The BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival is almost here, returning to Manukau Sports Bowl from Thursday, 26 February to Sunday, 1 March, marking the conclusion of Chinese New Year celebrations and welcoming the Year of the Horse.
As Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest cultural festival, the free, family-friendly event will take place across four evenings and feature lantern displays, live performances, kai and fireworks. The festival is supported by Auckland Council Events.
Top tip: Know what’s on
This year’s festival will feature more than 500 handmade lanterns, including the new Year of the Horse lantern and a new Kiwiana lantern celebrating iconic elements of New Zealand. Across the four evenings, festival-goers can enjoy mainstage performances showcasing a mix of traditional cultural and contemporary acts, along with activities and giveaways at the BNZ Basketball Court.
A wide range of flavours will be on offer, with 50 food stalls and 20 retail stalls selling food, gifts and merchandise from across Asia. The festival is open daily from 4:00pm to 10:30pm and the final three nights will finish with a spectacular fireworks display at 9:50pm.
Top tip: Plan ahead online
Before you arrive, check out aucklandnz.com/lantern for festival maps, performance locations and schedules, and the latest event information.
Top tip: Book your free tickets early
Entry to the BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival is free, but a ticket is required. Tickets are available at aucklandnz.com/lantern and can be saved on your device or downloaded and printed.
Keep your ticket handy, as you’ll need it for entry and for free public transport.
Top tip: Leave the car at home
With no public parking available at the venue and road closures in place, using the festival’s integrated transport with Auckland Transport (AT) is the easiest way to get there. Your festival ticket includes free travel on AT buses and trains, valid from two hours before the festival opens until the end of regular daily services.
Free event buses will run frequently between Manukau Train Station, Westfield Manukau and Manukau Sports Bowl, with pick-up and drop-off at Gate B (Sandrine Avenue).
Visitors who want to cycle to the event can use the bike racks on site. AT’s walking and cycling paths can help you plan your journey.
Free parking is available at Westfield Manukau during festival hours, with access to the free event bus or a short walk to the venue.
Paid parking is available at Kia Aroha College, Othello Drive.
For the latest travel information, visit at.govt.nz.
Top tip: Arrive prepared
The BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival is smoke-free and alcohol-free. For safety reasons, pets are not permitted, with the exception of service dogs.
Most stallholders accept EFTPOS, but cash may be handy for some. A cash-out trailer will be available on site.
Top tip: Download BNZ’s Payap, get $8.88 Lantern Cash
Festival-goers can also pay using Payap, BNZ’s new QR code payment app, at participating stalls.
People who visit payap.com and download the app will receive $8.88 Lantern Cash to spend with Payap during the festival¹. Payap is free to download and works across New Zealand banks². To claim your Lantern Cash or to find out more head to payap.com today.
More celebrations across the city
As part of the BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival, Vector Lights returns to the Auckland Harbour Bridge to celebrate the Year of the Horse with a light and sound show. This is the result of a partnership between Vector, Auckland Council and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
The show runs from Monday, 23 February to Sunday, 1 March, from 8:30pm until midnight, playing every 15 minutes. Popular viewing spots include Little Shoal Bay, Bayswater Marina and Westhaven Marina. Viewers can also listen live or watch a livestream recording at vector.co.nz/lights.
As part of wider Lunar New Year celebrations in Auckland, a free city centre programme of lighting installations, performances and cultural experiences is taking place from 17 February. For more information visit aucklandnz.com/lantern.
Event details
BNZ Auckland Lantern Festival 2026 Thursday, 26 February – Sunday, 1 March 2026 4:00pm – 10:30pm daily Manukau Sports Bowl, Te Irirangi Drive, Manukau
¹ Offer available at participating stallholders only. Eligibility criteria and terms and conditions apply. Offer ends 1 March 2026, subject to availability. Payap is a product offered by BNZ. ² To pay with Payap, you'll need to have an New Zealand bank account that can be linked with Payap through open banking or eligible debit cards.