfectly timed for a wonderfully weird and inspiring wander around Invercargill’s fabulous CBD, so throw on a…

NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame Awards

It's the gala dinner of the year bringing road transport legends together from all corners of the country. Throw in a charity auction and a visit to the spiritual home of the wheel - and it’s clear there’s a lot to love…

On the Fly Mataura River Festival

Come along to discover the amazing world of fly-fishing and the elusive Brown Trout and bask in the spirit of the beautiful Gore community. The festival will be abuzz with food vendors, fly-fishing guides and enthusiasts, free…

Revitalize Music Festival

It’s a celebration of all things organic and natural - in a magical Western Southland setting, under the Takitimu mountains at Mangapiri Downs Organic stud Farm, a pioneering organic stud sheep, cattle and forestry farm.

Rootstock

Get ready for Southland’s most Southland event, Rootstock: a paddock festival celebrating the humble swede. Think swandries and gumboots, local music, and plenty of swedes to be pulled up and cooked by local chefs in a variety of…

Routeburn Classic

Travel with your fellow athletes by helicopter or on the highway by bus to run over New Zealand’s world-famous Routeburn Track in one day.

Southland A&P Show

If you think you know A&P shows, you might be in for a surprise. On the first Saturday of March each year, the Southland A&P Show bursts into spectacular life at picturesque Donovan Park in Invercargill.

Te Anau Ukulele Festival

The Te Anau Ukulele Festival is a great three-day event where ukulele players from all over gather to enjoy music against the backdrop of Lake Te Anau and the surrounding mountains. All skill levels are welcome, making it a perfect family…

Discover Southland

For those who want to get off the beaten track, Southland is the ideal place to visit. One of the largest regions in New Zealand, Southland’s vast array of lakes, rivers, mountains and open plains make it a place of incomparable and unique beauty. Its rugged coastline, stretching a staggering 3,400 kilometres is one of Southland’s most treasured assets. Home to countless species of native wildlife, it invites visitors back to nature in tranquil surroundings.

Florence Hill Lookout, The Catlins
Florence Hill Lookout, The Catlins

Discover The Catlins

Considered by many New Zealanders as a must visit, The Catlins is a stunning coastal stretch between…

Milford Sound - Kayak
Rosco's Milford Sound Kayaks, Fiordland

Discover Fiordland

Tucked away in the South Western edgeof New Zealand, Fiordland is home to 14 fiords, New…

Southland Events